LAKIN ROLAND
Dartmouth Big Green Official Article
HANOVER, N.H. – Dartmouth women’s basketball forward Lakin Roland capped off an incredible career in Hanover by leading her team to its best finish since 2009. Now Roland is preparing for a career in basketball and was recently invited to attend the 2016 WNBA Professional Combine in her home state.
An hour and 48 minutes away from her home town of Jeffersonville, Indiana, Roland traveled to Indianapolis where she had the opportunity to work out in front of various WNBA coaches and representatives. After performing well on Saturday, Roland was invited to participate in the All-Star Showcase on Sunday to wrap up the three-day combine which coincided with the 2016 Final Four.
“I loved the different drills and playing with the top talent in our game,” Roland said. “It was fun getting into a rhythm with my team and going on runs, making nice plays and putting on a show. It’s easy to play well when you are surrounded by great players.”
Lakin Roland did not make the trip to the combine alone, as the Big Green coaching staff joined her to see her perform drills, tests and skill competitions live in Indiana.
“Lakin Roland played very well at the combine in Indy,” head coach Belle Koclanes said. “She was clearly prepared to compete and demonstrated her versatility as a player by scoring inside-out, rebounding, making great passing decisions and running the floor hard consistently. From challenging drills involving ball handling, footwork, defensive breakdowns and offensive attacks to the games themselves, Lakin confidently held her own and added great value to her team.”
Roland ended her senior year by rising to No. 10 on the all-time career points list (1,235) and No. 8 on the all-time career rebounds list (725). She also became the 16th player in school history to score 1,000 career points.
The WNBA draft will take place tonight at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. ESPN2 will provide live coverage of the opening round at 7 p.m. while ESPNU will carry the second and third rounds.
“The opportunity to compete against high-level players helped my confidence and mindset going into professional basketball,” Roland said. “Being invited is one thing, but being able to hold your own is another, and I’m pretty happy with the way I came out of it. So I’ll take that confidence and experience to whatever level I’m able to.”