The562’s coverage of Jordan Athletics is sponsored by former LBUSD superintendent Chris Steinhauser and the Timu Foundation.
The Jordan Panthers have always been seen as the underdogs – but they’ve also always fought like they’ve got something to prove and nothing to lose.
Jordan clawed their way to a top-three finish in the Moore League last year, and they’re looking to continue building off that momentum as the 2025-26 season gets underway.
The Panthers have all the right pieces to do so, as they return a stacked roster in the North. Two of these top returners are All-Moore League First Teamers and captains Jah’Asharee Moore and Janiah Lorn.
“Make no mistake, they’re our big returning seniors,” Head Coach Wesley Rosenbaum said. “They are four year varsity players, they’re our leaders, and I’m very confident that they’re going to have a very big year.”
Rosenbaum said his returning senior captains are the heart and soul of his team. They each bring a high level of determination and drive to the court on the North Side.
“Janiah knows the system, she knows me, she knows everything of our identity, and she really represents the soul of our program,” Rosenbaum said. “She’s an intense competitor and she leads by example. In four years, she’s never missed a practice, and she’s always the first one there, last to leave, and every opportunity to get more reps, she’s there.”
This competitiveness is something Lorn and Moore both share – one of their strengths as captains.
“Jah’Asharee is the biggest competitor I’ve ever coached,” Rosenbaum said. “When she’s on the floor, there’s just a different level of intensity and focus that is contagious among the team. She’s a gamer, and she really sets the standard for intensity, aggressiveness and just overall competitive nature.”
Moore and Lorn are the only two seniors this year leading a dedicated squad of Panthers with players of every age. Some of Jordan’s strongest players are juniors in the class of 2027, stacking up a talented upperclassmen group in the North.
Harmony Isaac, Tiara Sandlin, Makailah Kemp and Summer Coleman are four of the juniors who will be looking to make some noise for Jordan this season. Rosenbaum said this year has the potential, and it all starts with these players.
Isaac will be a versatile shooting and point guard, while Sandlin and Coleman will step in as both wing players and shooting guards. Kemp will be a power forward looking to step onto the varsity scene and bring her experience with her.
All four players have had promising offseasons with strong summer and fall workouts leading up to the winter.
“[Isaac] has a chance to be a really great player. She’s still maturing, but her skills are developing, and I think she’s going to have a big year,” Rosenbaum said. “[Sandlin] has the potential, and she started a lot of games for us last year. Coleman came to us as a transfer last year, so sat out half the season, and I’m excited to see her contribute this year.”
Even with talented upperclassmen, Rosenbaum said his team this year is still young. He is bringing three freshmen onto varsity in Mila Hunt, Brielle Dickson and Natalie Maciel.
“I’m just super excited to get them in the program and to get them represented in our community,” Rosenbaum said.
Maciel is fighting for a starting spot as a point guard, with Hunt and Dickson ready to contribute wherever they can on the court.
“Natalie is not afraid of the moment,” Rosenbaum said. “She has an IQ that you don’t see a lot coming in as a freshman. Mila is an extremely athletic, young, powerful player. She has all the skills and attributes to be very special. Brielle is more of a transition player in the sense that she likes to play in the open court and play fast, and she’s learning how to play with structure and within a system.”
As his younger players continue to develop both on and off the court, Rosenbaum said they are involved in every goal his team sets. One of the things he wants the Panthers to focus on this year is constant growth.
“Our goal is just to keep getting better by the end of the year and keep improving, especially with these young players,” Rosenbaum said. “We’ve got some young energy and young fight that I think we’re going to be better as we go.”
Each class is coming together in the North this year. Lorn said as one of the only seniors, she’s taken on a big role in mentoring the younger players and making sure her team is united together.
“We don’t like the ‘me guy’ stuff,” Lorn said. “We like to play together as a team and build our chemistry by playing together as a team.”
All together, Jordan’s squad is looking different this year than in years past. While they typically have been more of a zone team, Rosenbaum said they have more athleticism that allows them to be a bit more strategic on the defensive side of things.
“This is the best team of guards that we’ve had,” Rosenbaum said. “In the past, we’ve had size, but now we have more quickness, more athleticism, and I think that ingredient could push us through.”
On the offensive side, Lorn said she wants to control the pace of her team. Lorn said in the past year this is something she’s specifically focused on – getting out of her head and playing her own game.
“Everything don’t got to be at the opponent’s pace,” Lorn said. “We got to play our game and stick to our game only.”
All of these pieces are coming together for Jordan this year. While Rosenbaum is proud of his team for competing in the Moore League and making a statement with their third place finish last year, he wants more for the Panthers.
“Our goal is to win a Moore League championship,” Rosenbaum said. “We understand there’s a chance to do something special this year, but it’s not going to come easy, and the level of expectation just continues to rise. I think that these girls are going to rise to the occasion. It’s a different attitude than last year.”
Jordan starts their season tonight against Downey with a 5:30 p.m. tipoff. They’ll play a slew of games before Moore League competition opens Dec. 12 with their game against Lakewood.
