HBCU alum Kayden Carter.

I didn’t want a 9-to-5 job. Like, I just don’t believe that that’s what I was meant for in life… I would love to help other people overcome the obstacles that they have to get to where they want to in life.

WWE wrestler Kayden Carter on her journey from a college basketball national champion to her career as a wrestler.

Kayden Carter, along with her tag team partner Katana Chance, are making an impact in the women’s division of WWE. They are former NXT tag team champions and one of the only true tag teams in WWE. But Carter’s journey to WWE is an interesting one.

Carter is one of a handful of WWE wrestlers that are HBCU alums; the others include Omos (Morgan State), Junkyard Dog (Fayetteville State), Ernie “Big Cat” Ladd (Grambling), Virgil (Virginia Union), Sharmell (Spelman), and Ahmed Johnson (Huston-Tillotson) to name a few.

Originally from Winter Park, Fla., Carter – whose real name is Alyssa Lane – played collegiate basketball at Shaw University. “Lacey” as she was known, was a solid role player for the Lady Bears for two seasons. She was an integral part of the 2012 NCAA Division II women’s national championship team. So how does one go from being a collegiate basketball player to being part of a tag team on the rise on the Raw brand at professional wrestling’s highest level?

Carter talks with BOXTOROW host Donal Ware as she opens up about her career, her time at Shaw University and playing on the national championship team, being part of that team that was inducted into the CIAA Hall of Fame in February, what a potential return to Charlotte for the RAW show in September would be like, being trained by former wrestler D-Von Dudley.

HBCU alum Kayden Carter.