Basketball, bakeries and biking.
A solid trifecta for Elizabeth Iseyemi.
The personable 24-year-old Iseyemi is enjoying her first taste of professional basketball, leaving her Nova Scotia home for Germany, where she inked a two-year deal to play with USC BasCats Heidelberg of the Germany-2.Bundesliga.
Iseyemi has been in Germany since August, continuing to adjust to new surroundings, new experiences and new responsibilities.
So far, so good for the former star with the Atlantic University Sport’s Acadia University Axewomen.
‘There are bakeries on every street, so it would be really hard to be gluten free and living here,’ she said with a chuckle. ‘One thing I absolutely love about Heidelberg is how bikeable the city is. It makes getting around so easy. It makes it advantageous whenever I feel like riding around trying to discover somewhere new. The city is beautiful with a great river stretching for miles. I’m amazed with the architecture and landscaping and seeing so many colourful buildings and neatly designed houses. It’s been breathtaking.’
She has also adapted quickly on the court.
Not that anyone should be surprised.
An AUS first team all-star with Acadia last season, she was a well-decorated Axewomen, averaging 22 points as a senior and finishing her career with a 16.1 points per game mark. Iseyemi hauled down 540 career rebounds, earning team MVP last season. She was a three-time defensive player of the year while earning her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry with a Psychology minor in Wolfville.
The 24-year-old wing scored 22 points in her pre-season debut with Heidelberg as the team prepares for its regular campaign this month.
Iseyemi was a first-team all-star in the Maritime Women’s Basketball Association last season, a key component for her Lake City 56ers of Dartmouth/Cole Harbour.
She ranks 11th all-time in leading scoring numbers in the MWBA, split between the 56ers and Halifax Thunder, with 238 career points.
Iseyemi scored 174 points this past season with Lake City, helping the 56ers get to the Pro*Line Stadium Legacy Cup final where they fell to Thunder.
During her time with the 56ers, Iseyemi knew a pro contract was a possibility.
She actually toyed with the idea of taking a season off from basketball, a sport that has dominated her life growing up in Dartmouth.
‘I had told someone I was planning on taking a year off just to have some time to myself and that was met with ‘don’t be silly, you should go pro,’’ said Iseyemi. ‘I definitely appreciated that support. It was that prompting that led me to set my sights on achieving this feat. Playing pro was always at the back of my mind. Truthfully a lot of people deserve credit for encouraging me to keep playing.’
The road to Germany was not something Iseyemi jumped on without doing her homework first.
There were plenty of allies willing to help from Acadia head coach Len Harvey providing the name of an agent that had worked with a former Axewomen player in the past.
‘First, I had to believe becoming a professional player was something I could accomplish,’ she said. ‘I developed a relationship with my agent and was able to provide some criteria for prospective clubs.’
If she was going to leave home and embark on this adventure, she wanted to ensure she knew the coach at Heidelberg, too.
One thing to accept and sign a contract, another thing to land in a different country and have second thoughts if there isn’t a solid coach-player connection.
Heidelburg head coach Rene Spandauw fit the bill.
‘The head coach provided me with contacts who could vouch for him and his coaching style,’ she said. ‘Once I gained a sense of who Rene was, what the overall culture of the club would be and more importantly, how friendly the surrounding people connected with the club would be, it made the decision all the more clear.’
When you are an import player, expectations are certainly high.
Teams are expecting leadership and production.
‘I was able to inquire to a lot of people who had similar experiences playing professionally,’ she said. ‘I was given a lot of information about varying from expectations, how things work, advice on how to manage finances, work, and social life. On top of reaching out to some previous players from Germany, I was able to speak with a couple from Nova Scotia who had been able to play professionally. Once I had gained so much perspective from these players it helped me come to the right fit for me.’
Remarkable to think a year ago, Iseyemi was preparing for AUS action with Acadia and now she’s in a completely different environment.
She reflected on her university career that helped produce a top talent and open doors after walking across the graduation stage.
‘My time at Acadia was pivotal for my development as a person and a basketball player,’ she said. ‘Personally, it taught a lot about people and forming connections that aren’t just transactional. I feel like I was able to immerse myself with the surrounding Wolfville community and it’s something I cherish fondly in my heart. It showed me how important carrying yourself in public is because at the end of the day you’re not simply representing yourself but so many others who have come before you, who have poured life into you, and who look up to you. That was greatly important in shaping who I am today.’
It was not an easy process, either.
Unsure rookie at her first training camp to a dominant AUS player.
Iseyemi put the work in.
‘What you put into the game is what you’d get out of it,’ she said, succinctly. ‘Training at Acadia transcended my view of myself as a player. I was given the tools to be successful and I took them and ran with them. Playing at Acadia greatly improved a lot of tangible aspects of my game, like ball handling, shooting form, and touch around the rim. However, all those things aside, I’m very appreciative of how much my IQ level grew as well.’
Iseyemi is the only Canadian with Heidelberg, nestled on the Neckar River, brimming with a population near 160,000.
She can certainly confirm the German Stare is a thing, too.
The country is known for intense eye contact, using the peepers for ways to communicate.
‘It was an adjustment getting use to the traffic signs and building signs being in a different language, but I am picking things up pretty quickly,’ she said. ‘The “German Stare” is a real thing, so it’s been interesting getting use to that. With the help of my local teammates who have been extremely welcoming and positive with my arrival it’s been a unique experience so far. It’s especially unique running to the store on a Sunday to be met with it not being open due to how seriously Germans take their relaxation. Grocery shopping on Saturday is key.’
Heidelberg will open its season Sept. 28 against Saarlouis/Dillin.
There will be thoughts of Acadia and the MWBA going through her mind during game day preparation.
Iseyemi certainly relished her MWBA time as a player with Lake City and Thunder.
‘It’s been awesome to see some of the growth of the MWBA from just a few years ago,’ she said. ‘The opportunity to work on your game and play against older players is definitely advantageous because it helps stay in game shape and sharpen some of those IQ moments. Being able to play with past competitors was cool and I had a blast playing with other great athletes. It’s definitely a league I enjoyed playing in and I’m excited to continue to watch it grow.’
She also embraced the fans.
The MWBA has become a community-minded league, bringing in families as its core base of spectators.
That’s not lost on Iseyemi whether it was playing in Dartmouth or Moncton, regardless of the venue.
‘The fans are the best part, especially the younger ones because I would have loved a women’s basketball team to support growing up like the MWBA is doing,’ she said. ‘The competition level varied from time to time but there was never a doubt that the players were competing to win, because if it wasn’t competitive, then it wasn’t fun.’
Fun cannot be lost in the world of basketball.
From studying and playing to committing to being paid to play are big steps.
Iseyemi has advice for those thinking about playing beyond university.
‘I always have a message to younger athletes and that’s the importance of fueling and nourishing your body,’ she said. ‘Food gives us energy to be our best and try out hardest. Never skimp out on getting a meal’s worth to eat.’
She also has high praise for supporters like Harvey and Thane Smith, key individuals in the path to Germany.
‘My university coaches Thane, my family back home and all the wonderful people I shared this news with prior to it going public mean so much to me,’ she said. ‘They were all nothing but excited for me and encouraging about experiencing something new and different as this is.’
– Lake City’s Elizabeth Iseyemi is playing pro in Germany this season. (Bob Pettipas Photo)