Bella Murekatete
Bella Murekatete (born 4 July 2000) is a Rwandan professional basketball player for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the Rwanda national team.[1] She is believed to be the first Rwandan-born player in NCAA Division I women's basketball history.[2][3] She was named the 2022 Pac-12 Conference co-Most Improved Player of the Year after averaging 10.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game.[4] She played college basketball for the Washington State Cougars.
| No. 35 – Phoenix Mercury | |
|---|---|
| Position | Center |
| League | WNBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | July 4, 2000 |
| Nationality | Rwandan |
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Genesis Prep (Post Falls, Idaho) |
| College | Washington State (2019–2024) |
| Career history | |
| 2024–present | Phoenix Mercury |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Early years edit
Murekatete grew up playing football and volleyball in her native Rwanda before discovering basketball. She moved to Post Falls, Idaho on an F-1 visa at the age of 14 to play the sport at Genesis Prep Academy.[2][1] Murekatete was a three-time first-team all-state selection. She also played with North Idaho Elite on the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) circuit.[5] In November 2018, Murekatete signed a letter of intent to play at Washington State.[5]
National team career edit
Murekatete represented Rwanda at the 2015 FIBA Africa Under-16 Championship for Women, where she averaged 14.3 points and a tournament-best 22 rebounds per game and earned all-tournament honors. She notably recorded 24 points and 37 rebounds in a loss to Tunisia.[6]
Murekatete represented Rwanda at the 2018 FIBA U18 Women's African Championship, where she averaged 16.8 points, 13.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game and earned all-tournament honors after leading her team to a fourth-place finish.[7][8]
Murekatete made her debut with the senior national team in a 2023 Women's Afrobasket qualifier.
References edit
- ^ a b Collingwood, Ryan (21 January 2021). "From Rwanda to Post Falls and the Pac-12: Bella Murekatete continues to grow at Washington State". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
- ^ a b Gardner, Jackson (4 March 2019). "6-5 post Bella Murekatete of Rwanda to make history at WSU". 247Sports. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
- ^ Jones, Brandon (23 March 2021). "'You have to pave the way': WSU's Bella Murekatete is first Rwandan-born woman to play Division I basketball". KREM. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
- ^ "Washington State's Bella Murekatete named 2022 Pac-12 Women's Basketball co-Most Improved Player of the Year". Yahoo! Sports. 1 March 2022. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
- ^ a b Elliott, Jason (15 November 2018). "A good day to be a Cougar". Coeur d'Alene Press. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
- ^ "African Women Under 16 Championship (2015)". Afrobasket.com. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
- ^ "Bella Murekatete - U18". FIBA. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
- ^ Mugabe, Bonnie (20 August 2018). "Murekatete Named In All-Star Five As Rwanda Manages A Historic Fourth-Place". KT Press. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
External links edit
- Washington State Cougars bio
- FIBA profile
- Bella Murekatete at AfroBasket.com