How Sydney Benally became a shooting star for the Navajo Nation and BYU fans

Talk to any elite athlete and they can likely recall that “aha” moment when they realized that they had something special that set them apart.

For BYU basketball’s Sydney Benally, that moment of “immediate-hoops-insight” arrived when she was a teenager visiting family on the Navajo Reservation.

She had heard about a local 3-on-3 basketball tournament and stopped by the gym to check it out. It was a boys event, so Benally had no plans to play.

But when she was unexpectedly invited to compete, she eagerly jumped from the stands and moved to the hardwood. “I didn’t even have basketball clothes, I was in jeans,” she told the Deseret News, laughing.

But the denim-clad Benally still led her 3-on-3 squad to the tournament final. “We lost — but it was still fun because we were an all-girls team.”

In a hoops-crazy place like the Navajo Reservation, such basketball moments don’t go unnoticed. And for Benally, it only added to her growing renown.

By the time she left her native New Mexico and relocated to Provo, Benally’s basketball resume had made her a household name across much of the Southwest Indigenous community: two-time New Mexico Gatorade Player of the Year; McDonald’s All-American nominee; two-time Native American Basketball Invitational MVP; and a back-to-back New Mexico 5A state champ.

But for many Navajos, Benally, 20, is much more than a talented young woman who can hang with the boys on the court, even while wearing jeans.

“To see the good things happening in her life as she represents the Navajo Nation is really outstanding,” said Navajo Nation member Steve Kinlichee, a Utah resident and a BYU superfan.

“It gives us pride for us to know that somebody from our culture — someone from where we came from and where we grew up on the same reservation — is doing so well.”

Need proof of Benally’s popularity across the Native American community?

Just Google videos of her walking to the team bus following BYU’s Feb. 25, 2026, game against Arizona State in Tempe. The grounds outside the Desert Financial Arena are a sea of Cougar Blue-clad fans clamoring for autographs, selfies and maybe even a hug from their returning hero.

“I knew that her popularity within the Native community was large, but I don’t think I was ready for the scale that it actually is,” BYU women’s basketball coach Lee Cummard told the Deseret News.

“It’s been impressive to see the way that Sydney handles it and loves it and is totally respectful of the mantle that’s been placed on her, through basketball, to represent her community.”

Hoops dreams and ‘Rez Ball’

Benally still wonders why she pursued basketball instead of softball. Her father was a baseball coach.

But there’s something about the game that seemed to beckon Dineh and Joyce Benally’s eldest daughter. Give her a ball to dribble and a hoop to shoot at, and the 5-foot-9 guard is at home — whether she’s in Shiprock or Albuquerque or Provo.

Born on the Navajo Reservation in Shiprock, New Mexico, Benally’s life is defined by family, sports and hard work.

“We’ve raised cattle and sheep, so we’re very familiar with farm life,” she said. “For my two sisters (Kaiyah and Saige) and me, it humbled us. We’ve learned to be resilient and do the dirty work.

“We wake up early and do the same thing every day because the animals’ lives are in our hands.”

And before young Sydney established her own B-ball bona fides, she was a hard core hoops fan. Her parents both played high school basketball and some of her best childhood memories are squeezing into the Shiprock High School stands to cheer on the Lady Chieftains.

“There was always a big crowd and they just played basketball the right way,” she said. “People would tell me, ‘That’s Rez Ball — it’s reservation basketball.’”

The Shiprock High girls teams, Benally added, often drew more fans than the boys — and springtime was the season to celebrate all things basketball across the reservation.

“That’s when it was the state tournament, and the Shiprock Lady Chieftains would make it to the championship game at the University of New Mexico’s Pit arena.

“The Pit would be just filled with Native Americans.”

Soon Benally was living her own hoop dreams. Her family eventually moved to Albuquerque, giving the Benally girls more basketball and academic opportunities. But they always found time on weekends to return to the reservation to check on the animals and visit family.

“I credit the sacrifices my parents made for me because they knew of the big dreams I had for this sport.”

Benally counts winning two state titles at Albuquerque’s Sandia High School with her younger sister Kaiyah as some of her most prized basketball memories.

Embracing her adopted home: Provo

Like any top high school athlete, Benally snagged the attention of several college programs — including BYU. She was eager to compete at a faith-based institution that prioritized women’s athletics.

“I knew I’d be taken care of and accepted in the BYU community,” she said. “And my parents believed that I would be safe there.”

She soon built a rapport with Cummard and the Cougar coaching staff during her recruitment.

BYU’s head coach immediately spotted Benally’s motor. She never seemed to tire.

“And she just has a quiet composure,” Cummard said. “Sydney’s a leader by example first, and she’s a winner. … She would rather win than just get stuff done by herself.”

Benally is not a Latter-day Saint. And adjusting to Provo campus life took a bit of time.

“But the classes I’ve taken, including my religion classes, have really opened my mind and helped me realize how similar we all are. I have my relationship with Jesus Christ, and (Latter-day Saints beliefs) are similar and interesting to learn about.

“I just continue to be open-minded.”

Benally’s freshman Cougar season was a success. She started 38 games and set the school freshman record for assists.

“I gained a lot of experience, playing a lot of minutes on the court,” she said. “And even as a freshman, my goal was to make an impact on the court and grow in maturity.”

Now she’s eager for her sophomore campaign. Long hours in the BYU weight room have made her stronger and more durable.

“And I feel that I’m a different player; I’m smarter. I’m an undersized guard, so I have to be able to be impactful in different ways so I can hold my own on the court.”

Cummard expects his guard to be a bit more vocal as a sophomore. “Sydney’s composed, highly-skilled — and just a great part of our program with what she brings and in the ways she competes.”

‘The very best of the Navajo Nation’

Benally plans to study business finance at BYU. And she hopes to play in the pros and eventually do some coaching. And yes, she added with a laugh, “I plan to continue the farm life.”

And despite her young age, she’s mindful of always being watched by both BYU fans and the Native American community.

It’s a role she embraces.

Benally served as the first female ambassador during July’s Native American Basketball Invitational, where she hosted meet-and-greets, participated in question-and-answer sessions and presented the NABI Tournament MVP trophy, which is named in her honor.

And she was recently recognized by the Navajo Nation Council for her contributions to her people, on and off the basketball court.

“Sydney represents the very best of the Navajo Nation — hard work, humility, leadership, resilience and perseverance,” said Council Speaker Crystalyne Curley in a BYU release. “She is an incredible role model who is inspiring the next generation of Diné (Navajo) youth to dream big, work hard, and believe that no obstacle is too great to overcome.”

Last summer, Benally hosted multiple basketball camps for Native American youth, including a two-day camp in Grants, New Mexico, that drew over 300 kids. She also spoke at the Los Angeles Native Youth Conference and to Shoshone Tribe youth in Idaho Falls.

“I want to give the same energy to everyone,” she said, “and just thank them in a way for supporting me on this journey.”