BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Prairie View A&M former women's basketball standout Gaati Werema grew up in Miami, Fla., as a first generation American with her mother and siblings. Growing up in Miami with humble beginnings, Werema's family labored exponentially for everything they had and needed. Being one of eight siblings in the household while observing at an early age how unpredictable and sometimes unfair life could be, Werema was forced to mature quickly.
 
"My mother is Haitian but was raised in the Bahamas and my father was from rural Kenya," said Werema. "For me as a young girl, I could not fully comprehend a lot of what was transpiring in my life and community. There were a series of tragic events and high-pressured situations that happened that forced me to start to think about the future and how I could avoid becoming a product of my environment and instead live out the American dream that my ancestors worked to come to this country for me to achieve."
 
 Always being one of the tallest girls in the school, basketball came somewhat naturally for Werema.
 
"I started playing basketball because my brother played and he always had so much fun," said Werema. "My mom would enroll us into every sport and activity at the local city center Allen Park. My siblings and I were in dance, golf, football, and about any and everything else you could name. My mother being a traditionalist would make me wear dresses all the time, so I played basketball, climbed trees and did everything else in my dresses."
 
After having to repeat this trend for the most part of her youth, Werema embraced her mom's requirements while continuing to be herself. Things took a turning point for Werema in the fourth grade, after competing in and winning a basketball shootout contest at Fulford Elementary. After winning a Thanksgiving dinner for her family and being able to contribute to the household brought a different kind of motivation for Werema to play the game.      
 
"Following the Thanksgiving shootout, a guest speaker for an event at Allen Park center spoke to us youth about his basketball journey, how it took him all around the world, and how he was able to make a living playing the game," said Werema. "Riding off the energy of the hot shot competition, I went up to him and asked him, how did you get good at this game? He said that he improved by just carrying a ball everywhere and worked on his game a lot, so I remember going home and telling my mom that basketball was the sport I was going to focus on and I needed a ball immediately."
 
At the age of 11, Werema began focusing and channeling all her energy to basketball.
 
"Although I was extremely competitive in basketball, I 've always been an entrepreneur as well," said Werema. "I sold candy, chips, and stuff. Yes, I was that person. Playing basketball, selling candy and food was my elementary hustle and would be for years to come."
 
Entering John F. Kennedy Middle School, Werema met Coach Jerome Thomas who was the skills and strength & conditioning coach at a nearby high school that she was zoned to attend.
 
"Four of my teammates at the time and myself would meet at the local high school after school and workout with Coach Thomas who was fair but tough, so the work ethic and persistence that I carried throughout my playing career was birthed during this time," said Werema. "With Coach Thomas' "Coach Carter" style of coaching, he would make us warm-up for practice by running a lap around the school and put us through college style workouts before we touched a ball on the court."
 
"If we had any disciplinary issues from our parents or teachers Coach Thomas would start at 1000 crunches and add 500 plus depending on the infraction. If the issue were big enough, that player could see themselves not touching a ball for a week so they could finish their assigned tasks. Coach Thomas let us know early that we must be exceptional on the court but also at school and at home and that was not negotiable."
 
Werema had a hard time adjusting to the fact that she had leave all her friends behind in Miami to set off with her family for another adventure in Orlando her eighth-grade year. She found out that her name had been floating around the Florida area basketball scene and quickly became a hot commodity around town.
 
"In Orlando, I was surprised that all of the schools had gymnasiums," said Werema. "I thought we made it, but that was not the case though. In Miami, we were playing our official games outside on the asphalt, which is harsh on the knees but when you love the game and your young you don't give it a second thought."
 
"Short on funds, Coach Debra Pennick was the only coach who could convince my mom to allow me to play on her sponsored AAU team Girls Got Game," said Werema. "Coach Pennick showed me how to understand the X's and O's of the game, how to play the gaps and outsmart my opponents. My mother expressed that I gave myself to the game and the game took me from her because when I joined that AAU team at 13 years old, the traveling began and did not stop until the end of my professional career over 15 years later."
 
"I've always been a gym rat," said Werema. "I think basketball saved my life. It was my sanctuary, and my ball was my weapon, so the only places I found peace in life was in the gym and going to church."
 
After receiving her first interest letter from Seton Hall in New Jersey in the eighth grade Werema knew that things were about to change and change rapidly.
 
Aspired by the interest letter, Werema would walk to nearby Valencia Community College to put up shots whenever she had the free time.
 
"I remember going to the college one day to shoot around and a trainer by the name of Mr. Marvin Harvey sees me working out and watches for a bit," said Werema. "Afterwards he walks up to me and asked me was I supposed to be in there and if not, I had to leave because he was about to start his group training sessions."
 
Not knowing that their paths would once again cross Werema left the gym willingly.
 
"I go back to school and begin talking to my best friends, Filipino Twins Raizza & Roanna Borja about how I got kicked out the gym at the community college by this trainer and found out that their entire AAU team was being trained by Mr. Harvey," said Werema. "Turns out that Marvin was a world-renowned trainer and worked with players in the NBA, WNBA, international teams and anyone who was serious about taking their game to the next level."
 
