Janay Morton enters her fifth season with the Minnesota State women's basketball team in 2025-26 after joining the Mavericks in June of 2021.
In her first season (2021-22) with the Mavericks, Morton helped guide the team to a 21-7 and 16-5 NSIC record. The Mavericks advanced to the semi-finals of the NSICÂ Tournament and made their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2015.
Her second season (2022-23) with Minnesota State saw the Mavericks record a 26-5 record, including a 19-3 NSIC record. MSU's 26 wins were tied for the second most in a season in team history and its 19 NSIC wins tied the team's previous best set during the 2008-09 season. The Mavericks would finish second in the NSIC standings and claim the NSIC South Division Championship. MSU would make its second straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2023. The Mavericks defeated Central Missouri 83-81, before falling to Minnesota Duluth 86-70 in the second round.
Her third season proved to be one for the history books as the Mavericks went on to post a 32-5 record, en route to winning the second NCAA DII Championship in team history. MSU would also claim its second NSIC regular season championship behind a 20-2 conference record, to go along with its first NSIC Tournament championship. In total, the Mavericks set several single-season records including games played (37), most wins (32, tied with 2008-09 season), points scored (3,069), field goal attempts (2,673), field goals made (1,146), field goal attempts (789) and free throws made (571).
In 2024-25, Morton again helped the Mavericks to a strong finish, including NSIC Tournament runner-up and an opening round victory in the NCAA Region Tournament over Missouri Western.
During Morton's tenure with the Mavericks, MSU players have received numerous All-NSIC honors and NSIC All-Academic honors. In addition, Destinee Bursch was named the NSIC Freshman of the Year during the 2021-22 season, while Joey Batt was named the NSIC Defensive Player of the Year during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. In 2024-25, guard Natalie Bremer was named a WBCA All-American honorable mention.
Originally from Brooklyn Park, Minn., Morton joined the Minnesota State women's basketball coaching staff after serving as the assistant coach with the University of Jamestown women's basketball team for the past two seasons. Morton was the head of player development with the guards and managed the team operations.
Morton also led practices, developed game plans and handled team academics. Jamestown went 31-26 during her two seasons, which included an appearance in the Great Plains Athletic Conference Tournament in 2021.
During the 2019-20 season at Jamestown, two players received GPAC All-Conference Honorable Mentions. The following season at Jamestown one player earned WBCA Honorable Mention All-American, NAIA Honorable Mention All-American, and GPAC First Team All-Conference honors. Another received GPAC All-Conference Second Team honors and a third claimed a GPAC All-Conference Honorable Mention.
As a student-athlete, Morton played three seasons with Eastern Michigan and was named to the MAC All-Freshman Team in 2014. She also claimed MAC All-Defensive Team and All-MAC Third Team honors in 2016. Morton played her senior season at the University of Nebraska, where she appeared in 24 games for the Huskers as she claimed Academic All-Big Ten honors in 2018. She finished her college career with 1,486 points, 400 rebounds, 265 assists, 243 steals and 234 three pointers.
Morton earned her bachelor's degree in psychology from Nebraska in May 2018.
