Among the top players in UC San Diego program history, Dalayna Sampton was added to the coaching staff as an assistant coach prior to the 2018-19 season. Sampton primarily works with the Triton post players, while also having a significant role in handling social media, community service outreach, scouting and recruiting. She enters her third season on the Triton coaching staff in 2020-21.Â
In 2019-20, Sampton helped UC San Diego to its second-straight California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Tournament crown for the first time ever in program history, as well as a share of the league's regular-season title. Five scholar-athletes earned All-CCAA honors in UC San Diego's final Division II season, while Julia Macabuhay was honored as a Women's Basketball Coaches' Association (WBCA) All-American. The Tritons were set to compete in the NCAA West Regional before the season was ultimately cut short due to COVID-19.
In Sampton's first year on the coaching staff, the Tritons captured a program-best 30-0 start to the season en route to earning CCAA tournament and regular-season titles. UC San Diego completed the season with a record 30-1, reaching the NCAA West Region Semifinals and finishing the year ranked No. 6 in the final WBCA Top 25 Coaches' Poll. Forward Mikayla Williams was named WBCA and D2CCA First-Team All-America, D2CCA West Region Player of the Year, CCAA Player of the Year and CCAA Tournament MVP. Additionally, guard Joleen Yang earned First Team All-CCAA honors.
Sampton had a remarkable two-year career with the Tritons after transferring from the University of Hawai'i. She was named California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Newcomer of the Year in her first season in La Jolla, before earning CCAA Player of the Year honors as a senior. In addition, Sampton received Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) All-America Honorable Mention, Division 2 Conference Commissioners Association (CCA) All-America Honorable Mention and D2CCA All-West Region First-Team accolades. She was also selected to the NCAA West Region All-Tournament Team as a senior and was one of 12 UC San Diego Athletes of the Year.
In the 2017-18 season, Sampton averaged 14.6 points per game on 49.7 percent shooting from the field and ranked fifth in the nation in total rebounds (359) with 10.9 per contest. She scored a career-high 30 points with 11 rebounds in the final game of her UC San Diego career against Montana State Billings in the NCAA West Region semifinals.
A native of Vallejo, Sampton attended Florin High School in Sacramento and graduated in 2014.