"I begged the twins to convince Marvin to let her come and join their training session, he hesitantly agreed but after seeing her love for the game and desire to be great he took her on as a client. Marvin became the link to my meeting Coach Cynthia Cooper. Marvin Harvey made me a sharpshooter, his training style fostered my basketball IQ and enabled me to understand how to self-correct my mechanical issues whenever my game felt off."
 
In high school, Werema won numerous accolades and awards, being ranked top 10 in the state of Florida. After winning numerous tournaments and most valuable player awards, Werema was named Miss Basketball of Florida in her division after capturing the Florida High School Athletic Association girls basketball state championship title, while also winning MVP for the season averaging 15 points and 15 rebounds per contest during that season.
 
Werema still trained alongside Mr. Harvey during this time and assisting with training other players as payment for her own training sessions. Werema became heavily recruited by several prestigious universities such as Maryland, who had just come off a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) National Championship, the University of Miami, Syracuse, TCU, Ole Miss and Prairie View A&M University.
 
With her family's support and Coach Cooper's persistence, Werema chose to go to Texas and play at PVAMU. As a part of Coach Cooper's first complete recruiting class, Werema took a chance seeing the vision and the opportunity to potentially make history.
 
"I was a McDonald's All-America finalist at this time," said Werema. "But when I chose Prairie View A&M over those other institutions all of that went away so I knew I had to make a name for myself and leave my mark wherever I went."
 
Immediately making an impact, Werema was named the Southwestern Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year, averaging 14.4 points per game and 9.9 rebounds per contest. She also led her team to its first ever SWAC Championship as they were crowned Co-Champions during the regular season with Jackson State University. Werema was also named to the All-Conference First Team during that 2006-07 season.
 
Werema was named Preseason Player of the Year going into her sophomore season, but the hypes of that was short lived after suffering a knee injury in the semi-final game at SWAC tournament in Birmingham, Alabama. After being named to the All-SWAC First Team Werema knew that she had to come back stronger after watching her team fall short to JSU in the championship game that season.
 
"My teammate Candice Thomas was named Player of the Year that season," said Werema. "She was also my roommate. I think that she was one of the best guards to ever come through this league. We were very competitive and wanted to see which one would be named Player of the Year that following season. Friendly competitiveness."
 
Making changes to her game her junior season, Werema led her team to a third consecutive regular season SWAC title and another berth at an NCAA Championship after winning her second conference championship in three seasons. The six foot center averaged 12.1 points per contest and 7.7 rebounds per game while taking home the HSRN National Player of the Year award, SWAC Tournament MVP award, SWAC Player of the Year award, while also being named to the All-Conference First Team.
 
During her career at PVAMU, Werema averaged 13.2 points per game, 8.4 rebounds per game, and 0.95 blocks per game, while managing to grab over 900 rebounds.
 
Werema ended her collegiate career prematurely 16 games into her senior season, after suffering another major knee injury.
 
After college, Werema went on to play professionally overseas in several different countries and won three Tournament Championships, two International Championships, a Cup Championship, an MVP award for Sportu club in Bucharest Romania, and was named the Best Shooter and scorer for Al-Riydi in Beirut Lebanon.
 
Returning to the states, Werema has served as a color analyst, sideline reporter, and TV analyst for the SWAC and her Alma Mater. After her professional playing career ended, she went on to receive her master's degree in Community Development from the school of Architecture and holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration and Finance from PVAMU.
 
As a result of her passion for sports, business, and community development Werema founded Ladies of The Game with her childhood friends Roanna and Raizza Borja. Ladies of The Game is a company that focuses on the multi-faceted development of female athletes and veterans.
 
"We offer a number of training programs from tips and keys in athletic skill development, health and wellness, to developing life skills such as improving communication, how to negotiate contracts, conflict management, how to deal with and overcome injuries and much more," said Werema. "At Ladies of the Game we aim to provide a supportive network for women in sports to assist in navigating this volatile industry, in addition to the desire to develop and strength each person who works with us to bring the best out in them so they can in turn go to their communities and make an impact there."
 
"Ladies of the Game has a philanthropy branch that works with and supports several initiatives in Haiti and in Kenya. We are working to bring to water wells to areas to towns we've been working in, we also support an orphanage in Kenya owned by my cousin Moses and will be starting a sports academy at the orphanage in 2021 and we hope to receive support to renovate the school that is located next to a landfill, we also are assisting farmers."
 
"I sent two cows to my family last year," said Werema. "What this does is help with the field labor and increase the harvest by almost double in turn increasing to the bottom line contributing to their economic development making these families less dependable on outside resources." 
 
Werema still aspires daily to continue to leave her mark throughout all her endeavors.
 
"I am so pleased to have had the support of my University and the SWAC over the years," said Werema. "My decision to attend PVAMU turned out to be one of the best in my life and has shaped much of who I am today. I share my experience of my illustrious HBCU everywhere I go because it is important to tell the stories, especially in your own neighborhoods. I feel the University and the conference are the gifts that keep on giving and I am honored and feel blessed for all that has happened and what is yet to come."