🏆 Defending national champs debut a new-look, faster roster under veteran coach Bart Walker
🏀 Players from Atlanta to Senegal bring energy, toughness, and global flavor to Raider Nation
🎃 Season opener tips off Halloween night at Raider Arena against Volunteer State
NICEVILLE — After capturing last season’s national championship, the Northwest Florida State College women’s basketball program is starting fresh with a new group of players, a different style of play, and the exact high expectations.
Head Coach Bart Walker, now in his 30th year of coaching, said the new roster is filled with talent but lacks the veteran experience that powered last season’s title run.
“We’ve got several new players, a lot of them,” Walker said. “Right now, we’re just enduring the process. We’ve been fortunate to have unbelievable returners in the past, but this group is learning the details. They’re working hard and ready to play somebody else.”
This year’s Raiders will look different on the court: smaller, faster, and more aggressive. Walker said the plan is to turn that speed into a weapon.
“We’re going to make teams play 94 feet,” Walker said. “We’re going to press, run, and jump. We’ll face guard and try to speed people up. We don’t have that true five we’ve always had, that big body who can bang inside, but we’re longer, deeper at guard, and we can attack downhill.”
The team’s new style will focus on constant pressure and quick transitions, something Walker hopes will offset the loss of size in the paint.
“We’re going to attack on both ends and make people uncomfortable,” he said.
Walker emphasized that much of the early-season focus has been on developing defensive toughness, something he believes separates championship teams.
“Most players in high school and AAU don’t play good, hard man-to-man defense anymore,” he said. “They play a lot of zone. Nobody preaches defense at the lower levels. So when they get here and we demand it, it’s an adjustment.”
Walker said the process of teaching physical defense has been both “fun and frustrating,” but he’s encouraged by the players’ effort.
“Defense is about being physical, getting dirty balls, taking charges,” Walker said. “We’re working on blowing up traps, playing with grit, and learning how to be tough.”
With the team’s first tipoff just days away, Walker said every season feels different — but this one feels especially unpredictable.
“This one’s kind of an unknown,” he said. “Last year, we knew what we had — a mature team. This year, we’ve got to have patience. We’ll make turnovers trying to play fast, but I want them to play with great energy.”
Walker described his own game-day routine as calm and focused.
“After shootaround, I just want everyone to leave me alone,” he joked. “I want the players to be energized but under control. We’ll have some anxieties that first game, but once we settle down, I think we’ll be fine.”
Among the newcomers is freshman guard Shakira Gresham, a native of Atlanta and graduate of Mary Jackson High School who spent her freshman year at Mississippi Valley State before transfering. Gresham said adjusting to college basketball has been eye-opening.
“It’s very competitive here,” she said. “Nothing is easy. You have to have a lot of heart and mental strength. It builds character and makes you ready for the real world.”
Gresham said she’s looking forward to the first game against Volunteer State and wants to show that this young team can live up to its potential.
“I hope the fans see that we have potential,” she said. “We might not be where we need to be yet, but we’ll get there. We want to play together, defend well, and bring high energy.”
She added that she has adjusted to life in Niceville, although the change from Atlanta has been noticeable. “It’s more country here,” she laughed. “But the beach is close, that’s a plus.”
Forward/guard Khoudia Diagne, originally from Senegal, adds an international presence to the team. She moved to the United States in 2021 and spent time in Virginia before joining Northwest Florida State.
Diagne is one of four international players on the Lady Radiers roster, including G Aurora Toyomasu from Norway, G/F Nafi Harz from Germany and F Justine Kinzonzolo-Mistura from France.
“I enjoy being here with people from different countries and places,” Diagne said. “It’s fun to meet people from all over and learn together.”
She said she chose NWFSC because of the program’s honesty and intensity
“I like how they play. I like the coaches,” Diagne said. “I’m a really coachable player, and I like people who tell me the truth. When I visited, I saw myself here right away.”.
Diagne said her focus this season is on toughness and teamwork.
“I want to prove I’m strong and can move the ball,” she said. “We play well together, and we always have energy….on the court and on the bench.”
The Raiders open the season at home Friday, Oct. 31, against Volunteer State, followed by another matchup on Nov. 1. Despite competing with Halloween festivities and Niceville High School’s last regular season game, Walker hopes Raider Nation fills the stands.
“Our fan base is awesome,” Walker said. “We know football’s big in the South, but we’ve got great supporters who sneak into practices to watch. I hope people come out, come early, catch the game, then go trick-or-treating. We’d love to see a full house.”
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