EVERETT—Local basketball player, Fatoumata Jaiteh, 23, who played basketball for Meadowdale High School in Lynnwood, has headed to Portugal to play professional basketball for the Grupo Desportivo Recreativo André de Resende team based in Evora.
Jaiteh just wrapped up her last year of college, at Sacramento State, in May and unfortunately spent her last season injured with a torn ACL.
Following her college season, she decided she wasn’t quite done playing basketball and reached out to a talent agent who placed her in a team out there.
“It wasn’t the most ideal way of spending my last season, so I decided I wanted to pursue a professional opportunity,” Jaiteh told the Lynnwood Times. “I’m really excited for this opportunity and just absolutely blessed.”
Jaiteh attended college on a full-ride basketball scholarship. She said the biggest difference from playing in high school, and college, is: “high school is for fun but college is all about business,” needing to constantly be at the top of your game, not only in the court, but in the classroom, and with your overall health.
Prior to graduating college (with a degree in Criminal Justice and a minor in Political Science at Sacramento State) Jaiteh is also an alumnus of Meadowdale High School in Lynnwood. In her first year she was named Player of the Year for the entire West Coast.
When she was in seventh grade her middles school friend, Asia, was playing for an AAU team where they practiced in the same gymnasium as Coach Eric Williams’ team, who runs a coaching program out of Rise Up Academy in Everett.
Jaiteh told the Lynnwood Times she owes much of her athletic career, and even personal life, to Coach Williams’ mentorship.
“I just poked my head into his team, and he saw me and asked me to come work out with him and we’ve been locked in ever since,” said Jaiteh. “He’s been absolutely amazing, not just as a coach but as a role model. It’s bigger than basketball, right? It’s everything else outside of it and the impact he’s had on my life, and my siblings, has been absolutely incredible.”
Coach Williams added that when he saw her play he saw the “ceiling.”
“I saw her work ethic, and I saw she wanted to learn but the team she was participating on didn’t offer enough competition for her. I talked to her mom and said we need to take her a bit further and got her connected to Rotary in Seattle’s Central District,” said Coach Williams. “She was intimidated at first, but she just kept coming, and kept coming, and it got to the point where she started competing hard enough where other people started to have interest in her game.”
A couple of years ago Jaiteh had a series of concussions and was forced to medically retire. It was an incredibly tumultuous time in her life, she shared, but Coach Williams’ guidance and inspiration got her through.
“Recovery isn’t something you can rush. I’m not still rehabbing because it’s healed pretty well, but still taking care of my body and the older I get I’m more intentional with that,” said Jaiteh.
Jaiteh left for Portugal the weekend of August 28, and her contract extends through May 2027. Her little brother also plays soccer in Spain so she’s looking forward to being right next door.
Jaiteh was born and raised in Gambia, West Africa. She moved to Lynnwood at the age of 9 in 2015. According to her the biggest culture shock, relocating to the Pacific Northwest, was the “lack of community,” she shared.
“Back home we have a huge sense of community. You’re really close to your next-door neighbors, everyone knows each other, you see someone walking down the street you say hi, here there’s more individualization. You can’t be as out-and-about and say hi to everybody, some people here don’t receive that well,” said Jaiteh.
Jaiteh continued that, while she was able to acclimate quickly, at home her mother has done her share in ensuring their culture is preserved, from speaking their native language to cooking their country’s cuisine.
Her favorite West African dishes are benachin, okra soup, and domoda.
Jaiteh’s was raised by a single mother of four, who just bought a house in Marysville. Seeing that huge accomplishment is her “why”, she shared with the Lynnwood Times.
“My mother is an immigrant from Africa raising four kids all by herself. It was such a huge accomplishment. I’m doing this for my family. I want a better life, the same way she wants a better life for me and my siblings – all the sacrifices she’s made, driving me to workouts, all these hours we’ve put in…we’re not going to let that go in vain, we’re gonna make sure something comes out of that and this is honestly the fruits of our labor,” said Jaiteh.
Aside from basketball, Jaiteh loves hiking, reading, and cooking. She wants to pursue law school to eventually become an attorney.
Her coach, Coach Eric Williams (known by his players as ‘Coach E’) hosts a summer basketball camp every year from July until students return to school. He also hosts a Fall and Winter camp.
“I just develop their skills; their strength, their athleticism, their stamina and running,” said Coach Williams.
Williams, 66, has been coaching sports since the age of 12 growing up in Chicago. His coaching, and athletic training services are completely volunteer-based and free of charge.
“I just kept doing it,” said Coach Williams. “I grew up with limited parenting, and I see some of these kids with limited parenting, without money, and I see a lot of them get pushed aside because they don’t have the money to pay. So I just come out here, give my time up, and make sure some of these kids have the chance to fulfill their dreams and play.”
When Williams got in a motorcycle accident, he decided to put more effort into his coaching and sports performance training full-time.
Williams has been using the basketball court at Rise Up Academy in South Everett since 2019, when he was connected to Dr. Paul Stoot (Owner of Rise Up Academy and Lynnwood Times Person of the Year 2024) while he hosted a community event – where he gave out free haircuts, braids, and about 100 free bookbags. That community event was also attended by multiple Seattle Seahawks players.
These days Willliams said he’s become more selective with the players he takes under his wing, to ensure his kids are hardworking and take their playing seriously.
He believes that playing sports teaches young kids that “nothing is given.”
“If you go out there and bust your butt, you earn your position. As long as you constantly hone your skills, they can’t bother you. Sports makes you a believer because you can’t rely on talent, you can’t rely on work hours…it just mirrors life,” said Williams. “A progressive plan always brings great results.”
Fatoumata Jaiteh is far from Coach Williams’ first athlete to make it pro. He’s coached Kirk Hinrich, who played on the Chicago Bulls, Shaquielle McKissic who played in top-tier European leagues, Zach Levine, who plays with the Bulls, David Watts, and many others.
“They start out calling me Coach E but when the journey is through, they call me pops,” joked Coach Wiliams.
Coach Williams used to coach basketball at Shoreline Community College, and Edmonds College, prior to running his own program where he took the team to Elite A – the best record the team has ever had. He currently coaches at Nathan Hale High School in Seattle.
Author: Kienan Briscoe
