Sorella Ineza has undoubtedly left a lasting impact on the Hofstra University women’s basketball program. On and off the court, she has been a shining light for all those who have gotten to know and play with her. 

“When you say her name, I just immediately think of her smiling face,” said Hofstra head coach Danielle Santos Atkinson. “She’s always smiling, she’s always so positive, she’s always just wanting to put a smile on other people’s faces and wanting to bring light into any situation.”

From the moment she stepped onto campus at Hofstra, Ineza knew that this would be the place she’d call home for the considerable future. She noted that Hofstra has been a blessing for her personally and professionally.

“When I came here for my visit as a freshman, I just felt like as soon as I stepped on campus that I was meant to be here; I just felt at home right away,” Ineza said. “And now ever since I’ve been here, I’ve grown so much as a person, as a basketball player, as a woman; in every area of my life I’ve seen growth. All the people that I’ve been able to meet and connect with, build a relationship with them; everybody’s been so helpful in my development, academically and on the basketball court, but also professionally, and I feel like I’m leaving Hofstra with all the tools necessary to be successful.”

The leap to Hempstead, New York, was a transitional period for Ineza, as the Hofstra star came into the program as a Canadian prospect from the hometown of Langueuil, Quebec. Ineza highlighted some of the biggest differences she faced when coming to the United States. 

“At first it was a cultural shock, moving from Canada to the U.S. I feel like the people in Canada, there’s this narrative that Canadians are very nice, and Americans are kind of rude, and I did experience that at first – like Americans were kinda rude, but not at Hofstra,” Ineza said. “Here, I feel like the people are so amazing and so welcoming and loving, but the adjustment was mostly just getting used to the people.”

Ineza joined the program in the 2019-2020 season. She was named on the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) All-Rookie Team, leading the Pride in minutes played with 32.1 per game, scoring eight points per contest and shot 37% from the floor. Ineza also led the team in assists and steals per game.

Her inaugural season in a Hofstra jersey was a successful one and is a chapter of her career that gave her a push in the right direction of competing at a high level.

“I learned my freshman year that I belong in the CAA,” Ineza said. “In the sense of like, I had a great freshman year personally, so that set the tone and the mindset of knowing I have what it takes to compete in this conference and compete against the best.”

Ineza also credited former Hofstra player and teammate Jaylen Hines for guiding her in her journey.

“She took me under her wings and really helped me understand what I need to do in order to be successful in this conference,” Ineza said. “She was a great player here at Hofstra, did a lot of great things for this conference and it was very helpful having her be that role model for me.”

Coming off a successful first season individually, Ineza had high hopes heading into the second campaign. However, she was redshirted for the season due to an injury. Despite the unforeseen circumstances, Ineza took the injury as an opportunity to grow and work harder than ever before, as she was named Hofstra’s Female Strength and Conditioning Athlete of the Year.

“It was hard, obviously, because that was, like, my first big injury, having surgery and all that stuff,” Ineza said. “It was hard but also very rewarding because that year was really where I took time to myself and really took the time to understand who I am outside of basketball, what I like, what I want to do in my future, develop my leadership from another point of view.”

Santos also recognized her strength during that time.

“I think the biggest thing you saw from her during that time was just her drive and her consistency,” Santos said. “When you’re out and injured it can be isolating, you can get discouraged, you could get down, but I thought she stayed really positive throughout that journey and throughout that process. She continued to push, and as opposed to just being sad and having a pity party, she really took those feelings and emotions and took them toward a drive that helped her come back to the court even better than she left.”

Ineza’s relationship with her head coach has been strong ever since their first encounter. Santos rejoined the program in the 2019-2020 season, the same year that Ineza committed to the Pride. Despite Ineza’s original recruitment trail being in doubt after the coaching change, she quickly gravitated toward Santos.

“When she got hired as the head coach, she called me and was like, ‘Hey, I’m the new head coach, I know I didn’t recruit you, but I want you to come here, and if you like it, you can stay, and if you don’t, then you can leave,’” Ineza said. “So, she really made me feel comfortable from the jump, and I had a good vibe from her, good feeling about me being at Hofstra. She really treated me like her own, like she had recruited me from the jump.”

Ineza and Santos liken their relationship to one of family, building a personal relationship beyond the game of basketball. 

“Over the years she stayed the same; she checked up on me during my injury sophomore year, cooked for me, bought me food, like, did all that stuff, and every little thing that I needed she did,” Ineza said. “And basketball wise, she never let me be mediocre, she always pushed me to be my best. Off the court, she put me in situations to grow in my professional development. So, I was involved in SAC, I was a part of the Pride Leadership Academy, I was able to go to several forums like the Current Sports Forum in Indianapolis. I had an internship with Madison Square Garden. She set me up for success, and that’s a relationship I really cherish, and I know it’s gonna keep growing over the years now. Even when I leave, I still love her; she’s still my coach.”

“We appreciate her so much, just as a family,” Santos said. “I’ve got three little ones and they’re always talking about ‘So-So, So-So, where’s So-So.’ They love her … She’s a good one, and I would love for my children to look up to her and see she’s not just a great basketball player, she’s a great human in general, and the values her parents and her family have instilled in her will make her successful.”

This year, in Ineza’s final go-around, she dealt with adversity, having an up-and-down stretch throughout the season. Even with that, she continued to stay positive and be a strong voice on the team until her final game in a Hofstra uniform. She embarked on what
this final journey with the program was like.

“But one thing that we hopped on is being resilient and being like, we got to keep going,” Ineza said. “Of course, emotional with this being my last year, but we achieved so much as a team and that was emotional to see the growth and resiliency we went through.”

Ineza also described the culture of the Hofstra women’s basketball program, hoping to share wisdom with any future player. 

“Obviously, the goal is to win championships, but also build a championship program,” Ineza said. “How we do that is through our core values, honesty, hard work, discipline, enthusiasm and family. It’s not just to win games on the court but also off the court, and impacting people’s lives through camps, community service and all that stuff.”

As her graduation quickly approaches, Ineza is excited for what’s to come and has a bright future on the horizon.

“For me, I’m moving to Indianapolis, and I’ve been accepted into the post-graduate internship program with the NCAA,” Ineza said. “So, working with them, communications, brand strategies, scores and special projects, so I’m very excited for that.

There is no doubt in the minds of the Hofstra community that Ineza will leave another positive and loving impact in Indianapolis and beyond.

Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics/Rafael Suanes/CAA