Navajo Nation President, Buu Van Nygren, hooping

The Women’s Final Four brought the Hoopbus to Phoenix. Lynette brought it to Navajo Nation.

If you ask Lynette what basketball means on the reservation, don’t expect a short answer.

She’ll tell you it is the foundation of the support system in Navajo. She’ll tell you about kids who don’t live with their parents but find love on the court. She’ll tell you about elders and high schoolers sharing space through the game - a community that shows up not just to play, but to be seen.

Lynette grew up in a single-parent home on the reservation. She was an athlete herself and knew early on the power of the sport.

“Basketball is more than a sport, especially to a community like ours,” Lynette says. “There is a lot of negativity here, but basketball brings joy. For our youth, it’s an outlet.”

The Hoopbus tour was supported by Nike N7, whose mission is rooted in the seventh-generation principle - the belief that every action should consider the impact on the next seven generations. When she saw the light blue wrapped bus with the Nike N7 logo, Lynette recognized it immediately, as most Indigenous communities would. It felt like a sign.

the ask

She reached out and got connected with Hoopbus - and a few days later, the bus was on its way to Navajo. 24 hours before the event, Lynette posted a single flyer - word of mouth carried it the rest of the way.

The community came early that day. News came that the bus would be delayed by an hour after dealing with mechanical issues, but the crowd stayed. No one left. Everyone wanted to feel the energy that comes from the Joy Spreaders when they step off the bus.

With much anticipation, the bus pulled in, and what followed was a 3x3 round robin tournament that wove together every generation - from high schoolers to elders, the space was filled with joy.

When the games wrapped up, nobody rushed off. There was no time limit and no hard load-out. Lynette took the Hoopbucrew over to Window Rock, the monument the area is named after, and they climbed it together. Along the way, small conversations happened naturally. It was a true human exchange, no program or schedule needed.

The Impact

After the tournament, a young girl walked up to Lynette and asked for a photo. It reminded her that younger kids are always watching.

In Navajo Nation, kids don’t have a pro team right down the road to look up to. Phoenix is the closest major city, hours away. So the role models are often the people doing things right in their own community.

“I looked up to high school players thinking I wanted to be like them when I got there,” Lynette says. Names like Layla Curtis carry weight in Navajo. The people showing up and doing something positive in the community become the role models. She realized she was someone the next generation of young girls looked up to.

She was reminded there are younger kids watching what you’re doing. Go be great. Be a great example.

That is the giveback.

“There should be a tour of all of Navajo Nation,” Lynette says. “You can’t help everybody, but you can do whatever you can.”

The Nation spans three states. There is so much to see, and basketball is the number one sport. When the Hoopbus comes through, the community feels seen. It feels important. It is a reminder that they are important.