Elite girls lose chance to repeat as NABI champions

WINDOW ROCK

With all the strengths the NM Elite girls’ basketball squad had, the Albuquerque-based team was looking forward to repeat as NABI champions.

The Barry Bates-coached team, which featured five Diné players, will have to wait another year to defend its national crown as the NABI Foundation officially cancelled this year’s tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The decision was based solely on the health and welfare of all the youth and communities we serve,” NABI Foundation President & CEO GinaMarie Scarpa said in a statement dated Apr. 14.

In last year’s gold championship game, the NM Elite squad overcame a one-point deficit with 47 seconds left to score a hard-fought 70-66 win over Unity, a Washington-state based team.

Remarkably, the team captured the 2019 title with an all-freshmen team, a ruse devised by Bates. Team members include: Farmington’s Kiiyani Anitielu, Piedra Vista’s Lanae Billy, Albuquerque Volcano Vista’s Jaelyn Bates and Natalia Chavez and Gallup players Jordan Joe, Hailey Long and Michaela McCurtain.

“Win or lose we wanted to take an all-freshmen team and we ended up winning it,” he said.

Bates said the seven-member team was looking forward to going back to NABI this year, knowing that they had a target on their backs.

“Nobody wants to lose to younger kids so we were expecting it to be a challenge,” he said. “We were up for that challenge but with everything that is going on with the pandemic it’s important that we stay safe and healthy.”

Bates said they were hoping to make another run at the national title and, perhaps, win four in a row.

“That was our goal,” he said. “We’re disappointed knowing that we we’re trying to do that with the same group of girls. They were wanting to win it again.”

Bates felt that his group was primed to defend their title this year based on how his girls played for their respective high school teams.

“I think they all got better and they played very well with their respective school teams,” he said. “But I think together they play better on this NABI team. It’s not just one individual that is going to take over a game.

“As coaches we do a great job of making sure they play together,” he added. “They play defense first and then everybody gets their opportunities. I think we play great team basketball and that’s why we’ve had a lot of success.”

With the cancellation of this year’s tournament, Bates said they have their eyes set on winning the next two titles.

He added that they’re going to miss what NABI offers, which also includes seminars and social gatherings.

“I thought that was huge,” he said. “There is that community aspect of them getting to make friends and reacquainting with friends they met from years past. I think that’s one of the biggest things about the whole NABI: the interactions.”

With college recruiters in attendance, Bates said it’s a great opportunity for players to get noticed.

“I can attest to that,” he said. “When my older daughter played at NABI that was where Haskell (Indian Nations University) picked her up.”

Bates said seeing Native American professionals inspire the younger generation during the educational seminars was countless.

“I thought it was great,” he said of last year’s classes. “I mean you have kids coming from the reservation and off the reservation to meet doctors, lawyers and businessmen.”

Besides having an all-Native team, Bates coaches another traveling team with McCurtain, Chavez and Jaelyn Bates taking part.

As of this year, they have not played a game yet.

“We’ve missed about four, five tournaments but a few of those tournament the dates have been pushed back because they’re all NCAA showcases,” he said. “They’re going to meet on May 15 to see if they’re going to add extra viewing dates. And if they do we might be playing into August.

“It’s all up in the air waiting for the cities to kind of get a handle on how things are going and the NCAA to allow the college recruiters to attend some of these tournaments,” he added. “Those are the tournaments that we go to so that we can get the kids exposure.”

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