The United States Virgin Islands Senior Women’s Basketball Team ended the International Basketball Federation 2025 Caribbean Women’s Championship with their best offensive output of the tournament, earning them a hard-fought 105 – 81 victory over the Bahamas.
The USVI women used their suffocating defense to win their first three games of this event. On Sunday, they truly showed their superior talent by finding their offensive touch when needed. The Bahamas had a full day of rest coming into this final game, whereas the USVI women had played for four straight days.
The USVI Imani Tate set the tone by making two early three-point shots in the first minute of the game. The Bahamas Lashanna Higgs responded with a two-point and a three-point field goal. The Bahamas tied the score at 16, but the USVI ended the quarter on a 13–3 run. Anisha George took over the game in the second quarter, scoring 12 of her 26 points in that frame. The USVI had a 56 – 44 halftime lead.
The Bahamas made runs in the second half, but the Virgin Islands ladies always had an answer. J’Naya Ephraim, Victoria Hamilton, Natalie Kleeman-Day, Lanese Bough, Tate, and George all came up with timely buckets when needed in the second half.
George scored 26 points and collected 21 rebounds for the gold medal team. Teammate Tate ended with 22 points. The Bahamas, Latisha Higgs, and Valerie Nesbitt were impressive on offense, scoring 37 and 32 points, respectively.
The USVI women demonstrated they were the superior team in this competition. They relied on their depth, as Coach Tajama Ngongba rotated players freely while maintaining a high level of efficiency. This will prove valuable as they advance to the 2026 Centrobasket Women’s Championship Tournament. Guyana and the Bahamas will also participate in next year’s event.
Anisha George was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, averaging 19 points and 9.3 rebounds a game. The other players selected for the all-tournament team were:
Valerie Nesbitt – Bahamas
Tiffany Reynolds – Jamaica
Amisha Ramlall – Guyana
Joy Brown – Guyana
