The Unforeseen Journey of Shakyla Hill
When Shakyla Hill first stepped foot at Grambling State University in 2015, the thought of reaching the WNBA or setting remarkable NCAA records was far from her mind. Instead, she had her sights set on a different career path—one in law. Little did she know, her basketball journey would take her to heights she had never imagined.
Recording a quadruple-double in a game was not part of her plan, and achieving two throughout her collegiate career was merely a fleeting thought. However, this extraordinary feat became a reality for the student-athlete who initially viewed basketball as a means to fund her education.
“I probably said my first two years a hundred times, I’m playing basketball to pay for school. I’m not in school to play basketball,” Hill shared with The Athletic. “But then the (first) quadruple-double happened, and it kind of just changed the trajectory of the things that I was supposed to do because it allowed me other opportunities to continue playing.”
As March Madness unfolds, Hill finds herself keeping a close watch on the tournament brackets for both the women’s and men’s divisions. Although basketball will always hold a special place in her heart, she is now 28 years old and works in compliance. Hill is set to embark on her journey to law school this coming August.
Throughout her time at Grambling, she achieved phenomenal records that are unlikely to be replicated anytime soon. The 5-foot-7 guard concluded her collegiate career as the only Division I player to have recorded two quadruple-doubles. In fact, only five players in the history of Division I NCAA basketball—both men and women—have managed to achieve that remarkable statistic even once.
Her first quadruple-double garnered national attention, including praise from NBA All-Stars. During her junior season, on January 3, 2018, she delivered an impressive performance with 15 points, 10 assists, 10 rebounds, and 10 steals in a 93-71 victory over Alabama State.
This achievement caught the eye of basketball legends like LeBron James, Chris Paul, and James Harden. “When they touched on it, I think that’s when I realized this is way bigger than I ever imagined,” Hill reflected. “Then it just got uncontrollable. I think the next day, that night, I had to turn off my phone because it was going crazy.”
Isayra Diaz, an assistant coach at Grambling during that time, recalled the moment James commented on Hill’s achievement during a media session. “He commented on it saying how cool it was and all that, that no matter what level you’re on, it’s hard to do in general,” Diaz said. “For her to do it was pretty cool. I think we were on the bus for a road trip, and we showed her the (James) video. She started crying because he’s one of her favorite players of all time. When he is able to comment about that … it was cool.”
This pivotal game altered the course of Hill’s life, and she shocked everyone by achieving a second quadruple-double just 13 months later. On February 2, 2019, she recorded 21 points, 13 rebounds, 13 assists, and 10 steals during a 77-57 win against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. This performance was particularly special for Hill, as she hails from Little Rock, Arkansas, and was thrilled to excel against a team located just 45 miles from her hometown.
With her second quadruple-double, Hill felt more prepared, as she had become accustomed to the attention following her first. “I adjusted well. I feel like, definitely, those last two years kind of molded me into the person that I am now,” Hill said. “Everybody’s watching, and everything you did at that point in time was under a microscope. I think it kind of prepared me for the future and everything else.”
Hill credits her coaches for helping her stay grounded and focused, ensuring the moments didn’t become overwhelming. She became a revered figure at Grambling, an HBCU known for its athletic legacy, including legendary football coach Eddie Robinson and notable alumni like Super Bowl XXII MVP Doug Williams and Pro Football Hall of Famer Willie Brown.
Following her first quadruple-double, media requests for Hill became commonplace. Fans and alumni sought her time and photographs, both at home and during road games. Her social media following skyrocketed, turning her into a local celebrity in and around Grambling, Louisiana, where her image even adorned billboards at a Super 1 Foods supermarket in Ruston.
“I had to be photo-ready at all times,” Hill joked, recalling how she often opted for a headband that rarely matched her outfit. Yet, the impact of her quadruple-doubles extended beyond the basketball court.
In the 2017-18 season, Hill and the Tigers clinched the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) tournament title as a No. 3 seed, marking their return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 19 years. Although they lost to Baylor in the first round, Hill’s performance captured the attention of the basketball world.
“It just came natural to her,” former Grambling coach Freddie Murray remarked, reflecting on Hill’s talent. Hill was recruited to Grambling by David Pierre Jr., who is now an assistant coach at the University of Texas-Arlington. Hill was not as engaged in the AAU basketball scene as many of her peers, preferring to spend time with family, which led to larger schools overlooking her potential.
- “Hill was one who could have played anywhere,” Pierre noted.
