The Tribune

By TENAJH SWEETING

Tribune Sports Reporter

tsweeting@tribunemedia.net

WALTIEA Rolle, the first Bahamian to be drafted to the WNBA, will be the newest addition to the coaching staff at Noble Preparatory Academy (NPA) this school year.

The former WNBA player is expected to lead the charge for the women’s basketball team and serve as a teacher for family life and physical education.

The Bahamian centre has always aspired to move into the coaching/teaching environment following her professional career and is excited to venture into this new chapter of her life.

“It is exciting. I have always wanted to drift into the coaching and teaching environment after my professional career and Mr Bullard is very supportive and believes in me so it is an exciting feeling,” Rolle said.

The former Seattle Storm centre has played in Bulgaria, China, the Czech Republic and Turkey. One of her most notable stretches came while playing in the Czech Republic’s ZBL League, where she averaged 16.3 points and 10.4 rebounds in 31 games played.

Additionally, she played in the Turkish second division with Edremit Belediyesi Gurespor and averaged 14.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.9 blocks in 17 games.

Other stints included Haskovo 2012 in the Bulgari NBL League where she put up 13.9 points and 12.3 rebounds in 21 games.

After playing in multiple women’s leagues around the world, Rolle wants to share her skills and knowledge with the NPA Lady Spartans.

“The programme that exists here is pretty decent so there are not a lot of changes. I would make just a few minor tweaks. I will take the skills that I have learned and try to implement it into the future generation,” she said.

The newest women’s coach added that her goals with the Lady Spartans are to be unstoppable, and to make a difference in the programme.

Most recently, Rolle played a pivotal role for the Abaco Survivors at the 6th Bahamas Games where she scored eight points, and a team-high 19 rebounds to pair with four blocks in an elimination game. In addition to that, earlier this year she played in Spain’s professional women’s league for Estepona (Spain-LF Challenge) where she turned in 9.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 14 games.

Despite all she has accomplished since being drafted by the Minnesota Lynx in 2013, she now feels ready to leave it all behind.

“As of now I am done. I am physically and mentally tired it is not easy, it takes a lot of sacrifice but overall I am very proud of myself and the things I have accomplished, “I have peace of mind. I get to see my kids everyday and know what they are doing everyday. Just being here at home is a good feeling,” she said.

Geno Bullard, president of NPA, was delighted to add someone who has broken barriers for women basketball players in The Bahamas to the Spartans staff.

“We are very excited to have coach Rolle here. Her background spans over many continents and she has a wealth of information and experience that she has an opportunity to give back,” Bullard said.

“We have been building our women’s basketball programme for a while now and I feel we are at that place now where it is in comfortable hands,

“I have full confidence in coach Rolle to be able to help us get to that next level with our women’s basketball and also help the country with the knowledge she has,” the NPA president added.

The 2013 graduate of the University of North Carolina, had two of the ten best shot blocking seasons in Tar Heels history during her stint at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 school.