Tohatchi’s WynterRose Sheka signs with New Mexico Highlands

By Lee Begaye
Special to the Times

TOHATCHI

New Mexico Highlands University has signed another standout from the Tohatchi Lady Cougars basketball program: WynterRose Sheka.

The 5-foot-10 guard has been a fixture of the Lady Cougars since she began playing as an eighth grader during the pandemic-shortened 2020–2021 season.

Sheka contributed five seasons to a Tohatchi program that also sent Brooke Badonie to New Mexico Highlands last year. While Sheka will enter the Lady Cowgirls program as a freshman on the court, she’ll do so academically as a junior after completing her general studies through UNM–Gallup while finishing her high school diploma.

Sheka has built a decorated multi-sport career. As an eighth grader, she captured state titles in cross country and the 800-meter run in track and field. She later helped lead the Lady Cougars to the 2022–23 Class 3A state championship and a 2023–24 runner-up finish.

Individually, she earned Second Team All-State honors from the New Mexico High School Coaches Association in 2023, 2024, and 2025.

Though her size may suggest a forward, Sheka has always identified as a guard—and played like one.

“Coach Tanisha entrusted me with the guard position despite my height,” she said. “I can handle the ball and shoot like a guard. Playing under the rim is demanding and requires a lot of physicality.”

Her college decision came fairly easily, despite some interest from a program on the East Coast. What drew her to NMHU was the proximity to home and familiarity with the coaching staff and players.

“I visited Highlands at the beginning of May. I got to tour the campus and do a mini session with the coaches,” she said. “Coach Eric and I first connected during a camp in my junior year—he pushed me and motivated me. And when I visited, I recognized players I had played with and against. I felt welcomed at Highlands.”

Education has always been a priority for Sheka. Initially, she considered nursing, but after realizing the program’s in-person demands would clash with her athletic schedule, she shifted to social work—a field she believes complements her desire to give back, much like basketball has shaped her.

Her mother, Lea McReeves, supported the decision.

“The nursing program is rigorous and doesn’t fit well with the demands of playing college basketball,” she said.

The journey to college ball wasn’t easy. Like many athletes from rural areas, exposure came at a cost—time, energy, and finances.

Ashley Watson, mother of NMHU redshirt freshman guard Brooke Badonie, shared a familiar story.

“I wanted Brooke to play and be exposed to competition beyond the reservation. The only way is to travel and participate at the national level. Financially, it isn’t easy, but for my child, I want her to pursue her passion.”

McReeves reflected on the sacrifices made to give Sheka every opportunity.

“She played with a lot of local kids who also competed nationally—like Riley Whitehair. They all started together and eventually went their own ways, but we kept seeing each other at those regional and national tournaments.”

She was adamant about year-round commitment.

“I made sure she committed to conditioning and skills work. She’d dribble the ball down the road and back, then switch hands. She’d run the hills behind our house. I guess you could say I was a ‘psycho mom,’ but to succeed, you have to push yourself every day.”

And her approach wasn’t just physical—it was mental.

“I raised WynterRose to be competitive but humble. If you want to keep growing, you have to stay teachable. Ego holds you back from learning.”

That humility shaped Sheka’s evolution. For the first three years of her high school career, she was a student of the game. In her final two, she emerged as a leader—someone younger players looked up to.

Now, as she begins the next chapter, she’ll rejoin her former teammate Brooke Badonie at Highlands.

“I’m very excited to reunite with WynterRose,” Badonie said. “It’s great to have her as a teammate again.”

Tohatchi head coach Tanisha Bitsoi praised Sheka’s lasting impact on the program.

“WynterRose was a key part of our recent success. She was a consistent shooter with good range and played a major role defensively,” Bitsoi said. “I’m proud to see two of our players moving on to the next level. I was lucky to have coached them during our championship and runner-up runs.”

Sheka’s story adds another chapter to Tohatchi’s growing legacy—a reminder that with work, vision, and a humble heart, success can come from any corner of the map.

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