It was in the summer after her junior year of high school when Jayda Angel realized it. Her visit to Elon University’s campus cemented the bond she and Elon women’s basketball head coach Charlotte Smith had crafted over the phone.
“The moment I arrived on campus, and I toured, and we talked about things, it just felt right,” Angel said. “At that moment, I was like, ‘This is the place that I want to be at for the next four years.”’
Angel said Smith and her future teammates made it feel like she was joining a family and it felt like home. Angel, who boasts an impressive high school career where she led North Carolina in scoring her senior year at Cape Fear High School, said a key factor in her decision to choose Elon was the fact that they were her second ever offer and never lost contact with her.
Another influential factor was Smith. Angel felt an immediate bond as she grew comfortable talking with her beyond basketball, she said. Smith, who scored the game-winning shot in the 1994 NCAA National Championship, also brings lots of prestige to the program, which attracted Angel.
Smith said Angel’s innately competitive nature made her stand out and played a role in Smith’s recruitment of her. She also was impressed by Angel’s shotmaking ability and believed in Angel to return the program to dominance — a belief that has been proven right with Elon’s 11-9 start after only winning 11 games last season.
“She’s a closer, she’s the type of player that can create her own shot when the game is on the line,” Smith said. “She wants the ball in her hands. So, we knew that that would be something important to get our program headed back in the right direction.”
Angel has certainly lived up to the hype as she has had an explosive debut in her first 20 games as a Phoenix. Angel hasn’t waited her turn to get involved on the floor as she has spearheaded the Phoenix by swiping balls, shooting 3-pointers and securing rebounds. From the opening tipoff, Angel’s nimble and elusive playstyle proved to be a fearsome force on the court. Her speed allows her to go from coast to coast, streaking across the court as she swipes the ball away from defenders and runs to the other side to pull up for a midrange jumper. There are some youthful mistakes in her defense and turnover tendencies, but she is a team leader.
She began her Elon career with a combined 35 points and 9 rebounds in her first two games. She currently leads the team in 3-pointers with 18 and averages 10.6 points per game and has 44 steals — two categories that she ranks second on the team in. She also has notched the third most assists and rebounds on the team. Angel has been a standout star across the Coastal Athletic Association as she has been named CAA Rookie of the Week four times.
This wasn’t a surprise to the Fayetteville native. She worked hard in practices before the season to impress her coaches. Angel said she utilized every practice as an opportunity to illustrate what she was all about. She was confident that she would get involved early on due to her strong mindset.
“I just had a feeling to stay ready for when my time comes, so I can execute it,” Angel said.
Smith expected this start from Angel. Smith said Angel is an elite level player and expected her to be a closer who can carry the load by taking the ball into her hands when the team needs it.
“She can score the basketball. I mean, that’s the impressive thing about Jayda, is that she’s not intimidated by any level of competition,” Smith said. “We played USC, we played Virginia Tech, and she has the same mindset, mentality in those games as well.”
Smith has also been impressed by Angel’s professional approach to the game.
“She’s a consummate professional,” Smith said. “She is professional about taking care of her body, getting the rest that she needs, fueling her body; she just treats it like it's a business."
Despite her impressive start, the transition into college hasn’t been all easy for Angel. Angel said it was hard to adjust to the increase in skill from high school to college.
“Everyone can play. It was different in high school,” Angel said. “You would have maybe two star players, but everybody can play on the collegiate level.”
Angel also said it was hard to be away from family but believes Elon provides sort of a second family. She cited redshirt sophomore Raven Preston and senior Iycez Adams as teammates who have mentored her along the way. She said they gave her the confidence to be herself from the jump.
The numbers showcase an excellent season for Angel, and the freshman is happy with how she has played, and in particular, her mid-range game. Angel has said her mid-range shots have been vastly improved from her high school days. There’s still more to be improved, however. Angel believes she can get more efficient from beyond the 3-point line, and Smith hopes she improves in her understanding of their opponents’ defensive schemes.
“We just talk about 1% better every day, and just grabbing the reins of that point guard position when we have her in at point guard, and being able to get the team organized,” Smith said.
Smith has high hopes for the player that she calls a “Swiss Army Knife.” Over the next three years, Smith believes Angel can become one of the best players in program history thanks to her elite scoring ability, along with her rebounding and defensive skills. Angel has her eyes on similar prospects.
“My goal here is really to try to be the best, be the leading scorer, and to do everything I can to take Elon to the next level, and just to break records,” Angel said.