The Grambling coaching staff recognized her talent during high school, where she was a game-changer, helping Hall High secure the Arkansas Class 6A state championship. However, they aimed to see her maximize her abilities at the collegiate level. “We stayed on her about getting in the gym, putting in extra time,” Murray explained. “Initially, I think she was just kind of getting caught up in college life and enjoying college. I think it didn’t really click with her until going into her junior year, when she really, really started putting the time in.”
This commitment led to the formation of the Breakfast Club, a dedicated group of players who met at 4:30 a.m. for workouts before regular practice. This initiative helped Hill evolve into a serious athlete. “It took some time, but when she started coming in the gym with me and coach Pierre, it showed improvement in her game,” Diaz said. “Once she started realizing, ‘I’m consistent with it, and now I’m reaping what I sow,’ it just went on from there.”
Hill blossomed into a team leader, someone her teammates could rely on both on and off the court. “As stern as we were with her, pushing her, challenging her, she was as stern on her teammates,” Pierre said. “Sometimes it’s hard being the best player and being liked. She was our best player, but they liked her and liked playing with her.”
By the end of her time at Grambling, Hill had achieved first-team All-SWAC honors in her final three seasons and was named the SWAC Defensive Player of the Year during her senior year. And of course, she was known for her two quadruple-doubles, a testament to her incredible skill and determination.
After averaging 18.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 4.6 steals during her senior year, Hill was projected as a third-round pick in the 2019 WNBA Draft. However, she ultimately went undrafted. Murray noted that while WNBA scouts appreciated her athleticism, they were looking for more aspects of her game that could translate effectively to the professional level, particularly in pick-and-roll situations with larger post players.
At the time, no HBCU players had been drafted since 2002, when Andrea Gardner (Howard, second round), Amba Kongolo (North Carolina Central, fourth round), and Jacklyn Winfield (Southern, fourth round) were selected. It wasn’t until 2022 that Ameshya Williams-Holliday (Jackson State, third round) made history again as an HBCU draft pick.
Despite never having a player drafted to the WNBA, Pierre believes Hill could have made it based on her performance against competitors from larger institutions. He also expressed that she would have been an even bigger sensation had she benefitted from the name, image, and likeness (NIL) opportunities available today. “She just was in the wrong era,” Pierre remarked.
After the draft, Hill made the decision to pursue professional basketball overseas, beginning her career in Serbia with ZKK Kraljevo in the First Women’s League of Serbia (ZLS). And once again, she achieved the remarkable feat of recording a quadruple-double.
On January 26, 2020, just a month after turning 24, Hill notched 15 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, and 10 steals in an 86-62 victory over ZKK Partizan 1953. “They made it a huge deal,” Hill said, recalling the celebration. “They threw me a huge party. I was on the news. It was a big deal there because (a quadruple-double) had never happened in that league.”
Her team went on to win the Serbian Cup, and they also competed in the WABA (Women’s Adriatic Basketball Association) League, posting a remarkable 17-1 record before the league was shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Hill averaged 13.3 points, 8.1 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 5.7 steals in the ZLS, while in the WABA League, she averaged 14.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 4.2 steals, earning the title of Defensive Player of the Year.
Hill aimed to make a return to the WNBA in 2020, but her training camp contract with the Indiana Fever did not materialize due to the pandemic. Instead, she played for Bashkimi Prizren in the Kosovo Women’s Basketball Superleague and won the Kosovo Cup in 2022.
Both Murray and Diaz were not surprised by Hill’s success in Europe. Diaz expressed interest in seeing Hill give professional basketball another chance, but Hill herself has embraced a different path. She has stated, “I am completely done” with playing and has no desire to coach.
Upon her graduation from Grambling, Hill ranked third on the all-time scoring list with 2,052 points and second in rebounds for a guard with 925. Diaz noted that Hill’s articulate communication during film sessions made her a natural fit for law school. Currently, Hill is considering Southern University, Howard University, and Texas Southern University for her legal studies, while also contemplating a return to Arkansas to practice law.
“I can see her as a lawyer because she likes to debate and she likes to talk,” Pierre said. “She’s passionate. She lights up a room. She has a big personality that’s contagious.”
Now, Hill is prepared to channel that passion into her legal studies, leaning toward corporate law but keeping her options open. The only thing that delayed her original plans was basketball and the incredible journey of her quadruple-doubles.
(Photo: Ken Murray / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
