It is impossible to miss Bella Owumi on a basketball court.
The 6-foot wing reaches into her bag and pulls out hesis, spin moves and crossovers. She’s dancing, and then she flies by defenders like she’s fired out of a cannon. She chases down blocks and smothers opponents on defense. She’ll roar in celebration or hold up three fingers for an extra beat as she trots down the court after a made 3-pointer.
What viewers might miss is Owumi’s short prayer at the free throw line. When she steps up in a pressure-packed moment, and all eyes converge on her, Owumi typically mutters a short affirmation.
New England’s basketball community has hyped Owumi up as a transcendent talent since she was barely a teenager. For years she has expected to put on a show in every game for everyone watching. That pressure has threatened to break her at times, and now, as she prepares for her next basketball chapter, it has forged her most special attribute: emotional maturity.
