Trinity Baptiste has plenty to be grateful for.
Everyone in her family is healthy. She is, too, after completing her first season of professional basketball.
Baptiste is spending a lot of time with her one-year-old nephew, Chalom, who is one of true joys in her life.
And she’s home. The former UA basketball player’s season with BC Samara of the Women’s Russian Premier League ended abruptly. She didn’t breathe a sign of relief until she returned to her native Tampa, Florida.
“Once I got out of Russia, I felt better. Then, once I got home, I felt even better,” she said. “I was just nervous. … After that first week (home), I was like, ‘Wow, I’m really not playing basketball right now.’ Although, I am safe, which is the most important thing. I’m really not finishing the season because the Russian teams are continuing to play. They didn’t cancel the season. They are playing without foreigners. It’s sad; I’m really not playing and it’s only March. That was the sad part, but I am safe and home with my family. That’s the most important thing.”
Baptiste’s ordeal began Feb. 25, when she heard from her agent. “No matter what the Russians say, they invaded (Ukraine),” Baptiste was told, “and they might be canceling the rest of the season … be prepared.”
It was a Friday. Baptiste played well the following day, scoring 18 points and pulling down seven rebounds in a road game against Dynamo Kursk.
The next day, Baptiste heard from her agent again. This time she learned that it was up to her if she wanted to stay or go home. Baptiste wanted to stay.
“I felt safe where I was,” Baptiste said.
That lasted another day.
“(My agent) told me, ‘We need to talk about terminating the contract. I think you need to leave as soon as possible.’ He talked to the team, and they wanted me to stay,” Baptiste said. “I was conflicted a little bit. I was more conflicted about being there while all of this was going on — about being there and not knowing what would happen next.”
Baptiste took part in a shootaround the next morning, but there was no convincing here to stay. The team bought her ticket home and let her out of the contract. She left that night, after playing one more game. It was part of an exodus of foreign players within the league.
“We didn’t know if the airlines would cancel and if I would be stuck in Russia,” Baptiste said. “My agent and I were being proactive (in getting the flights setup). … We couldn’t fly from Russia over to Europe. We couldn’t go over Europe (because of the war). We had to go south to Turkey, then to New York, then to Tampa. I had to take four flights (Samara-Moscow-Istanbul-New York-Tampa) and all with layovers. It took me a total of two days to get home.”
Still, Baptiste calls her year in Russia a time of growth.
She played in the Russian Premier League, where she faced many of the top WNBA players — including Arike Ogunbowale, Natasha Howard, Jonquel Jones, Courtney Vandersloot and Brittney Griner. She averaged 19 points, eight rebounds and one assist per game.
Her team also played in the European Women’s Basketball League, where she averaged 17.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.
She did it all while learning two new positions: Shooting guard and small forward. She played in the post in college.
Now, Baptiste can still outmuscle people, but spends more time on the perimeter.
“I’m looking leaner, and my diet has changed,” Baptiste said.
Off the court, Baptiste learned enough Russian to play with her teammates and order foods. She put up with her first real winter after growing up in Tampa and living in Tucson.
And she endured being a curiosity to Russians who, she says, rarely see Black people.
“I think it’s just out of curiosity,” Baptiste said. “They’re just wondering, ‘What are you doing here? Are you a student?’ They do this is out of curiosity. It’s not really rude. I don’t feel like they’re being rude. I’ve been in the airport with my teammates and people literally grab their phones come to take pictures. They act like they’ve never seen a Black person in real life. Maybe they haven’t. Maybe they’ve only seen Black people on TV.
“With the pandemic I try to just keep my space. If somebody wants a picture, I’ll take a picture. It’s not a big deal. I know where it’s coming from because they don’t usually see people that look like me.”
Rim Shots
Baptiste never got to play an NCAA Tournament game at home. The 2020 tournament was canceled, and last year’s event was held entirely in San Antonio. That’s why she’s so excited the Wildcats will host the first two rounds of this year’s tournament, starting with Saturday’s game against UNLV.
“I’m happy for them and I believe in them,” Baptiste said. “I really hope that they have that same mentality that we had last year. It doesn’t matter what anyone’s record is, and I hope that they take one game at a time and win each game. I know (UA coach) Adia (Barnes), the goal is to win a championship. It’s not to get to the first or second round. I hope they can accomplish their goals.”
Her advice to the veterans is “simple,” she said.
“Hold everybody accountable, because that’s something that we did last year,” Baptiste said. “Nobody’s feelings or personal agendas or personal goals matter. The only thing that mattered was winning. Hold your teammates accountable and hold yourself accountable. Do whatever it takes, literally whatever it takes to win.”
Baptiste has signed on as a member of the Lebanese National Team, and now holds Lebanese citizenship. As a result, she can now play overseas and not count against the two-American player limit.
