The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

WHILE her WNBA counterparts are in playoff-mode, Waltiea Rolle has paid immediate dividends for her franchise early into her professional career.

Without Rolle in the starting lineup yesterday, her DSK Karlin club lost 94-48 to IMOS Brno in the Czech Republic. And despite a season opening loss to Lokomotiva last Saturday, 75-66, Rolle finished with a near double double in her Euro League debut. She posted a team high 15 points, nine rebounds in just over 25 minutes of play.

DSK Karlin is currently ranked 10th in the league after getting off to an 0-2 start in Czech Republic’s ZBL League. They are slated to face USK Praha in their next matchup on October 2.

Rolle, 22, was drafted in April with the 36th pick in the first round of the WNBA draft by the Minnesota Lynx. She opted to begin her career in Europe and complete her degree in sports administration at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill before entering the WNBA.

“I really just want to be able to finish school and get my degree first. I will go to Europe in October to play for about six months before I come back and play in the WNBA,” she told The Tribune following April’s draft.

“But it’s crazy because I never thought that I would be where I am right now. Growing up in Nassau and not focusing on playing basketball and one day my life just turned around when I went to Houston and now I’m drafted in the WNBA. I never expected it to happen like this.”

Her time in Europe is also expected to give her an opportunity to mature physically and hone her skills, such as her footwork, post moves and agility.

“I’m not intimidated,” she said about her eventual WNBA career. “I played with and against a lot of the girls, so to me, it’s just like the same game, but I just have to do a little more because everybody would have improved. But skill wise, I think it’s the same for me.”

She finished her NCAA career with the Tar-Heels with an average of 11.7 points per game, 6.4 rebounds and 2.3 blocks. Her blocks total finished 10th in ACC conference history and was named to the ACC All-Tournament second team and twice to the ACC All-Defensive team.

Rolle ended her senior season on a high note after she sat out much of junior year to give birth to her one-year-old daughter, Carlisa.

She is managed by Jacquie Rolle of Xcel Management Group International, LLC.