For the very first time, a full-blooded Filipina will be the first-ever Asian to play for the Duke University women’s basketball team in Durham, North Carolina, US.
Vanessa de Jesus, 18, born to Filipino parents, will be joining the team using the Blue Devils uniform in November.
“I am so grateful to have this opportunity and especially this year with new coaches coming in… I think this is just a great opportunity to just grow as a player and just take the experience to get better on the court,” de Jesus said.
The Filipina will be under the tutelage of first-year head coach Kara Lawson, who is a former WNBA and Olympic Champion and worked with the Boston Celtics in the NBA as an assistant coach.
“Going under Kara [Lawson], all her accomplishments as a point guard and her role coaching in the NBA with the Celtics, I think this is a great opportunity for me,” she added.
