Home / Events / Press Luncheon / Basketball Standout Ila Lane is Named UCSB’s Scholar-Athlete of Year
 Posted in Awards, Events, Press Luncheon, Press Luncheons, Scholar Athlete of the Year, Scholar Athletes

Basketball Standout Ila Lane is Named UCSB’s Scholar-Athlete of Year

 May 1, 2023

Ila Lane has been a highly decorated player for the UCSB women’s basketball program, earning All-Big West honors for three seasons, twice being named to the Lisa Leslie Watchlist and receiving a Mid-Major Player of Year Award in 2021.

Ila Lane carries a 3.79 GPA as a Sociology major, with a minor in Education. In basketball, she ranks third all-time in rebounding and ninth in scoring at UCSB.

Lane made an impact in the classroom, too. Six times she was named to the Dean’s Honor Roll, earned Big West Academic Honors in 2022 and was a Division I-AAA Athletics Directors Association Scholar-Athlete Award recipient.

On Monday, the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table honored her as UCSB’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Lane carries a 3.79 GPA as a Sociology major, with a minor Education. She plans to go to graduate school at Cal and play basketball in her final year of college eligibility.

“I’m really proud of Ila and her accomplishments on and off the floor,” said UCSB women’s basketball coach Bonnie Henrickson.

In addition to her basketball and academic commitments, Lane served on the university’s Student Athlete Advisory Committee, was Chair of the Events Center Committee and a member of the Black Student Union.

If that wasn’t enough, she serves as a role model in the community, working as a volunteer at Girls Inc. and as a tutor and student helper at El Camino Elementary School.

“All that said, she’s a better human being and a woman than she is a basketball player and a student. And that says a lot,” said Hendrickson of an athlete who scored 1,000 points and grabbed more than 800 rebounds in her career. She ranks ninth in scoring and third all-time in rebounding at UCSB.

“It has been my privilege, my honor to have had arguably one of the best players and human beings I’ve ever coached in my life,” said Hendrickson. “There could not be a better representative of our program and our campus and our community.

“Ila, we love you and congratulations.”

Lane thanked her family, “especially my UCSB family, for believing in me and everything I do on and off the court.

“I’m just really grateful for my time here, because UCSB has been just amazing, just an amazing growing point for me throughout my journey.”