Jayde Gamble’s leadership has helped UNC Greensboro reach SoCon summit during historic season

Gamble dabbled in gymnastics and soccer when she was younger. She also danced, but something interesting happened to her on the way to glory.

“I kind of got kicked out of [dance] because I had no rhythm,” said a laughing Gamble to The Next during a Zoom interview from a hotel lobby in Macon, Georgia. “I did a lot of different stuff before I played basketball, but when I was in middle school, I started taking basketball seriously, and just the energy on the floor that I got was very nice. So, I always stuck with it from there and grew my love for the game.”

The energetic 5’7 UNC Greensboro senior guard can’t imagine her life without basketball, where — to the chagrin of opponents — rhythm isn’t a prerequisite. With discipline as a foundation, thanks to her dad’s military service, Gamble is concluding a terrific career in which she scored over 1,100 points and collected 200 steals between UNC Wilmington and UNCG.

To understand the heart of Gamble’s relentless drive, one must first understand her roots, her hometown of Holly Springs, North Carolina. Once a quiet farming town, now a thriving community 24 miles from Raleigh. Wide roads and enormous skies remain, but neighborhoods, parks, and local businesses have brought a new rhythm. The nights are still peaceful, and dreams are no longer measured by how far the next town over is but by the opportunities growing right there.

Once Gamble discovered basketball, her dream of being an elite player was never confined to those country roads. The foundation of her love of the game was formed thanks to a deep connection to her grandfather, Lawrence Winston. It was a love that propelled Gamble far beyond the small-town gyms she once knew. She traveled with him as he refereed games. Beyond the court, their bond grew stronger through fishing trips — quiet moments on the water that anchored her to the values of patience and perseverance.

The Next, a 24/7/365 women’s basketball newsroom

The Next: A basketball newsroom brought to you by The IX. 24/7/365 women’s basketball coverage, written, edited and photographed by our young, diverse staff and dedicated to breaking news, analysis, historical deep dives and projections about the game we love.

The passionate and sticky-fingered Gamble has been the engine that fueled a memorable regular season for the Spartans. They won the Southern Conference regular-season championship and will enter the postseason tournament as the No. 1 seed for the first time when they meet No. 8 seed Western Carolina on Thursday at 11 a.m. in Asheville, North Carolina, under veteran head coach Trina Patterson.

Finishing a season for the ages with a 22-6 overall record, UNCG is rewriting the program’s history with feats not seen since last century.

This isn’t just a good season — it’s a historic one. Their 11-game winning streak is the program’s longest since 1996-97, before any UNCG player was born. UNCG’s 14-0 home record is the best in any regular season in program history, shattering the previous mark set by the 1987-88 squad, which finished 10-0.

The Spartans aren’t just winning; they’re setting a new standard.

With an active 18-game home winning streak, UNCG is 29-1 at home in the two years that Gamble has been a Spartan. With three wins this week in the SoCon tournament, the Spartans would earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1998.

UNCG applied the final flourish to a memorable campaign by defeating Mercer, 76-37, on Saturday at Hawkins Arena. The 2001-02 team started conference play with an 11-1 record, which was the best in program history until this Spartan team came along. UNCG enjoyed a sterling 13-1 SoCon record, adding another pearl to their legendary collection of season-long jewels.

 “This season has been nothing short of a blessing,” Gamble said. “Just to be able to play with a group of girls that want to do well, want to succeed, and then be surrounded by coaches and support staff that want the same thing for you, it’s easy to go practice every day. Everybody has the same energy you have, and they all want to get better. I am excited to play with the people I’m playing with now.”

Add Locked On Women’s Basketball to your daily routine

Here at The Next, in addition to the 24/7/365 written content our staff provides, we also host the daily Locked On Women’s Basketball podcast. Join us Monday through Saturday each week as we discuss all things WNBA, collegiate basketball, basketball history and much more. Listen wherever you find podcasts or watch on YouTube.

Gamble’s offensive prowess earned her All-SoCon First Team honors last season. She led the Spartans in last year, scoring at 14.0 points per game, and is again leading UNCG in scoring at 12.0 points per game. Her game has expanded, and she’s doing a little of everything, all with more eyes locked on her.

She’s getting it done on both ends of the floor.

