After a hard, long weekend trip to Chicago for a basketball tournament, a young Jordan Speiser knew that basketball was her passion, but she wanted to be better.

Throughout the whole weekend she had only scored two points. Frustrated, she turned to her parents on the way home saying that she wanted to be good. Her dad responded that it was going to take a lot of work.

The very next day, Speiser was in the gym. She has been there almost every day since that trip to Chicago.

A few years later and a few inches taller, Speiser is now entering her senior year at Lutheran High School, ranked as the nation’s 14th best recruit in the class of 2025 for girls basketball by Prospects Nation. ESPN ranks her as a five-star recruit.

“I was gifted from God with an athletic ability, but I was not ever good skill-wise with basketball,” Speiser said. “I definitely had to work for it.”

Speiser also grew up playing soccer and football, but quickly realized that basketball was her favorite sport.

“It’s always fast paced, always moving. You’re not just standing there, you’re always on the court, you’re always going to do something. I just love everything about it,” Speiser said.

Speiser does attend Lutheran High School, but has grown up in Warrenton for most of her life, constantly training up at the high school. In addition, she also plays for her club team, All Iowa Attack.

Her accomplishments are endless. She was named the 2024 Gatorade Player of the Year, scored 1,000 points by her sophomore year and helped lead her squad to the state title in 2023. Earlier this year, the Cougars placed second.

As guard, Speiser averages 22.9 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.6 assistants and 1.8 steals per game.

Before every game, Speiser makes sure to do her double dribbles, hit two free throws and two layups before starting lineups are called, tie her shoe laces right before the game starts while in the team huddle and chew a piece of gum before she goes on the court.

“I don’t know why, but I have to do it before every game,” Speiser said.

In the seventh grade, Speiser received her first collegiate offer from University of Kansas. It was then that she decided she wanted to play in college. 

“I was extremely surprised and not expecting it at all,” Speiser said. “I think I even cried.”

Speiser currently has numerous colleges knocking on her door, but she has not made a decision yet and still has her recruitment fully open.

Recently, all the attention, ranging from invites to Nike camps and people making highlight videos, has made it surreal for Speiser.

“I always go back to remembering that my dad told me that you can be one of the top players in the whole country. I never believed him and I just thought there’s no way,” Speiser said. “Now that I am, it’s hard to believe it sometimes, but I’m always grateful for it.”

Speiser will be entering her last high school season in the winter. Even though she has accomplished more than most high school basketball players, she is striving for more.

In her senior year, Speiser would like to win another state championship, win Gatorade Player of the Year again, reach her 2,000th point and break the school’s scoring records. Lastly, she wants to enjoy all the big and little moments before she heads to college.

“When I’m in the gym by myself and I hear the ball go through the net or even just watching basketball, it makes me happy and playing makes me even more happy,” Speiser said.