Lake Zurich senior Layne Nordstrom is drawn to a certain kind of position in sports.

Already the starting point guard for the girls basketball team, the 5-foot-6 Nordstrom wanted to play quarterback for the new flag football team this past season.

“I knew I could play quarterback,” she said. “I’ve loved tossing around the football with my brother and cousin. I was so excited to go out there for that opportunity to lead the team.

“Quarterback felt natural to me. It was like being a point guard. I could see the entire field, make reads and anticipate who will be open and who will rush.”

That doesn’t surprise Lake Zurich girls basketball coach Chris Bennett.

“She plays quarterback for our basketball team,” Bennett said. “She loves to push the ball and make us play fast. We ask her to call plays on her own. She does a good job communicating with everyone else on the team.”

Lake Zurich’s Layne Nordstrom drives against Hampshire during a nonconference game in Lake Zurich on Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. (Brian O’Mahoney / News-Sun)

Indeed, Nordstrom is the driving force for the Bears (1-1), a deep team with experience across the board. Five of their top seven players are back after winning 24 games last season, including senior guard Leah Gilbertson, a Ferris State commit, and senior forward Alex Nowak-Tice, a Winona State commit.

“I feel like I’ve always been a leader ever since I was young,” Nordstrom said. “Being a point guard, it’s easy to control the game.”

Nordstrom, a third-year starter, does that well, according to Nowak-Tice.

“Layne is a great leader who lifts others up and helps them to be the best version of themselves,” Nowak-Tice said. “Her strong communication keeps things organized during games and makes sure everyone understands what we need to do. She’s able to handle pressure and control the pace of the game.”

Bennett said Nordstrom is even more effective after a successful flag football season. Nordstrom passed for 56 touchdowns, mostly to players from the girls basketball program, and was named all-conference and all-state.

“Once you have that swagger and you know you can compete, it can only help you,” Bennett said. “I think with the football experience and the fact she was, so to speak, the star of the team that she came into basketball with a whole lot of confidence. She plays faster and makes decisions faster now, like a quarterback.”

Nordstrom agreed that flag football benefited her.

“Football showed me that if I wanted to do something, I have to have the confidence and just go do it,” she said. “I had confident in my skills, and I worked hard.

“Football made me super confident. Going into the basketball season, I worked so hard on shooting. I have no reason not to be confident taking a shot or pass, especially carrying the confidence from football to basketball.”

Lake Zurich’s Layne Nordstrom, right, is guarded by Hampshire’s Jiselle Lopez during a nonconference game in Lake Zurich on Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. (Brian O’Mahoney / News-Sun)

Nordstrom, who is drawing interest from college basketball teams, hit all three of her 3-point shots and finished with 12 points in Lake Zurich’s season-opening 44-20 win against Hampshire on Monday.

“Her shooting percentage has gotten better,” Bennett said. “She used to be very comfortable in the 15-foot range. She worked on extending it more.

“She was coming into her own last year, and now she has taken another step.”

Can Nordstrom and the Bears take another step together?

“I think we can do well and win a lot of games,” she said.

Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/20/basketball-lake-zurich-layne-nordstrom/