Gamble is third in the SoCon with 63 steals and a 2.2 steals-per-game average. According to Her Hoop Stats, Gamble’s usage rate is 24.8%, the highest of her career. This means that more UNCG possessions end with the ball in her hands. Even though her points per possession decreased from 0.91 last year to 0.78 this year, Gamble has enjoyed career bests in rebounding rate (7.3%), assist rate (21.4%), and steal rate (3.3%).

She has still been an offensive catalyst. According to CBB Analytics, Gamble is shooting 58.2% on shots in the paint (32-for-55), which is 0.9% above the Division I average from that range. She has made 41.3% of her shots from mid-range, which is 8.0% above the Division I average of 33.3%. Gamble’s effective field-goal percentage is 44.9%.

“Jayde is the most competitive person I know,” Patterson said. “She always calls herself a dog. I think it’s spelled d-a-w-g, but she even has these T-shirts. It reminds me of high school and college when it’s like the little point guard, and they always have so much fight because they’ve been told they’re too small. Dawn Staley was 5’5, so playing at this level, you have to be made of something different. We accept her for who she is.”

In her ninth year of leading the Spartans and 34th overall in coaching, Patterson, a Virginia graduate who played under legendary coach Debbie Ryan, has also evolved, which has been an underrated ingredient in UNCG’s success. Patterson was the head coach at William & Mary, Albany and Maryland-Eastern Shore and worked under Hall of Fame coach Tara VanDerveer at Stanford. During her decorated career, Patterson has been named a Coach of the Year in the America East, Colonial Athletic Association, and Southern Conference.

“We have the culture in place here, and it’s a family atmosphere,” Patterson said. “I’m comfortable with my coaching staff. I know I will grow because we’re going to grow. We have to stay small so we can grow. If I think I know everything, I can’t hear the coaches telling me what to do. I’ve gotten better. As a coach, you have to grow and pay attention to the details. We pay attention to the defensive details and the offensive details. A lot of that is growing through where coaches understand what type of shots you want, what type of shots you want to give up, and then work on those things in practice.”

Want even more women’s sports in your inbox?

Subscribe now to our sister publication The IX and receive our independent women’s sports newsletter six days a week. Learn more about your favorite athletes and teams around the world competing in soccer, tennis, basketball, golf, hockey and gymnastics from our incredible team of writers.

Readers of The Next now save 50% on their subscription to The IX.

Gamble, who transferred looking for stability after enduring two coaching changes in her first two years at UNCW, sets the tone and embraces being the Spartans’ undisputed leader even though she accepts that it isn’t always about being liked, blending in, or making people comfortable, lessons she learned from her favorite basketball player, Kobe Bryant.

During challenging moments, she hears Bryant’s motivational voice, which permits her to stand out, be different, demand more from her teammates, and raise the bar of excellence while keeping the Spartans focused on their goals. Another log on Gamble’s raging inferno came in the form of watching Chattanooga celebrate in front of their bench following last year’s SoCon championship game.

That dreary sight has been a driving force this year for the Spartans, akin to when Bryant was forced to endure watching the Celtics celebrate a championship at his expense in 2008. It has made every repetition and summer workout purposeful. Gamble ensured the Spartans did more than what was required from a workout. The grueling one-on-one gym sessions with the coaching staff took on added intensity, fueled by urgency.

“All summer, I kept thinking about that celebration and how it wasn’t us with the trophy,” Gamble said. “That runner-up finish fueled me. Leadership isn’t always easy. Kobe taught me that. Sometimes, being different means pushing people beyond their comfort zones. Now, I get it.”

While Gamble may be the headliner and at the top of every opposing scouting report, the Spartans have succeeded because of their suffocating defense, relentless rebounding, and an endless supply of depth where every player has shined in their role. This fun formula has enabled the Spartans to gain strength during games and pull away from opponents.

UNCG outscored its opponents by 110 points in the fourth quarter and 215 points in the second half during this enchanted season. The Spartans are 12th in the nation in bench points per game (27.9), mainly thanks to the electricity of 5’9 freshman guard Nya Smith‘s 11.5 points per game, which is second on the Spartans. Smith leads UNCG in scoring in SoCon play with 13.6 points per game. She provides a jolt off the bench.

UNCG’s 6’3 senior center, Khalis Cain, is 13th in the country in offensive rebounds per game (4.2). She leads the conference in offensive rebounds per game, and is second in rebounds per game (8.4), and total rebounds (236). Cain was part of a class with 5’8 senior guard Nia Howard and 5’11 senior guard Jailah Clark-Jones, who endured a 9-19 campaign during the 2021-22 season. Howard and Clark-Jones combined for 20 points against Mercer.

