Troy University Athletics
Johnson's Journal - More Than a Symbol
12/18/2025 1:25:00 PM | Basketball (W)
TROY, Ala. -- The patch located in the top right corner of the Troy women's basketball jersey worn by Leilani Guion is symbolic of what she strives to be.
"It was in the summertime," Guion explained. "Everybody kind of had an assignment for all the returners of, 'What are you going to bring to the next season?' I said, 'I want to be a servant leader - I want to serve others like how God serves.'
"It was something I really wanted to do in my last season of basketball."
Turns out, the sixth-year senior guard would be a perfect candidate for an award which recognizes servant leaders on women's basketball teams throughout the country.
The Kay Yow Servant Leader Award, named after the longtime North Carolina State women's basketball coach who battled breast cancer on and off for 22 years before passing away in 2009, annually honors 65 women basketball players from 23 conferences representing every division across the country. Yow won more than 700 games during her 38 years as a head coach and is a member of The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
A patch containing the colors pink, blue and white with the words inscribed Kay Yow Servant Leader is displayed on the jerseys of all the recipients.
It didn't take long for Troy head coach Chanda Rigby to realize Guion would be a perfect nomination for the national honor.
"When I went around and asked everybody what they wanted to contribute to the team this year, without hesitation, she said, 'I want to be a servant leader on the team,'" Rigby said.
"So, we sent the nomination in and were really excited that she won it since she's the one who put it out there … that's what she wanted to do."
Rigby announced to the team before the season that Guion was selected as a Kay Yow award recipient, a moment the player will forever cherish.
"Coach Rigby kind of told me I was going to get some kind of award, but I wasn't really sure what it was going to be," Guion said. "I was happy and honored to receive it. Just getting to be a leader for my teammates is very important to me, so it was great to receive that award."
After Guion received the honor, she researched what Yow was all about.
"The courage and fight in her to keep going was really big and shows you how strong she was and what type of leader she was," Guion said. "It was definitely way more important once I looked it up."
On the website of the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, the coach was quoted as saying: "A leader is a person who serves. You care about people first, then go about getting the task done."
Rigby continues to see Guion live up to her responsibilities.
"Even this week after a very long practice, I saw her about to head up the stairs, about to go back to the apartment, and she turned around and came back and picked up any trash that was left on the bench," Rigby said.
Leading by Example
Whether it's showing extra hustle or encouraging a teammate, Guion lets her actions do the talking.
"You can say all the right things, but if you're not leading with your actions, it's kind of useless," Guion said. "Making sure I'm doing what I'm supposed to do and where I'm supposed to be on time, and going hard every day in practice."
Guion earned a bachelor degree in interdisciplinary studies at Troy and minors in psychology, sociology and leadership.
She believes her educational background has prepared her how to approach people in the right way and at the right time.
"Not everybody wants to talk about an issue right then and there … sometimes they need their space to kind of calm down," Guion said. "Just recognizing when it is the right time and when to talk to someone about something, or just recognizing body language of how their mood has changed to see if anything is going on.
"At the end of the day, yeah, we're here to play basketball, but there's so much more to life than basketball … so making sure they're good with personal stuff off the court and then just being somebody they can talk to on and off the court as well."
Troy senior forward Zay Dyer has seen Guion blossom into a team leader.
"For starters, it's a blessing to watch her try to fill this role like she does for us," Dyer said. "She's good at pulling people to the side and really encouraging them when some of us may not know exactly how to go about it."
On the Court
Guion brings a sense of calm to a team that can be a bit chaotic on the court at times.
"Troy basketball … we're always on the edge of being out of control … but you see the balance she brings to us," Rigby said. "She's making good decisions and she can calm us down.
"I mean, she doesn't take bad shots. She has continued to get better and better and she adds something to us that we wouldn't have without her."
On Sept. 10, Troy was in the early stages of what would be a record-setting 132-62 victory over Oakwood, an in-state college located in Huntsville which competes athletically on the NAIA level. The lopsided win broke the program record for points, 3-pointers made (20) and assists (36).
It was early in the opening quarter when Guion entered the game for the first time with the Trojans setting up for an inbounds play. The pass from out of bounds would go to Guion out on the wing and she would promptly swish through a 3-pointer, which would be the first of 14 points in the game for her.
Guion would connect on 5-of-8 shots in the game - including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc - made 1-of-2 free throws, dished out six assists and pulled down four rebounds.
"It's just intense focus," Guion said of the performance. "Making good reads and making good passes … making sure that I'm taking good shots that are open and not necessarily super-contested."
For Guion, it was another display of the consistency she brings to the table for a team.
A Final Season at Troy
A native of Orlando, Guion spent three seasons playing on the junior college level at Eastern Florida State College - the first being a redshirt year - before arriving at Troy for the 2023-2024 season with three years of Division I eligibility remaining.
"It kind of just fell in my lap," Guion said of landing at Troy. "They were one of the last ones to come in and try to recruit me … but they recruited me harder than any other school before that. I just felt like that's where I needed to be."
After two productive years with the Trojans, Guion didn't hesitate in taking advantage of an extra year of eligibility.
"I love the sport, so just being able to get another opportunity to play, I wanted to do that," Guion said. "I have dreams of playing professional basketball and I felt giving it another year I could really hone in on some skills and get better in a lot of things to develop my game for pro ball."
Guion believes the Trojans have a chance at a special season.
"This is probably my most favorite year here at Troy," Guion said. "We mesh and we get along well. We might bicker here and there, but we're able to leave it on the court and we're back good.
"You know, some teams have people that are kind of just here for academics or just playing because it's fun. I think everybody here really, truly wants to win and wants to win a tournament championship, so we come to practice every day pushing each other.
"You may not get that with every team, but with this team it's always competitive."
A Song in the Making
Though expressive on the basketball court and never hesitant to reach out to teammates in a leadership role, Guion also enjoys some time alone.
"I'm really like a homebody, but if anything I'm drawing or creating some type of art," Guion said of her hobbies. "I'm also a really good LEGO builder, so any time I get some money to go get some LEGOs, that's probably what I'm going to do."
She also writes songs and sings - her favorite kind of music being R&B.
"You find a good melody and a good beat," Guion said of creating a song. "You find a topic that you want to speak on and sing about, and you kind of just let your mind flow."
Asked if she's written a song about Troy, Guion said she hasn't, but responded with a laugh, "We could … we could."
Without a doubt, she's certainly in tune with her teammates.
