Sunday Chat is a weekly feature appearing in the Blade’s print and digital platforms each Sunday.
Quinesha Lockett left the University of Toledo as one of the most decorated women’s basketball players in program history.
Mid-American Conference player of the year. MAC tournament MVP. Three-time first-team All-MAC. Two-time captain. The Omaha native’s name is littered throughout the UT record book, including her 2,423 career points, which ranks second all-time.
The last time Lockett represented UT was in April at the Women’s Final Four, when she scored 11 points in an all-star game. She had five rebounds, four assists, one steal, and one blocked shot, showing the rest of the women’s basketball world what the MAC became familiar with.
Lockett signed with the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx as an undrafted free agent, finishing with six points and a rebound in two preseason games before being released. She landed with Rutronik Stars Keltern, a team in southwest Germany near the borders with France and Switzerland.
Rutronik Stars Keltern is part of the 14-team Damen-Basketball-Bundesliga and also competes in Eurocup Women. The club won DBBL championships in 2018, 2021, and 2023.
The team is currently in second place with a 5-1 record. Lockett is averaging 9.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game.
The Blade recently talked to Lockett by phone. She shared her insights on women’s professional basketball, the University of Toledo, and world travel.
The Blade: How was the overall experience of going through training camp with the Lynx and getting a taste of the WNBA? How did you think your game stacked up?
Lockett: It really showed me that I have the potential to play with those girls. The game is definitely faster, but slower at the same time, if that makes sense. Everything’s sped up, but it’s just much more methodical.
The physicality is so much different from college to playing professional. Girls are more physical. The refs aren’t always going to call everything. And it’s much more intense. At training camp with the Lynx, everything was go, go, go.
They don’t have time to stop to make sure you got it right. It doesn’t matter if you can get this or not, you have to get it. They’re not going to wait for you to figure something out. They want you to be on that level right away.
But I would say they are pretty patient with a lot of things, though. They’re going to let you know, “This is what I want and what I need. But if you can't keep up with it, then you’ve got to go.”
The Blade: What parts of your game did you think stuck out, and what parts needed to improve?
Lockett: I always thought my defense was really good. But they basically told me that I needed to be more physical when I play defense, create the first touch. Don’t let someone attack, attack them first, even when you’re on defense. And make your pressure on offense, make them decide whether to go, decide where they’re going to go.
The Blade: Once you decided you were going to play in Europe, what was the process of deciding which team and country?
Lockett: I just wanted to play against the highest level of competition. I had a couple of good choices that I could pick from, but I wanted to make sure that I played Euro Cup because I would be playing the highest competition. Some of the girls that are playing in the league play in the WNBA and will be coming overseas and playing Euro Cup. So I would have a high chance of playing against them and being seen more.
The Blade: What’s it been like living in Germany?
Lockett: It’s been crazy trying to adjust to the culture. We do travel a lot to a lot of different cities, a lot of different countries. Basketball is the same, but the people aren’t the same. My coaches have different tactics. My teammates have different routines. It’s just different, but it’s really cool to see how they adjust to new people coming in.
The Blade: How is the adjustment in Germany with the time change and trying to talk to people back in the U.S.? Has there been homesickness, or is basketball helping you get through everything?
Lockett: The first year is definitely the hardest. It’s been tough not being able to just call my mom or my sisters whenever I want or talk. But we figure it out. When I first got here, I really wasn’t getting any sleep because the time difference was so crazy. I would end up staying up all night. I wanted to sleep, but I just couldn’t get there. My body is telling me, “It’s time to be up moving around.”
I always miss my family when I’m away from them. But we’ve got on a schedule now where I know when I can speak to them and when they can talk to me. Sometimes I even wake up to missed calls or text messages like, “Call me now.” And I’m like, “It was three in the morning here.”
The Blade: What was your reaction to Tricia Cullop leaving Toledo?
Lockett: I was definitely shocked. We were all at the dinner [at the Women’s Final Four]. And Cheryl [Miller] or Cynthia [Cooper] came up to me and was like, “Are you OK?” I was asking her, “What do you mean? I’m totally fine.” And she said they just got the news on Twitter and we saw your coach is leaving. And I was like, “Oh, no way!”
So I’m texting her. Everybody’s in the group chat, and I was like, “Did y’all hear about Coach Cullop?” In the next day or two, she sent the message out and she was calling us. It was just heartbreaking. You could hear the tears in her voice when she was telling us. But an opportunity came up, once in a lifetime. I’m excited for her. I’m ready to see what she’s going to do with the Miami Hurricanes.
First Published November 10, 2024, 12:50 p.m.
