Bella Murekatete

Bella Murekatete (born 4 July 2000) is a Rwandan college basketball player for the Washington State Cougars 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]

Bella Murekatete
No. 55 – Washington State Cougars
PositionCenter
LeaguePac-12 Conference
Personal information
Born (2000-07-04) July 4, 2000
NationalityRwandan
Listed height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Career information
High schoolGenesis Prep
(Post Falls, Idaho)
CollegeWashington State (2019–present)
Career highlights and awards
  • Pac-12 co-Most Improved Player of the Year (2022)

Early years

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

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
  1. 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.
  2. Gardner, Jackson (4 March 2019). "6-5 post Bella Murekatete of Rwanda to make history at WSU". 247Sports. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  3. 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.
  4. "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.
  5. Elliott, Jason (15 November 2018). "A good day to be a Cougar". Coeur d'Alene Press. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  6. "African Women Under 16 Championship (2015)". Afrobasket.com. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  7. "Bella Murekatete - U18". FIBA. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  8. Mugabe, Bonnie (20 August 2018). "Murekatete Named In All-Star Five As Rwanda Manages A Historic Fourth-Place". KT Press. Retrieved 22 December 2022.


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