How faith and a pursuit of the NCAAs are shaping life for this BYU guard duo

BYU guard Delaney Gibb celebrates by spraying head coach Lee Cummard with water as teammate Olivia Hamlin looks on following a win over Coastal Carolina on Nov. 5, 2025. | BYU Photo

Delaney Gibb and Olivia Hamlin are a show.

Together on the basketball court, the two BYU stars are creating one of the best guard tandems in the Big 12. Off the court, they keep each other laughing.

“She’s my roommate. I spend so much time with her. It’s exhausting!” Gibb laughed as she and Hamlin appeared on the “Y’s Guys” livestream show this week. “She is constantly bringing energy, joy and happiness wherever she goes and it’s super refreshing.”

As a freshman finding her footing in the Big 12, Hamlin has watched her sophomore mentor closely.

“I think (Delaney) is one of the best leaders, not just in basketball but for anything,” said Hamlin. “On the court, she plays at such high level. You try to put yourself at a high level, too, to play with her.”

“I feel like we are so close and that we read each other’s mind on the floor.”

BYU guard Olivia Hamlin, on teammate Delaney Gibb

Gibb averaged 18.3 points and Hamlin averaged 12.9 while the Cougars doubled their win total (26) in Lee Cummard’s first season as head coach. Gibb was honored as First Team All-Big 12 for the second consecutive season and Hamlin earned a place on the Big 12 All-Freshman Team.

“I feel like we are so close and that we read each other’s mind on the floor,” Hamlin said, noting Gibb’s career high 37 points at Utah as the night of all nights.

“All I remember is running down the court and thinking, ‘Delaney better shoot this ball,’” said the former prep star at Snow Canyon in St. George. “She could not miss.”

Gibb, a star at Raymond High in Raymond, Alberta, Canada, notes Hamlin’s performance against Iowa State when she came off the bench to score 19 points in the first half and finished with a game-high 23.

“It was quite literally, ‘Give Livvy the ball!’” Gibb said. “I feel like that was the turning point (for her) and all the pieces clicked in her head. It was like, ‘Wow! This is so fun!”

A platform at BYU to exemplify faith

Amidst the fun and games, both Gibb and Hamlin have come to recognize the platform they have at BYU and that it matters what they do and say.

“Being at BYU right now, there are a lot of people who are curious,” Gibb said. “We have had a lot of big players come through BYU, a couple of big basketball stars, and a lot of people are curious about the university and the university’s mission and it’s super cool to be able to represent that and be able to speak about it and people are listening and curious to know.”

A comment made by Gibb during a news conference prior to the WBIT semifinals in Wichita, Kansas, went viral after the sophomore explained why BYU doesn’t practice or compete on Sunday. She added, “There’s things that are bigger than basketball. Jesus Christ and having faith in Him is something that’s bigger than basketball.”

The clip was released on social media and attracted millions of views. Fox News even booked Gibb to be interviewed on their national broadcast.

“We do have a platform, and we are at a university that represents so much more than just the athletic programs we are apart of,” Gibb said. “You represent something greater than yourself. The university represents The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, so we are representing our Savior Jesus Christ when we put on the jersey and that’s super cool.”

For Hamlin, suiting up for the Cougars is a reminder to be more than a basketball player.

“This is one reason why I came to BYU was to show my belief to other people,” she said. “I am so thankful to be here and show my faith by playing in a BYU jersey.”

Why they chose BYU

Cummard’s top guns could have gone anywhere out of high school. Gibb’s decision to attend BYU came easier than it did for Hamlin.

“Honestly, the moment I stepped on campus and started practicing and building a relationship with the girls, it was pretty clear that I loved it here,” Gibb said. “Looking back over my first two years, all of the pieces have clicked together, and I am so grateful that I decided to come here.”

Hamlin initially committed to play at Nebraska but was redirected to BYU.

“I was praying and trying to figure out if this was the right move. Every time I would think of it, something would tell me that (BYU) is where I was supposed to be,” she said. “I remember coming home from my (BYU) visit and I was so grateful and happy because I knew I was making the right decision. I couldn’t hold back my tears. I just knew this is where I was supposed to be.”

Chasing the NCAA tournament

BYU finished the season winning nine of their final 11 games and reaching the championship of the WBIT — a phenomenal run that was packed with a variety of emotions.

“It was motivating and frustrating at the same time,” Gibb said. “Because that’s not the tournament we wanted to be in.”

The Cougars were the first team left out of the 68-team NCAA Tournament. Next year, the tournament will expand to 76 teams.

“(The expansion) gives more teams an opportunity to be in the tournament which is every team’s goal,” Gibb said. “Even (without) the expansion, we still have the same goal (to get there) and we think we are going to reach that.”

Gibb will return home to Canada in late June to compete in a series of camps with the Canadian National Team. When she returns, the focus for her and Hamlin will be on the new season ahead where this one-of-a-kind tandem plan to stage another show.

“We play fun. We play fast. We get after it on the defensive end and that leads to a lot of our offensive possessions which is great basketball to watch,” Gibb said. “Coach Lee loves the three, so we shoot a lot of threes.”

Dave McCann is a sportswriter and columnist for the Deseret News and is a play-by-play announcer and show host for BYUtv/ESPN+. He co-hosts “Y’s Guys” at ysguys.com and is the author of the children’s book “C is for Cougar,” available at deseretbook.com.

BYU guard Olivia Hamlin (7) passes to teammate Delaney Gibb during the Cougars' matchup with the Missouri Tigers in the second round of the Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah, on Monday, March 23, 2026. | Brandon Judd, Deseret News