On The Court With Shawn Kolani

Sophomore guard and two-year starter Shawn Kolani has forged a path to the top of the state statistical leader board with her 8.0 assists per game (APG). As the little sister of Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Farmar, her genetic makeup might suggest that such skill is part of her destiny, but Kolani wants you to know one thing — she is not her brother!

On how she started playing basketball…
Because of my older brother. Having an older sibling influences you to be active in other things. You try to be like them growing up.

On choosing to play at COC…
I heard it was a really good program. It was far away from home, but still close enough. I just wanted to be part of a winning tradition. 

On the rest of the season…
I think we can win every game. Every game is different and the game plans will be different. But I think with the players that we have and the hard work we put in, we're in the mix to win any game.

On what she attributes her success to…
Hard work in the off-season! I'm used to being out there and running the system. Being comfortable in a system attributes to me playing well.

On being ranked at the top in the state leader board in assists per game…
It is definitely a blessing. It makes me want to work harder. I want to stay on the top.

On her goals for this season…
My goal is to win state — nothing less than that!

On how this team makes it to the playoffs…
Hard work, energy, focus, intensity. All the necessary things for a team that is not as skilled as others. We have to bring all of those things at all times.

On how the team can beat Santa Barbara…
We need to eliminate silly mistakes and play hard. They out played us last game. If we play hard and stick to the game plan we will be good.

On who influences her game…
My brother.

On who is the best point guard to play the game…
Steve Nash.

On being the sister of a NBA player…
It is cool. I get to do a lot of things that a lot of people don't have the chance to do. I get to meet NBA stars. My brother won a championship and I was able to go to the game. Being able to be in the atmosphere and around people who love the same thing I love is extremely cool. To do it for a living, is even cooler.

On what's next for Kolani…
Go to a Division I school. I would love to continue to play basketball with a scholarship. I want to continue with my major. I am studying kinesiology and I absolutely love it.  I would love to be a physical therapist.

On something that no one knows about her…
I love my sleep. I sleep 12 hours every night. I can sleep anywhere.

On what she wants fans to know about her…
People shouldn't judge me on who my brother is. Yes, our game is very similar. But, at the same time we are very different. His path has been very different than mine.