For the 18 minutes she was on the floor, Sera Yaweh scored 16 points for the KIU Rangers against the KCCA Leopards on Friday, June 6.
While it was a team high score, it turned out to be in a losing effort for the Rangers (61-75), the runners-up in the women’s National Basketball League championship in 2024.
However, for Rangers coach, Julius Lutwama, whose team, fifth on the 11-team log, face the Miracle Eaglets, who are sixth this evening at the YMCA in Wandegeya, the arrival of Yaweh could not have been more timely.
According to Lutwama, Yaweh is exactly what they have been missing to complete the jigsaw for a potential top four push, come the end of the season.
Lutwama said: “As a team, at Rangers, we live and die by the shot. That is exactly what Yaweh is all about. She is such an intelligent player on and off the ball. Her movement creates a good dynamic for our plays to work. Yet, more importantly, when she receives the ball in good areas, she sinks the three-point shot even with her eyes closed.”
Yaweh, who just recently joined the Rangers from A1-Challenge, was exactly that against KCCA, her second game in KIU colours. Of her 16 points, 12 were an accumulation of four shots from downtown (three point shooting).
It all looked seamless for Yaweh every time she was picked out by her point-guard, Fildauce Namulema, as she positioned herself in the corner. And maybe, had she been on the court for longer than the 18 minutes she could muster, Rangers would not have lost by the margin they did.
In light of that, Lutwama noted that he had to manage Yaweh’s minutes because she has not been playing competitively since late last year. Therefore, she will need to catch-up on fitness, to have more time.
Lutwama added: “Once we have Yaweh at the top fitness level we want her to be at, she will help us win many games. Right now, we just have to make sure that we finish in the playoff places. By then, she will be up there in fitness. That will enable us be more competitive. Hopefully, we will not be so far back on teams like KCCA.”
At the moment, Rangers have won six games and lost six. But with better application defensively, too, they should be in good stead. On average, the Rangers have turned over the ball 20 times in each game.
Oftentimes, they have been punished for it, hence conceding 40 points. Much of that has been as a result of erratic ball handling. Observers believe that with Yaweh joining the Rangers squad, now the team has an extra body good in using the ball. Add Ines Kanyamuneza, who is another fine shooter, and Rangers have been boosted.
Asked about how well she has settled in at Rangers, Yaweh, 24, said that having been out of the game for long, made her hungry. She is making up for lost time. But at the same time, she believes that Rangers is the perfect home for her, considering how warm her teammates have been towards her since she arrived.
“Right now, I want to contribute and help the team soar as high as possible. No doubt, we are a good team. And because of how well we work together, we can achieve big,” Yaweh said. In a nutshell, Yaweh has not just brought game to Rangers, but positive vibes, too.