The Fresno City College women’s basketball team won the 2026 Central Valley Conference league with their team captain Alyssa Kem leading the Rams. Kem is the starting point guard in her sophomore season. She won 2026 league Most Valuable Player and second team all state.
Kem grew up in Clovis playing basketball. She enjoyed playing with family which helped her fall in love with the sport. The relationship she built with basketball and her family gave her the confidence to believe she would become a great player.
She credits her family for being the biggest influence in her basketball journey. She mentioned her cousin Sadie who has grown alongside her. Together they workout and have seen each other progress. They spend a lot of time together pushing each other to be better people in and out of basketball.
Kem began her collegiate career playing at Fresno Pacific in 2024-2025. After a year and a half she noticed the environment didn’t feel right for her.
At that time FCC Women’s Basketball Head Coach Alex Fletcher reached out to her for an opportunity to play for the Rams. At first she was unsure about continuing to play, but she decided to take the chance trusting Fletcher and feels it’s been a great experience.
Kem appreciates the relaxed environment the Rams maintained. They are serious when they need to be, but they don’t play with an exhausting amount of pressure.
She described the team chemistry as unserious. The team has fun while they play and their attitude towards the game helps achieve success.
Kem previously underestimated the mental aspect of being a student athlete. This is a challenge she’s learned to overcome by focusing on her recovery.
“It does so much on you mentally, and you have to figure out ways to make time for yourself and recharge. Remember you are a human too before an athlete,” Kem said.
Fletcher described her as a team player while also being one of the most competitive. Her communication and competitiveness helps players around her improve.
“She’s a great communicator with her teammates. She does a great job leading by example. If she’s putting in hard work and extra effort it’s easy for everybody else to do the same,” Fletcher said.
Reflecting on the adversity she’s faced, Kem’s understanding of the word toughness changed.
“I’m stronger than I thought. I thought toughness was getting through things no matter what your feeling, but I now feel toughness is being able to be vulnerable and balance your emotions when needed,” Kem said.
Coming into the 2025-2026 season she focused on team success. Her two main goals were winning the league championship and state championship. After winning the league the team is now focused on winning the state championship and currently competing in the playoffs.
Kem would like an opportunity to play at the next level if given the opportunity. She is a psychology major and after basketball plans on becoming a nurse practitioner.
Since coaching Kem, Fletcher noticed her hard working mindset which has contributed to her growth on and off the court. Her time and effort spent on improving and being a good teammate carries over into games.
“Her mindset separates her. Whether good things or bad things are happening in a game or practice, she pushes through and doesn’t let negative things overwhelm her and finds a way to stay positive and be a great teammate pushing those around her,” Fletcher said.
Looking back on the time spent coaching Kem, Fletcher will remember what he has learned from her. Her communication taught Fletcher different perspectives on what it means to be a student athlete.
“I feel like I’ve learned a lot from her. I’ve learned a lot about how to communicate with players and how to continue to look at things bigger than basketball. I think having a good balance in your life of not only basketball while making it fun remembering its a game we love to play. She’s done a great job of having that balance for our whole team,” Fletcher said.
Alyssa Kem(furthest left) posing with the rest of the FCC Women’s Basketball team on Jan. 21 after beating Lemoore College 77-56 in the Fresno City College gymnasium. Photo courtesy of Ray Guzman with Eye for it All Photography.