Sit down interview with UTEP’s Jane Asinde

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- “My teammates told me, how long have you been playing basketball because it feels like you played basketball when you were two years old," UTEP's forward Jane Asinde said. "I’m like no this is my third year playing basketball.”

The 6-foot-2 forward from Kampala Uganda learned the basics of the sport of basketball when she was just 16 years old.

"During twenty sixteen my sister played for the national team and she introduced me to her coach," Aside said. "She told her coach I have a sister, she’s tall and doing nothing at home. I had like a one-on-one session with the coach over there so was teaching me basics how to layup how to dribble and stuff like that.”

When Asinde was just 19 years old, she moved to the states to play for Grayson College for two years then she transferred to Wichita State where she met coach Keitha Adams.

“She was interested in knowing not just basketball but you know life in general," Asinde said. "So I felt so safe with her and I felt connected with her.”

Which is why when Adams made her return to UTEP as the Women's head Basketball coach in 2023, Asinde desired to also make UTEP her next home.

"I was looking for a place I could call home," Asinde said. “Coming here... The environment. The people. One thing for sure, the fans, those guys love me and I love them so very much.”

Asinde has become a huge inspiration to women back in Uganda and has given them hope for a better future.

"My coming here really opened opportunities for girls like me," Asinde said. "Many of them came here but they didn’t really create that impact as I am right now.”

Asinde is majoring in business and has big hopes and dreams to create aneven bigger impact back home.

“I’ve always dreamed to open up my own business back in Uganda," Asinde said. "I had an idea of opening up a laundry mat because back home in Uganda we don’t really have people having laundry machines so most of the times I did my laundry with my hands so I feel like that is a target market I want to explore.”

Coach Adams main goal is for her athletes to translate their lessons learned on the hardwood floor to the real world and she's confident Asinde is well equipped.

“I’m very very blessed that I’ve been able to be her coach," UTEP Women's head basketball coach, Keitha Adams said. "I look forward to seeing how she after being with us how she’s going to move on and be successful in her life I have no doubt that she’s going to be a successful young woman.”

And with the regular season coming to an end, Asinde reflects on how the game of basketball made her who she is today.

“I started like falling in love with it every time I stepped on the court," Asinde said. "I felt different, I felt me it gave me that space to just do whatever I wanted to do so basketball has really been is a big part of my life. I would love to share my faith with everybody. God is a big reason as to why I'm here. If it weren't for him I wouldn't be in this place right now."