Where do you start? With her current living situation in the crime-ridden, drug-infested, gang-dominated world of the San Francisco Bayview-Hunters Point district? With the mother who has been in and out of jail for the last three years? How about the couple of days the 19-year-old spent in jail last year for what she regarded as a stupid mistake?

Buckley-Chung is now a freshman at Mission College in Santa Clara back playing the game she so dearly loves. And even though she’s contributed some valuable minutes to the Saints, nothing she does on the court will measure up to what she’s done outside the basketball arena by simply surviving.

“I’m just trying to get my life together,” Buckley-Chung said. “I’m trying to figure out what to do with my life and where I want to go career-wise. And I’m really glad I’m playing basketball again. I never thought I’d be playing again.”

Buckley-Chung wouldn’t be had it not been for first-year Mission coach Corey Cafferata, who coached Buckley-Chung at Westmoor and on his club team, Race Express. It was Cafferata who called Buckley-Chung when he got the job and told her how important it would be for her to return to school.

“I wasn’t thinking about going back to school until Corey called,” said Buckley-Chung, who dropped out of Westmoor after her sophomore year and never got her G.E.D. “After talking with Corey, I saw this as an opportunity to play basketball again and further my education.”

Buckley-Chung said she was thinking about her 2-year-old daughter, Ahlayah, when she made the decision to return to school.

“I need the education so I can get a good job and support my daughter,” said Buckley-Chung, who is currently unemployed. “That’s what I’m worried about. My little baby is the little engine that keeps me going. I’m always thinking about her and everything I do for her is so she can have a better life than I did growing up. Before going to Mission, I was doing nothing, really. That’s why it was important for me to come back and be productive in life.”

Buckley-Chung’s upbringing isn’t for the faint of heart. She lived mostly with her aunt growing up because of a variety of issues with her parents.

“My mom was kind of like a hustler and had drug problems,” Buckley-Chung said. “And I bumped heads with my dad all the time. I got into a lot of trouble as a teenager, (and as a result) I was living on my own (for a while).”

Growing up, Buckley-Chung bounced around public housing projects, stayed at friends’ houses and Cafferata took her in when she needed a place to stay. Her current living situation in San Francisco’s Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood has danger written all over it.

“Everybody is dying left and right, everybody is getting shot, it’s just crazy,” said Buckley-Chung, who said she’s had at least a half-dozen family members and friends die over the years from gun violence. “Just being out on the streets and catching a bus is dangerous. You don’t know what will happen because bullets don’t have names or eyes — they just go wherever.”

That’s why Buckley-Chung’s daily commute from San Francisco to Santa Clara — it takes a good hour — is one of the best parts of her day. It’s during this time when Buckley-Chung can think and focus on things like basketball, which has kept her going.

For many years, the court has been Buckley-Chung’s psychologist, a place where she could go to get away from life’s daily grinds. Now, more than ever, the sport has served as her oasis, energizing her from the chaos she faces on a daily basis.

“That’s why going to school and playing basketball has been great,” Buckley-Chung said. “Because when I go to Santa Clara, I can get away from all the madness (of my living situation) for at least a couple of hours.”

Buckley-Chung admits she’s far from perfect. It was only a year ago when she spent a couple of days in jail for being in a stolen car. The short time she spent in the slammer seemed like an eternity, and all Buckley-Chung could think about was when she could see her daughter again. Embarrassed over the episode, Buckley-Chung promised herself to never be in a situation like that again.

“Going to jail was more than a wake-up call,” she said. “Every second and every minute in jail was a living hell. Thank God my baby is so young that she doesn’t understand I was in jail, but at the same time, I don’t want to have that type of influence on anybody.”

Buckley-Chung credits Cafferata for turning her life around. Cafferata has always been a father-figure for Buckley-Chung, who even after dropping out of Westmoor, kept in touch with Cafferata.

“Whenever I’ve needed help, Corey has been there for me,” she said. “He has such a caring heart for a lot of people, not just me. I’m thankful he’s in my life.”

Cafferata knew the best way to turn around Buckley-Chung’s life would be to get her back to school. More than helping him win games, Cafferata said Buckley-Chung’s life could really be transformed if she earned an associate degree from Mission.

“This is about Sam saving her life and not about her scoring 40 points in a game,” Cafferata said. “Sam is like a daughter to me. I was very concerned for her last year when she went to jail for a couple of days, and I think she realized what a big mistake she made. Now her future is mapped out for her. It’s still going to be a challenge for her, but the one thing I do see is she’s really trying and sees the possibilities of a great future.”

Along with school, basketball has been a transition for Buckley-Chung as well. Having not played much since her high school days, Buckley-Chung had to get back in shape and regain the form that made her a prep standout.

“I’m still trying to get in shape now,” Buckely-Chung said laughing. “Sometimes I’m still huffing and puffing as I’m running up the floor.”

Cafferata said Buckley-Chung plays an integral part in Mission’s full-court pressure. The 5-foot-6 guard is part of a rebuilding project at Mission. Although the Saints are only 4-9, they’ve already won more games this season than in the last two years combined.

Cafferata loves the way Buckley-Chung plays, from her pull-up jumper to her stifling defense to the way she attacks the basket. But it’s her fearlessness that Cafferata appreciates the most.

“She has no fear on the court because she’s been through a lot off it,” Cafferata said.

While Buckley-Chung still has a long road to her ultimate goal, she envisions herself earning her G.E.D and an associate’s degree. And every once in a while she reflects on the day she was sent to jail, alone, her life in utter shambles.

Then she’ll think about all of the hard work and sacrifices she’s made to turn her life around — one day at a time — leading to what she hopes will be a moment of redemption.