The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

THE Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) journey for Waltiea Rolle was hampered by another obstacle as the Bahamian post player was waived by the Seattle Storm following the opening day of training camp.

The Storm announced the transaction Tuesday afternoon as the 6’6” centre and University of North Carolina product re-enters the free agent pool.

According to the Seattle Times, the decision was due in large part to the fact that she “had trouble processing her visa to play in the States.”

Seattle opens the 2015 season June 6 on the road against the Los Angeles Sparks.

Rolle recently completed a stint with Nymburk, of the Czech Republic’s ZBL League, where she averaged 16.3 points and 10.4 rebounds in 31 games.

In six games with the Storm last season, Rolle averaged 3.2 points and 2.8 rebounds per game.

In late April, the Storm re-signed Rolle for what was expected to be her second season with the franchise. She signed a series of seven-day contracts late in August 2014.

The Storm signed Rolle for the remainder of the 2014 season after she completed three 10-day contracts with the club.

Rolle made Bahamian basketball history by becoming the first Bahamian to play in the WNBA when she appeared in the Storm’s 80-74 loss to the Tulsa Shock on July 29.

She signed her first seven-day contract with the Storm on July 21, dressing for all three of Seattle’s games from July 22-26, but did not receive playing time during the three games in that time span.

During the second contract, she received spot duty in three consecutive contests when she scored two points in each outing. She ended the season with five rebounds in a 78-65 loss to the Phoenix Mercury.

Seattle finished the season at 12-22 - fifth in the Western Conference standings.

She was a third-round pick (36th overall) by the Minnesota Lynx in the 2013 WNBA Draft and appeared in all three pre-season games with the team, averaging 7.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game.

Rolle then elected to forego the entire 2013 WNBA season in favour of completing her degree in sports administration and exercise sports science at the University of North Carolina, and playing overseas.

For the Lynx, her preseason highlight was when she led the team in scoring with 17 points and five rebounds in their 82-66 triumph over the Australian national team in Minneapolis on May 5.

After completing training camp and the preseason with Minnesota, Rolle was waived last May just prior to the tip-off of the 2014 WNBA season.

A 2013 graduate of North Carolina, Rolle owns two of the top 10 best shot-blocking seasons in school history. Her 89 blocks during the 2013 campaign stand are the sixth best of all-time and her 82 blocks in the 2011 season eighth in North Carolina history.