Curtis Michaud
Staff Writer
While the Women’s basketball team for Broward College is overcoming its many obstacles to make the playoffs this season, sophomore co-captain Whitney Osideko is one of the essential pieces for the team success.
Osideko, a pre-med major at BC, not only has a tremendous amount of passion for the game of basketball but also a desire to one day have a lucrative career as a doctor.
“I really want to finish my bachelor’s degree in biology pre-med on a basketball scholarship after my two years at Broward College,” said Osideko.
Living in South Florida for most of her life, Osideko is a Miami Heat fan who grew an attachment to notable players like eight-year-pro, Jimmy Butler, a first-year rookie Tyler Herro and third-year-pro, Bam Adebayo.
However, she often sees her game resemble Los Angeles Clippers Power forward Montrezl Harrell.
“I have been watching him since he was at Louisville and he’s a beast in the paint and very energetic for his position and I try to bring that same enthusiasm to my team,” Osideko said.
A 5’11 forward with the versatility to play other positions on the court, Osideko has gained the respect from her fellow teammates and coaches to be named co-captain for this season.
Head Coach Brian McCormick said, “Whitney is a versatile player who plays multiple positions. She often handles the ball against pressure and with her long arms she gets her hands on a lot of balls.”
Osideko’s hard work in practice and her friendly interaction with the other teammates helped her be voted co-captain and she currently leads the team in three-point shooting at 37.5 percent.
“In all my years in high school, I never took a three-point shot but Coach McCormick told me not to limit myself and now I lead the team in three-point percentage; I’m proud of that,” Osideko said.
This charismatic student-athlete spends most of her free time when she’s not perfecting her craft with footwork drills and shooting jump shots studying for upcoming exams for class and watching romance movies on her favorite streaming service, Netflix.
However, Osideko wasn’t always as confident in her abilities on the basketball court. Coach Alberto Jemperrie from Everglades High School helped groom her into the player she is today.
“My basketball coach from high school inspires me a lot because he was the first coach who actually believed in me. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be playing basketball right now,” Osideko said.
When it looked like she couldn’t play collegiate basketball, Coach McCormick suddenly gave Osideko a scholarship offer to compete at BC, an opportunity Osideko was waiting for.
“Whitney was a local player who played for a good high school program and coach with an outstanding attitude and grades,” Coach McCormick said.
Osideko has had experience taking a leadership role before in high school when she was also named captain. However, she realizes that this time is quite different from her past experience.
“I had to humble myself a little bit this year because I know some of the freshmen are better than me and we have many different personalities this season and managing them is something I still continue to learn every day,” Osideko said.
Osideko also finds confidence within her strong support system from her father that always seems to make an incredible impression in cheering his daughter on the basketball court.
“All my teammates and coaches know my dad because he is always at the game cheering me on while I’m playing,” said Osideko.
With the amount of injuries this year, the women’s team has faced so far, co-captains Osideko and sophomore guard Airyannah Moitt, both understand that they must pick up the intensity and energy so it can influence their teammates to compete on every single possession for the remainder of the year.
“Team chemistry is very important because it’s crunch time and these are the games that really count, so we need to come together with all the injuries and make sure that we hold each other up going forward,” Moitt said.
michc38@mail.broward.edu
