Last year, Cass Tech girls basketball team played Detroit Country Day during the regular season, and Senegal, Africa native Ndeye Rose Fall’s competitive spirit kicked in.
When Fall was a sophomore and played for Consortium High School, her team lost to Country Day. She transferred to Cass as a junior and promised herself that the next time she had the opportunity to play, she would beat Country Day. Thanks to 19 points and 17 rebounds she did.
Then college recruiters started to notice the 6-foot-3 center/forward.
Rose was born on the northwestern tip of Africa in Senegal and was introduced to basketball at 12 years old. No one in her family played basketball before, but it was her mother’s dream to always play so she introduced her to the game.
Coming to America was a journey of sports and spirituality.
When Fall joined the basketball club in Senegal that practiced five to six times a week, her athletic skills improved as she grew taller.
Senegal’s National Basketball team’s scouts (known as U 16 and M 18 in Africa) took notice and she was chosen to compete in the Junior Olympics representing the Senegal national team. At age 14, she was traveling to Paris to play at 15, she was in Osaka, Japan.
“I lived with host families for two weeks in France and one month in Japan,” Fall said. “France was easier to adapt to because I speak French. I struggled in Japan because of the language and the team was different.”
Coach Ali Mitchell from Consortium High School watched videos of Fall on YouTube and reached out.
Moving and joining a team in the U.S. was a dream come true for Fall’s mom. However, Fall had to quickly adjust to the English language from her native French lounge, to compete for a collegiate basketball scholarship.
At 16, she moved to Detroit and she found a family away from home.
The Hunter family of Detroit (Jeffery, Crettia , Jenney, Sabura, Fatou and Seydi Sarr) helped Rose throughout her transition in America and have supported her endeavors.
Being away from her mom over three years has been difficult for a growing teenager in a foreign land. Rose stays steadfast in prayer 5 times a day. Before leaving Africa her mother gave her reassurance and advice.
“She told me that she has my back and to keep respecting myself and to love myself,” Fall said. “She told me to never change. To just be who I am.”
These are words that have stuck with Rose as she has embarked on her athletic and educational journey to America.
While Rose was selected to be a McDonald’s All American player, she suffered an injury and was unable to play in the Chicago tournament. But the recognition garnered the attention of Division I collegiate scouts and Rose received a number of athletic scholarships.
She decided to attend Hampton University because of large African community and her familiarity with the former Lady Technician K’Lynn Willis, who currently plays for Hampton.
