Sakima Walker named NJCAA DI Women's Player of the Year
Charlotte, NC - Northwest Florida State's Sakima Walker has been named the 2022-23 NJCAA Division I Women's Basketball Player of the Year.
Athletic Director Ramsey Ross on Walker- "We are ecstatic for Sakima to receive this amazing and well-deserved honor. It is a tribute to her work ethic and commitment to improving as a student-athlete, as well as her will to leading Northwest Florida State College to our second national title in the past three seasons. The fact that she is the first National Player of the Year for our women's basketball at NWF, among all the great players we have had, speaks volumes on the type of impact she made for our College. She has been a pleasure to have in our program and I cannot wait to see the type of success she will enjoy at the next level."
The sophomore center posted 533 points, 32 steals, 48 blocks, 261 rebounds, and 46 assists in the 2022-23 season. Walker recorded a season-high of 31 points in a regular season win against Tallahassee. In the 2023 NJCAA DI Women's Basketball National Championship title game, Walker led the offense with 23 points. She also had 12 rebounds and 4 blocks to help lead the Raiders to a national title.
Walker transferred to Northwest Florida State after spending two seasons at Rutgers University. While at Rutgers, Walker played in 32 games, starting in two. After two seasons, she recorded 4.03 points per game, 2.5 rebounds per game, 14 blocks, and 6 assists. In just one season with Northwest Florida State, Walker upped all of her stats. After 32 starts in all 32 games, she averaged 16.7 points per game, 8.15 rebounds per game, and 1.4 assists per game.
Head Coach Bart Walker on Walker- "Sakima came to NWF with a purpose. This was her second chance and she made it her second home. She mentioned on her Twitter account that NWF changed her life, maybe even saved her. That's our mission here. To help impact, change, and inspire growth in these young ladies' lives. You aren't just a player for a season, but part of our family for life. It has been an honor and privilege to coach the player of the year, Sakima Walker, and to coach the National Championship team at Northwest Florida State College."
On top of ending her season as an NJCAA National Champion, Walker was named to the National Championship All-Tournament team and was chosen for the 2023 NJCAA DI Women's Basketball First-Team All-America team.
Walker is currently undecided on where she will continue her academic and collegiate athletic career but has been receiving interest from multiple NCAA Division I schools.
