The phrase, ‘Dream team’ carries a lot of weight in international sports. It represents the prestige, dominance and awe-inspiring power of the 1992 U.S. Men’s Olympic Basketball Team. It’s not a phrase to be tossed around lightly, yet for one island territory in the Caribbean, it may be the perfect descriptor for their women’s national basketball team.
By Matt Nelsen
The U.S. Virgin Islands stunned regional foes with a championship run at the 2023 Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador, El Salvador. The team, ranked 40th in the world and 9th in the Americas, surpassed all expectations, overcoming higher ranked opponents to capture a maiden gold medal for the U.S. Virgin Islands. Their historic success aroused support for the team at home and gave birth to aspirations of what they could achieve in the future.
Speaking after returning home, co-captain Lanese Bough commented, “I just feel like we’re on top of the world, here, right now.” Her fellow co-captain Imani Tate expanded on that thought, stating, “it was huge for everybody, not only the players that were on the court, not just the coaches, but just the Virgin Islands in general. I think it just gave us a little bit more pride in the women’s basketball program.”
Victory at the Central American and Caribbean Games also allowed their coach to dream bigger. “I really just want to get to the Olympics,” explained Tajama Ngongba. “I really want to have a chance for us to get there.” A former player and native of St. Croix, she believes it’s time to build on the momentum gained in El Salvador and put a concrete plan in place for the future. The victory has her asking questions like, “what do we need to do to seriously be on Olympic soil in 2028? What does that look like?” It’s a far cry from the reality that has faced the team for decades.
They had only begun practicing together a week before the Games. Financial concerns led the squad to meet in San Salvador for practice, instead of training together in the Virgin Islands. The players had to quickly rekindle old bonds, while forming newer ones with younger teammates. The team was led by the experienced trio of veteran captains and helmed by Ngongba.
Reflecting on the experience, Ngongba commented. “We’re a very limited resource country in all aspects, except when it comes to heart. That’s the one resource we do not lack. I think that’s what makes this team so special; the resource that matters on game day is the resource that we do have.”
The U.S. Virgin Islands lie in a gray zone of international sports. While they are an unincorporated territory of the United States, they function independently at international competitions. The islands have their own national Olympic committee, sport federations, and national teams. They receive little to no support from the U.S. sports system. Therefore, they prefer to be called the Virgin Islands Basketball Team.
“We’re typically the smallest country that’s represented,” affirmed Ngongba. “We typically have the smallest resources.” Nonetheless, dedication and determination keep the program moving forward. The team also came face-to-face with a familiar foe at the Central American and Caribbean Games, the language barrier. The Virgin Islands were the only English-speaking team competing in basketball. It made communication with officials and referees challenging. “The majority of the calls are against us. We literally play eight against five”, Lanese Bough remarked. Ngongba took a more diplomatic approach, commenting, “FIBA officiating is very different from college or professional officiating, where there is a lot of interaction. A lot of the time, the FIBA officials are trained to be robots. I know that can be very frustrating at times.”
In spite of all the limitations and barriers, the team prevailed. They beat Puerto Rico for the first time since 1966. They avenged their loss to the Dominican Republic in the group stage. They overcame a lack of practice time and officiating frustrations. They played, they celebrated, they conquered. Tate summed up the mindset of the team best. “We’re just going out there to play a game and win. We don’t think we’re going to lose; every goal is to win gold. Every tournament, we’re going for the top. We’re going at everybody’s neck. We don’t care who it is, where they’re from, how they play…we’re going at everybody.”
All three players noted a change in how the women’s basketball team was seen back home. Lanese Bough was recognized by a stranger at a bank shortly after the tournament. She also saw a change in how the younger players viewed her during a basketball camp on the island following the Games.
The team’s immediate future remains uncertain. Funding troubles forced the team to forgo an opportunity to qualify for the Pan American and Olympic Games. Tajama hopes their victory in San Salvador will lead to a rise in support, funding and planning for the future. Her Olympic aspirations may seem like a lofty goal, but perhaps it’s the perfect dream for this newfound “dream team” to chase.