Bella Murekatete
Rwandan basketball player
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bella Murekatete (born 4 July 2000) is a Rwandan professional basketball player for 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] She played college basketball for the Washington State Cougars.
(Post Falls, Idaho)
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 4 July 2000 |
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Genesis Prep (Post Falls, Idaho) |
| College | Washington State (2019–2024) |
| Position | Center |
| Career highlights | |
| |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
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.