Also, part of that team were seniors Nasia Powell, a 5’7 guard, and Kennedy Simpson, a 6’2 forward. That tough season is a humorous memory as UNCG has enjoyed three straight winning seasons — including consecutive 20-win campaigns — making the success sweeter.

Additions like 5’7 sophomore guard Makiah Asidanya, who has scored in double figures in five of UNCG’s last eight games while grabbing at least four rebounds in seven of those contests, and 5’9 sophomore guard Jaila Lee, who averages 9.8 points per game, have made a significant difference this season. Cain and Asidanya each averages 7.4 points per game.

But the absolute nightmare for opponents?

UNCG’s defense — led by Gamble’s energy and tenacity — turns every possession into a battle. Facing the Spartans’ blue-ribbon defense is like being trapped in one of Jigsaw’s torturous games — every move is agonizingly tricky, the pressure is suffocating, and escape feels nearly impossible. Every passing second brings opponents closer to another low-percentage shot and a frustrating possession.

It’s no surprise that UNCG ranks third nationally in scoring defense (52.0 points allowed per game) and is 40th in field goal percentage defense (37.5%). Their defensive identity isn’t just a strength; it’s a weapon.

UNCG provided a concise resume of its defensive ferocity during the second quarter against Mercer in its regular season finale. The Spartans limited the Bears to three points on 1-of-10 shooting. UNCG also forced eight turnovers. In a rare feat this season, UNCG held Mercer to just three points in the second quarter of both matchups.

Further asserting its dominance, UNCG scored 24 points in the second quarter. The Bears didn’t score their 24th point until 8 minutes and 38 seconds remained in the game. UNCG’s bench outscored Mercer’s reserves 38-0.

Lastly, During its 14 SoCon games, UNCG held opponents to single-digit scoring in 14 of the 57 periods played, including an overtime stanza this season, accounting for 24.5% of the time.

“Coach Patterson, even when I came on my visit here, always prided herself on defense,” Gamble said. “That’s one of the major things we talked about. We understand that defense wins championships. Defense wins games. That’s been a big key for us this year; it’s just being able to play defense and knowing you can’t control the offensive end. You might get a bad call, and shots may not fall, but we can always pick up the energy defensively. Coach has recruited great players to be here, to want to not only score but play defense as well.”

That’s where Gamble’s leadership comes in — not just by speaking but by her intentional actions. She makes the extra pass, sacrifices a shot for a better one, and embraces the moments that don’t appear in the box score. That’s the Spartan beauty because it could be anyone’s moment on any night. She dissects defenses like a scientist, feels the game’s pulse, and ensures she has placed her talented teammates in a position to shine.

Order ‘Rare Gems’ and save 30%

Howard Megdal, founder and editor of The Next and The IX, released his latest book on May 7, 2024. This deeply reported story follows four connected generations of women’s basketball pioneers, from Elvera “Peps” Neuman to Cheryl Reeve and from Lindsay Whalen to Sylvia Fowles and Paige Bueckers.

If you enjoy his coverage of women’s basketball every Wednesday at The IX, you will love “Rare Gems: How Four Generations of Women Paved the Way for the WNBA.” Click the link below to order and enter MEGDAL30 at checkout.

Gamble, who majors in speech pathology, was also selected to participate in the WBCA’s So You Want To Be A Coach program at the Final Four next month. Gamble, the oldest of three siblings, looks forward to this opportunity and wants to use her experiences to inspire the next generation. Gamble has had to adapt to different coaches during her career, and she is finally home at UNCG. She has flourished and been a force on both ends of the court and a leader off of it.

Whenever she’s felt flustered during her career, Gamble has been able to rely on her family, faith, and teammates.

UNCG hasn’t worried about individual numbers. It’s deeper. With an unshakeable trust in one another and united by a common purpose, the Spartans know they have a unique chemistry rooted in their foundation of Patterson’s program pillars of gratitude, integrity, service, unity, and humility. It’s the essence of UNCG’s championship culture.

“I’m a person that’s not crazy on change,” Gamble said. “I had to get pushed out of my comfort zone … I was quiet when I first entered this program. Now, you probably can’t shut me up, but I would say that it wasn’t easy. … Seeing people enjoy the love for the game helped me a lot to want to enhance the culture that Coach Pat has built here … God is at the front of everything I do. I wouldn’t be this far without His guidance and me seeking Him. I am just blessed.”