Mahpiya Luta standout Layla Janis signs with Haskell basketball

Layla Janis is headed from Pine Ridge to Lawrence, where the Maȟpíya Lúta senior will join Haskell Indian Nations University’s basketball program and become part of a campus identity that has long centered Native students, Native achievement and Native visibility.

Janis’ signing carries more weight than a roster add. She comes from Maȟpíya Lúta, formerly Red Cloud Indian School, on the Pine Ridge Reservation, home to the Oglala Lakȟóta Tribe, and her move to Haskell links two programs that have built their reputations on giving Native student-athletes a stage. For Douglas County fans, it means another local-worthy name to follow in Lawrence next season, on a team that is not rebuilding from scratch but pushing forward.

Maȟpíya Lúta listed Janis as a senior on its 2025-26 girls basketball roster wearing No. 12. School coverage described her as a transfer who arrived for her final high school season and quickly became an important defensive leader, known for intensity, effort, energy, toughness and leadership. That profile fits the kind of player Haskell has leaned on as it has tried to elevate its women’s program.

Maȟpíya Lúta’s own basketball run gives Janis’ signing added context. The girls team reached the 2025 South Dakota State A championship game and lost by one point on a buzzer-beater after an almost perfect season. In January 2025, the team was 12-0 and ranked No. 2 in the Class A media poll, a reminder of how strong Native girls basketball has become in South Dakota and why players from Pine Ridge continue to draw attention beyond the reservation.

Haskell, founded in 1884, says it has served Alaska Native and American Indian students for more than 140 years and provides a tuition-free education for eligible Native students from federally recognized tribes. The university describes itself as a national center for Indian education, research and cultural preservation, and its women’s basketball team has matched that upward arc on the court.

That program earned a berth in the 2026 NAIA Women’s Basketball National Championship after winning the Continental Athletic Conference tournament, setting up a season in which fans in Lawrence will be able to watch Janis join a team with both momentum and meaning. Her signing underscores Haskell’s role as a visible destination for Native athletes who want academics, basketball and representation in the same place.