By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

LIKE her new team-mate Rhema Collins, guard Denika Lightbourne is just as eager to suit up in a new uniform with the Florida International University Panthers women’s basketball team.

The Bahamian duo came out of the transfer portal and have decided to join forces with the Panthers and coach Jesyka Burks-Wiley for the 2025/2026 season.

Over the weekend, the duo got a glimpse of what to expect as they worked out together at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium under the supervision of local coaches Anthony Swaby and Donnie Culmer.

They were also joined by Tanisha Seymour, a sophomore at Davis & Elkins College and a member of their Senators women’s basketball team.

The 5-foot, nine-inch Lightbourne played her sophomore season this past year with the University of Dayton for the past two seasons after graduating from Tallulah Falls High School in Georgia. 

She played in just 15 of her team’s 31 games this season, averaging 1.2 points and 0.8 rebounds per game, while setting or tying season-highs with five points, one three, two rebounds and one assist at GW.

Lightbourne also had four points in a season-high 17 minutes at Rhode Island and scored a season-high four points and was perfect from the field against Tennessee. 

But she admitted that she wanted more and that was why she entered the portal and chose FIU.

“Playing time and a new environment” was one of the reasons for Lightbourne, the daughter of La-Shandra and Deniko Lightbourne, to move on. 

“Dayton was a beautiful school. It created a family environment with a coaching staff who cared and supported me, so I was really grateful for what they offered.

“But at FI?U, I just hope to grow and expand my game. I am looking forward to making my family proud and becoming a better player. With that support, I know I could do it.”

So is the opportunity to play alongside her new Bahamian teammate in Collins.

“It’s going to be fun, real fun,” Lightbourne proclaimed. “Rhema is really funny, she has a really good personality, so it will be a lot of fun just being close to her.”

And with FIU so close to home, Lighbourne said she won’t have to worry about being “home sick” because the commute to the Bahamas to and from Florida is only about half an hour away.

“It’s good to be back home,” said Lightbourne, who will be here until around June 7 before she heads to FIU. “I remember the first thing I ate when I got back three days ago was some conch from Bamboo Shack. I still have to get my conch fritters.”

As for basketball, Lightbourne acknowledged that she was grateful to coaches Swaby and Culmer for taking the time out to work out with her, Collins and Seymour.

“It was tiring,” said Lightbourne after the practice. “They are giving us the chance to work on our game. We need to continue to work out and to try to get better.”

Collins, a forward who transferred from the University of Mississippi and Bahamian head coach Yolett McPHee-McCuin, said she was happy to get the chance to work out with her new team-mate as well as Seymnour.

“I was happy to see both of the players. I knew them from high school,” Collins said. “So it was good to get that workout in. It was a good workout. Hopefully we will get to spend some time outside practice as well.”

Swaby, a long-time advocate for women’s basketball as a coach at all levels, including the national team, said it was good to have Culmer, his “partner in crime” to assist him especially with his medical condition.

“Next to me, he’s the best women’s coach in the Bahamas,” Swaby proclaimed. “So together, we feel we can help these young ladies out while they are home.”

For Culmer, who also coaches the mini, junior and men’s basketball, he welcomed the players home and he indicated that he wished more of the players could return home so the Bahamas Basketball Federation could get a chance to see who is available to play on the national team.

Although McPHee-McCuin has been selected by the federation as the head of the women’s national basketball programme, Collins said she hopes that they can assemble the team so she can represent the country.