How Mari Somvichian’s Dream was Never Too Big to Achieve

Three years ago when Mari Somvichian stepped onto campus, Loyola Marymount University’s women’s basketball looked different. The team was at the bottom three of the West Coast Conference with a record of 11-19, but now, during the 2025-26 season, they currently are tied for second in conference with a record of 15-8. Somvichian credits the coaching staff, led by Coach Aarika Hughes, who is affectionately referred to as “Coach A” along with learning how to communicate with her teammates, understanding that they are all working toward a collective goal, and listening to “Beauty and a Beat” by Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj as their pregame hype song. 

     “It is not about the results, it’s about the process,” said Somvichian, a junior guard.  

    The process for Somvichian goes back to when she started playing basketball in second grade and organized basketball in fourth grade. Born in Oakland, California, Somvichian is Thai, Japanese, and Filipino. She played for a Japanese basketball league called Ohtani, based in Berkeley and connects her Asian roots to the game she loves to play. “It was a great starting pace for me,” Somvichian said. She started off by playing alongside boys at first which she found difficult because they wouldn’t pass to her at times. “I literally remember them passing the ball over my head…it really lit a fire under me and I did camps the whole next summer, so I could be better for the next season.” 

     Her dream has always been to play D1 basketball and the result of the continuous hard work she put in for years earned her a spot as a walk-on on the women’s basketball team. In 2022, Somvichian attended an LMU basketball camp, gaining the attention of Hughes after a great performance on the court. “I was super excited about that, just knowing going into my senior year that I had already really found my home,” Somvichian said. 

      Despite not being passed the ball when she first started out in organized basketball and having a struggling season in her first year playing at LMU, Somvichian has proved time and time again that she can change the narrative, especially being only 5-foot-4 inches. She has never seen her height as a weakness, but only as a strength, giving her confidence to play in 32 games as a Lion with still more games left to play before her final year of eligibility for the 2026-27 season. 

      Being a college athlete and a full-time student can feel like a juggling act, but Somvichian has been able to keep herself grounded and balanced. It’s the simple act of taking a step back. “Being grateful for everything I have and understanding that it would be such a shame to take all this for granted,” Somvichian reflected. The gratitude she has also motivates her to keep showing up every day and embrace the opportunities she has not only to play, but also be a role model for the younger girls who want to be in her footsteps one day, especially for the younger athletes Somvichian interacts with or watches her play when she comes back and goes to the gym she has been training at since she was in their shoes. 

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     “I hope one day there are a bunch of role models for them to look up to, but for now, if I can do what little part I am doing, I think that means a lot.” 

     As for the basketball players Somvichian personally looks up to, her bio on the women’s basketball page of the athletic website, she said that her favorite professional athlete is Klay Thompson, a small forward and guard who previously played for the Golden State Warriors, her favorite basketball team. Somvichian admires the confidence he carries. The athlete she admires the most is Sabrina Ionescu, current guard for the New York Liberty. Somvichian and Ionescu have the same trainer, giving her the opportunity to watch the WNBA player up close. “The main thing I’ve taken away from her game is how hard she works…she’s so serious about her craft and what she puts into it. We’ve seen those results on the court in what she’s done in the W. You can tell she’s out there to win and nothing else,” Somvichian praised Ionescu. 

     Although she’s still learning how to balance life outside of basketball and school, Somvichian will graduate this spring and start her master’s program later this fall. The women’s basketball team takes on Seattle University on the road Feb. 19 at 6 p.m.