From a young age, Leilani Kapinus played basketball in a way people would describe as "fearless."

You wouldn't know it now, but basketball was not the Madison, Wisconsin, native's first love, it was gymnastics, up until Kapinus literally outgrew the sport.

That is when her father, who formerly played football at the University of North Carolina, enrolled his third-grade daughter in basketball.

"I really wanted to be a gymnast, then I got too tall. My dad put me in basketball so I tried it out to see if I liked it, and I liked it."

Not only did Kapinus enjoy the sport, but it was apparent she had grit, even at a young age.

"Everyone always described me as the kid who wasn't scared."

Growing up in Wisconsin, Kapinus played for a local travel basketball team, but they never went far for tournaments. After making the switch heading into her junior year, the guard received a lot of attention.

"I didn't really get recruited until I was a junior in high school. Then, I switched AAU teams and really got exposure."

Coming out of high school, ESPN ranked her No. 32 in the Class of 2020. The five-star chose Penn State due to Carolyn Kieger, who had recruited the guard since she was in the eighth grade.

At the time, Kieger was the head coach at Marquette, which was just an hour and a half from Kapinus' home.

Kapinus decided to follow Kieger to Happy Valley, a whopping 12 hours from home, with her eyes on making the NCAA Tournament.

During her four years as a Nittany Lion, the highly decorated guard accomplished a lot in the 95 games that she played in, including starting in 94 of those games.

Kapinus was selected to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team and was a two-time member of the All-Big Ten Defensive Team and All-Big Ten Academic Team. The guard was also an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention, twice.

Despite all of the accomplishments, the newest Vanderbilt addition is still looking to make her first NCAA Tournament. While she doesn't have that experience, Kapinus helped take her squad to the WBIT this past season.

"I thought it was put together really well," Kapinus commented. "There were really good teams and competition."

While the stakes may not be as high, the tournament setting still taught the Penn State transfer a lesson.

"Never underestimate a team. Our first few games, we thought we could just come out there and play, but it wasn't like that at all. You have to take every team serious."

Penn State's season ended in the semifinals of the WBIT when it lost to Villanova, which prompted Kapinus for a change of scenery.

When looking for a new home, there were a few requirements.

The former Big Ten standout wanted to her new school to be in the SEC.

"I knew I wanted to play in the SEC because of how physical they play here."

Kapinus also wanted to find the right fit, academically and athletically.

"I needed to find a coach that believed in me to progress my game. I really believed in Shea and she believed in me so I thought it was a really good fit. The academic side is big for me, too," Kapinus remarked. "The ball is going to stop bouncing at some point."

But above all, she wanted a trip to the NCAA Tournament.

"I definitely want to make it deep in the tournament, I've never been there before. That has always been a goal of mine."

With Vanderbilt coming off of its best season in a decade, the Commodores will look to get back to where they were last year. This means Kapinus has the chance to fulfill her goal of making the Big Dance.