Bahamian forward Valicia Demeritte nearly had her basketball career derailed by an inopportune ACL injury a year ago, but strong mental willpower and a true passion for the game has opened doors for her to play pro ball in Bosnia this upcoming season.                       

The Coker University graduate announced via social media that she has signed with the Ženski košarkaski klub (ZKK) Jedinstvo Dzenex Tuzla women’s basketball team to play in the Bosnian women’s division one league.

Demeritte, who is no stranger to new environments, is ready to take her game to the next level on the pro stage.

“My expectation is just to see what I could do on that level. I have moved a lot so every level is a little different but I just want to see where my game is now.

“I am really excited to just get better and hopefully represent our national team with the experience that I have over here,” she said.

The 5-foot-9 forward had a decent run with the Coker University Cobras women’s basketball team before completing her collegiate tenure with a Bachelor of Science in Sport and Exercise Science.

In her final season down in Hartsville, South Carolina, she averaged 9.6 points per game (ppg), 5.3 rebounds along with one- block and steal per game. She shot 45.4 per cent on field goals and shot 62.5 per cent at the charity stripe in 25 games played.

Over the course of her collegiate career, the forward has averaged 6.5 ppg and 3.8 rebounds while shooting 45.5 per cent on field goals in 66 total games played.

The former national team player is expecting it to be a bit of a learning curve transitioning from college ball to pro ball but she feels adequately prepared.

“Something that I learned from college to pro level is that the game is faster but it is also slower so it’s more of like a change of speed more than full go. I had a really good trainer over the last couple of months that has a lot of experience with pro basketball players. She has been helping me with that a lot and I feel really confident going to Bosnia. She took my game to the next level from college to being ready for the pro stage,” she said.

Although Demeritte is overjoyed about this newest chapter of her basketball career, she acknowledged that the journey back to playing the sport she loves was not a cakewalk.

She had to endure months of physical therapy to rehab what is a career-ending injury for most. The process was certainly difficult and she considered retiring from the sport to be a trainer but, with the support of her mother and agent Dragan Milic, it all worked out in the end.

“It took a little minute because I didn’t see any results. I would talk to my agent and he would not have any teams and some of them didn’t want me when they heard I got injured. He had confidence in me, my mommy backed me and I prayed hard. It seemed like I wasn’t done with basketball yet so I just continued to work hard and one day I got the call,” she said.

With that being said, the 24-year-old is excited to get her pro career started.

“I am really excited. The game was taken away from me and it just helped me to realise how much I love it. Not being able to play really did not feel good so now that I have the opportunity to step back on the court it is full go. I think I have a little more passion for the game because it can be taken from me in any second so I am just trying to enjoy every moment of it from the travel to practices. A couple months ago, I wasn’t even able to walk and now here I am signing my contract so I am just grateful and God really blessed me,” she said.

She has competed for The Bahamas national basketball team in 2016 at the CBC U16 Women’s Championship and in 2017 at the Centrobasket U17 Wom- en’s Championship.

At the senior level, she has suited up for The Bahamas at the Centrobasket Women’s Championship in 2018 and CBC women’s Championship in 2022.

The forward averaged 5.6 ppg, two rebounds and 1.2 assists in 2022. Her pro career is set to begin on October 1 with her newest basketball club.