‘Bella is somebody without basketball’: Bella Nascimento’s persistence has lifted William & Mary

Fortunately, Nascimento’s mom, Zueylha, stopped her and insisted she finish what she started. The basketball world is grateful that she listened to her mom and absorbed the wisdom of that moment — the lesson that persistence shapes greatness.

A sport and an opportunity that nearly slipped away became Nascimento’s passion. As the Coastal Athletic Association’s (CAA) third-leading scorer, the 5’8 Nascimento has come a long way from the young girl who once wanted to quit the sport. The self-proclaimed “crazy maniac” who first ran the court with reckless energy has transformed into a relentless scoring force.

The beautiful sound of a sweat-soaked Nascimento yelling, “And one,” and the sweet sight of her sinking shot after shot as a blur of energy lifts her teammates. A designated scorer with the green light to attempt at least 20 shots per game, Nascimento, who transferred from Manhattan at the start of last season, recently scored her 1,000th career collegiate point.

Nascimento has been hotter than fish grease lately.

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She has scored double figures in nine consecutive games and has topped at least 20 points in six of them, including a 25-point masterpiece in a 72-65 road victory over Hampton this past Sunday. Nascimento took over to get the Tribe over the hump, making 9-of-10 free throws in the last minute of regulation and overtime to secure the victory.

Overall, in 10 CAA games, she’s averaging 19.8 points per game, which leads the conference. Her steady presence and leadership have helped William & Mary win six of its last seven games to vault into conference championship contention. With a 7-3 conference record, the Tribe has tied the program record for the best conference start through 10 games, according to William & Mary’s website.

The Tribe are a game-and-a-half behind first-place North Carolina A&T (9-2) and a half-game behind Drexel (8-3). William & Mary visits Drexel on Friday night in a huge showdown beginning at 6 p.m.

Nascimento’s play is a major reason why the Tribe is in this position. Over her last five games, Nascimento is averaging 20.2 points per game, up from her season average of 16.2. She’s also averaging 2.6 assists and steals per game. Both are more than her season average of 1.7 for each category.

According to CBB Analytics, Nascimento’s efficiency during her recent five-game stretch showcases her impact.

She has scored 27.2% of her points on the fastbreak, up from her season average of 16.2%. Nascimento has also been strong in the paint, scoring 35.6% of her points in that area over the last five games, up from her season average of 27.4%. She’s averaged 7.2 points in the paint, more than her season average of 4.6. 

In addition to Nascimento, Cassidy Geddes (11.7) and Kayla Rolph (11.2) are averaging double figures during league action, with Jana Sallman not far behind at 8.2 per game. Rolph had a double-double against Hampton.

The Grafton, Massachusetts native’s addition to the Tribe program before last season has not only elevated her game but also instilled a sense of hope and belief that March glory is attainable.

“William & Mary is a great school, and the academics are phenomenal here,” Nascimento told The Next of her decision to transfer during a recent Zoom call. “That was one portion of it. I also wanted to go somewhere I could compete for and win a championship. … We can do that here. The family atmosphere and culture that the coaching staff has established made it comfortable for me, especially since I live eight hours away. Being able to come here and connect with the coaches and my team really helped me decide to come here.”

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While fans have been treated to regular displays of brilliance from Nascimento, those performances don’t happen without the determined and dedicated work she did behind the scenes during the summer. Even though she’s an elite three-level scorer, Nascimento is obsessed with improving her game because she has dreams of playing professionally.

Her desire to get better and meet the demands of the coaching staff fuels every extra shot she takes, every late-night workout and every moment she pushes herself beyond exhaustion.

It’s paid off, as her usage rate is 31.3%, up from 27.3% last year, meaning that more William & Mary possessions end with the ball in her hands, according to Her Hoop Stats. In addition, Nasicmento is averaging 0.82 points per possession, the highest of her career, and her effective field goal percentage of 43.8% is also the best she’s shot for a season.

According to CBB Analytics, Nascimento is shooting 45.9% on shots in the paint (28-for-61), which is 8% above the Division I average from that range. She also has a shooting percentage of 36.8% from mid-range (39-for-106), which is 3.7% above the Division I average at that level.

While she knows she’s the focal point of opposing defenses, Nascimento’s presence demands more from everyone around her, and they usually rise to the occasion. William & Mary head coach Erin Dickerson Davis has enjoyed having Nascimento as part of her program.

“What I love most about coaching Bella is that we’re very hard on her,” Davis said. “We challenge her a lot. We hold her to different standards than everyone else because I know her ultimate goal. So, every time we’ve challenged, pushed or made it hard for her, she has responded. That’s just really cool to see her growth in the short two years that we’ve been able to have her.”

William & Mary assistant coach Kenia Cole helped facilitate Nascimento’s arrival once she entered the transfer portal. Cole, a championship guard during her career at Hampton, watched numerous clips of Nascimento and used her relationships with Manhattan to learn more about her. Nascimento and Cole meet at least twice weekly to discuss basketball and life.

“Once we did all that background work, it was a no-brainer for me,” Davis said. “Throughout the recruiting process, it was just a lot of getting to know her. Bella is a very personable person. … She wanted to be a part of something that made her feel comfortable because she would be further away from home. In one of my first conversations with Bella, I asked her what she wanted, and she said she wanted to be a pro. She said she wanted to impact the team. She wanted a chance to start. I told her I needed somebody willing to take 20 or 25 shots a game without blinking, and if she wasn’t comfortable doing that, she couldn’t come here.”

Nascimento thought the coaching staff was joking when they said they wanted her to shoot at least 20 times every game. This sounds easy but is actually difficult, especially if you’re having an inevitable off-game shooting the ball. She has had games this season in which she’s reached her targeted shooting goal, but for Nascimento, it’s been more about making sure she’s setting her teammates up for success, defending at a high level and leading.

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Nascimento had a career-high seven assists against Campbell on Feb. 2, proof of how much she has evolved. She has scored at least 20 points seven times this season. Overall, 62.7% of the Tribe’s baskets this year have been assisted, the second-highest rate in the CAA and 40th in the nation, according to W&M’s game notes.

Yet, the player her coaches once recruited for her offensive firepower has transformed into something even greater — an all-around force.

She’s the heart and soul of the Tribe.

A dual-sport athlete who also played volleyball at Manhattan, Nascimento has aspirations of being a sports broadcaster, with a goal of interviewing professional players. However, things haven’t always been easy for her. Last year, she wrestled with self-doubt at times, was anxious and overthought everything. This year, Nascimento has relied more on writing in her journal, self-reflecting, and praying.

“The biggest thing I’m proud of is my growth,” Nascimento said. “As coach said, I’ve come a long way. … There were a couple of times last year when I broke down and was in a spiral. It was just very hard for me to come out of that spiral.

“The things I’ve done this year have made me realize that I don’t have to let basketball define me. Like everything I do, the amount of points I score, assists or rebounds I have doesn’t define me. Of course, I want to do well in those areas, but I’m Bella, and Bella is somebody without basketball. I am a capable, caring and loving human. Separating those two and finding myself helped me a lot on the basketball court.”