The Colorado Women’s Basketball team has welcomed 10 new players for the 2025-26 season, including five freshmen and five transfers. Among them is junior guard Zyanna Walker, who was previously recognized as the Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year and was on the Naismith Watch List before starting her college career.
“It was great. Winning Gatorade Player was always a goal of mine. Winning that kind of gave me some exposure, because I feel like I didn’t always get exposure as a high school basketball player,” Walker said about her early recognition.
Walker cited Kobe Bryant as her sports hero, saying, “His mentality. He’s a dog, and I try to take that same mentality and apply it to my game. I’m super competitive. [I] don’t like to lose. I take that from him, and just his confidence and mindset.”
She transferred to Colorado after playing in her home state due to the support she felt from the coaching staff: “The coaches, especially [JR Payne]. She’s like another mom to me. And then all the other coaches, they really care, they invest in us, and I could tell they were genuine. You know, second time around [in] the portal, I knew what to look for – what were red flags and what were green flags. I didn’t get [any] red flags.”
Now an upperclassman, Walker is focused on leadership within the team: “I’ll say being a leader, and I’m still trying to grow with that, too. I want to be super vocal and lead by example, so I’m still trying to improve on that. But my role there has grown because this team needs me to be one.”
Reflecting on a notable game while at Kansas State where her team defeated Iowa on their home court against Caitlin Clark, Walker said: “Like I said, I’m a competitor. I knew I was playing against Caitlin Clark, and I knew that that was gonna be my matchup. So I was like, I want to make a statement with that, and play defense on her… So, I did a pretty good job on her, and it felt really good to beat them in front of their home crowd.”
Walker initially started as a business major but switched: “I was in business originally… So sociology, I feel like it helps you understand people and just like why people act the way they act…”
Her selection for the 2024-25 Big 12 All-Defensive Team marked an important milestone: “I think it just shows that I’m able to compete with the best of the best… Coming to college my freshman year, my defense wasn’t that good… So I put in the work…”
Outside basketball she enjoys video games such as NBA 2K and Fortnite; she also likes movies—her favorite being “Coach Carter”—and spending time with friends.
A memorable moment this year for Walker involved traveling with teammates: “Being in Hawaii… That was super fun… We all were clicking…”
She added about herself: “I’m a nice person. I might sometimes look serious or mean when you see me come out the tunnel but… after the game I’ll chop it up with fans…”
For more information about Colorado women’s basketball including schedules and results visit CUBuffs.com or follow @CUBuffsWBB on Instagram or Twitter.
