Trinity Baptiste
Follow Your Heart
(Even When It Doesn’t Make Sense to The World)
My name is Trinity Baptiste and I am a former Arizona Wildcat. I started off my basketball career at Virginia Tech. After I graduated my junior year, I decided to transfer going into my senior year. I had a great career at Virginia tech. I was just coming off of a great season. I earned Sixth Women of the Year in the ACC. However, my heart was leading me in a different direction. I knew that I did not want to return to Virginia Tech for my senior season. I shared the news about my transfer with my coaches and mentors. No one could understand why I would leave the University that I invested so much in. I wanted something different for myself.
There were different factors that contributed to my choosing my next school. One of those factors was that I wanted a head coach with who I could trust and connect with. While my name was in the transfer portal, I spoke with Head Women’s basketball coach from Arizona, Adia Barnes. I felt a genuine connection with her based on her authenticity. We talked about my dreams of winning at the highest level and my goal of getting drafted into the WNBA. After discussions and prayers, I trusted my intuition and decided to spend my senior year as an Arizona Wildcat. I have to say this was one of the best decisions that I made as a college athlete. I followed my heart and dreams. I invested into myself rather than only investing in a basketball program. My teammates and I made it to the Final Four this year and competed in the national championship game.
Two weeks after the national championship game, I was blessed to hear my name called in the WNBA draft. I was drafted by the Indiana Fever. I realized that some decisions athletes make won’t always make sense to the world. I believe that athletes should always prioritize themselves when they have to make important career decisions.
Trinity Baptiste
IG: @strength_0