Copyright Augusta Free Press
At a lithe 5-foot-7, Richmond-area basketball product Jada Walker is making sure she does not get pushed around in her first season as a pro point guard in central Europe. “Definitely the physicality,” said Henrico High alum Walker, when asked to name the biggest change on the court in Hungary. “I am adjusting to it. At first it was like, why is this (possible foul) allowed? I have to execute the game plan that the coach wants me to do. They don’t stop the games as much” with foul calls when compared to the NCAA. Walker is sitting in a coffee shop one recent afternoon at the West End Mall in Budapest, the day after her Csata DSE club lost 67-62 to Miskolc despite a season-high 21 points and five assists from the former Virginia resident. She averaged 16.8 points and 5.0 assists per contest in her first five pro games in Hungary. Last season as a senior, she averaged 11.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.6 steals per game while gaining All-Big 12 honorable mention honors at Baylor. After obtaining undergraduate and graduate degrees from Baylor, she is now in one of the top leagues in central Europe. Walker was one of the top point guards in the Mid-Atlantic region as a high school standout at Henrico. She was recruited by former Virginia Tech coach and Waynesboro High graduate Kenny Brooks and made official visits to other state schools such as Virginia and VCU. The Cavaliers were in the mix for her services among other finalists, but in the end, she decided to attend Kentucky – three years before Brooks left the Hokies to coach the Wildcats. After two seasons at Kentucky, Walker transferred to Baylor in Texas. “It was hard. I had Virginia in my mind (with the Cavs), but Kentucky was not too far from home,” Walker said of her college choice out of high school. The Hungarian women’s league has attracted top American players, some with an WNBA pedigree, for years. Getting to the WNBA is a goal of Walker. “I know the WNBA is a hard league for women to get into,” Walker said. “I am optimistic. There is more money over here. I am keeping my options open. I am not putting all of my eggs in one basket. I get to travel the world and go to places I have never been to. That is a blessing.” Walker comes from a basketball family. Her mother, AnnMarie Gilbert, has coached at the college level for nearly 30 years, with stops at Michigan State, Eastern Michigan, Virginia Union, Detroit and Winthrop. She was the head coach at Virginia Union from 2015-2020 and compiled a record of 135-18 and helped produce four different players of the year and one National Player of the Year at the Division II level. Gilbert was the CIAA Coach of the Year three times and the HBCU Coach of the Year once. As a player, she starred in college at Oberlin of Ohio and is in that school’s athletic Hall of Fame. She was also Ohio’s Miss Basketball at Elyria (near Cleveland) while in high school. She recently joined the coaching staff at Central Florida in Orlando as an assistant after spending three seasons as the associate head coach at Winthrop. Walker’s father, Jon, has worked as a basketball trainer, and her brother, Jaden, plays basketball at Florida State College. Walker is no stranger to hoops in Europe. After attending Highland Springs for one year, she transferred to New Hope Academy in Landover Hills, Maryland. One of her teammates there was from Lithuania, and the team made a visit to the Baltic country, where hoops is more popular than soccer – a rarity for a country in Europe. While at Baylor, she was with the team on a trip to Italy and Greece to play local clubs and see notable tourist spots. With her Budapest club, Walker is provided with an apartment, public transportation passes and a meal allowance. The other American on her team is Zada Williams, who played at the University of Florida. The path to the pros began at Highland Springs High, where she averaged 19.3 points and six assists per contest – as a freshman. While at Henrico, Walker was ranked by ESPN.com as the 18th best point guard in the country in the class of 2021. “Confident game manager that executes in half-court game; left-handed playmaker knocks down jumpers with range to the arc; elusive off the dribble, penetrates and finds a way to the rim, takes contact and finishes plays, gets to the stripe; brings consistency, toughness to the back court; clock manager, basketball IQ,” noted ESPN.com at the time. She helped Henrico to a region title and a trip to the state tournament in 2020 while also a part of the National Honor Society as an honor roll student. Born in Cleveland, she studied sports management among other disciplines at Baylor. She had 28 points against Virginia Tech in 2024 in the NCAA Tournament to help Baylor reach the Sweet 16. “I am so very proud of Jada and what she has accomplished so far in her career,” her mother wrote to AFP. “We are very excited that she has begun her career in a top league in Europe. Her goal is to lead her team first and then to make it back to play in the WNBA. The advice we as parents gave her is to stay in the best shape, learn the style of play so she can flourish in it, be a consistent leader for her team and coaches, and to enjoy the experience! Jada is super competitive. She is naturally a leader and a very hard worker with elite speed so we know she can excel in any league and at any level.” Notes
