© Press release
The BC Nokia Korisliiga team has secured their first foreign reinforcement as a backfielder starting their fifth professional season Wes Washpun, 27, has signed a player agreement with Näätie.
Washpun played the Latvian endurance winners of the previous season 2019/20 in BK Ventspils, where in addition to the Latvia-Estonia league, he played in the Champions League qualifiers and the Europe Cup. All three leagues plus his average in Ventspils were 9.9 points, 2.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists per match.
Washpun, the head coach of Ventspils, arrives in Nokia Artūrs Visockis-Rubenisin with great recommendations.
– Wes able to make points. He’s downright an excellent shooter from the middle, and ok from a third. Above all, he is proud of his defense. If you think of our backyard with Wes, Lassi (Nikkarinen) and Antero (Lehto), so we have three players for whom defense is important, the head coach Greg Gibson commented in a Nokia press release.
Washpun’s professional career kicked off in the 2016/17 season at the German Bundesliga Riesen in Ludwigsburg, where he also collected his first stimuli in the Champions League. From Germany, in the middle of the season, he moved to his home communities in the NBA G League Iowa Energy (now Wolves), where he played a total of 77 games over two seasons with averages of 6.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists.
In the 2018/19 season, Washpun played for the London City Royals, where he was helping the team to the English Main Series finals with averages of 16.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists.
Washpun began his college career at the University of Tennessee, from where he transferred to the University of Northern Iowa after his income. Washpun’s university achievements include e.g. Missouri Valley Conference Final Tournament Most Valuable Player Award (2016) and Sixth Player Award (2015).
In addition to Washpun, Näädi has player agreements with Matias Ojala, Lauri Toivonen, Antero Lehto, Michael Besselink, Lassi Nikkarinen, Antti Ahonen and Hugo Boman. Greg Gibson will continue as head coach, assisted by coach Tero Vasell and physiotherapist Tommi Tatti.