Senior Women Rise 20 Spots in FIBA World Rankings

Advertisement

GLOBAL – The Bahamas senior women’s national basketball team has made a major jump in the latest FIBA world rankings.

The Bahamas climbed 20 spots to number 67 in the world, with 97.8 ranking points, according to the latest update released September 14th.

The rise also has The Bahamas ranked 15th among teams in the Americas, making the country one of the biggest movers in the latest global rankings.

FIBA’s new women’s ranking system places greater emphasis on recent results, with teams earning points for every game they play, and additional bonus points available for wins and performance in later stages of competitions.

The Bahamas’ 20-place jump comes as the program continues to build its international profile and develop its senior women’s national team led by Lashann Higgs and Valerie Nesbitt in recent tournaments.

Albury Makes Immediate Impact in Pro Debut

Deyton Albury has wasted no time making his mark in professional basketball.

The Bahamian guard opened his professional career with Fribourg Olympic Basket in Switzerland, putting up 22 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists against BC Batumi in the FIBA Basketball Champions League Qualifiers.

Albury shot 8-for-14 from the field and 1-for-3 from three-point range, but Fribourg came up just short, falling 86–85 to the Georgian Club.

The 24-year-old is now beginning the next chapter of a collegiate journey that took him from Chipola College to Queens University, Utah State and finally New Mexico.

At Queens, Albury averaged 17 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game and earned Atlantic Sun Newcomer of the Year honors.

After a season at Utah State, he finished his college career at New Mexico, where he averaged 11.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and three assists while shooting 51.7% from the field.

Now, Albury will take that experience into the Swiss SB league with Fribourg Olympic, while also getting the opportunity to compete on the European stage.

So, if his professional debut is any indication, the Bahamian guard is already ready for the next level.

Bahamian Stars Ready for Athlos London Showdown

Two of the Bahamas’ biggest track and field stars will be on the start line Friday in London, as Devynne Charlton and Shaunae Miller-Iibo compete at Athlos.

Charlton will open the Bahamian showing in the women’s 100-meter hurdles, with the race scheduled for 7:08 PM London time, or 2:08 Friday afternoon in The Bahamas.

Miller-Uibo will then take on the women’s 200 meters, with that race set for 9:11 PM In London, or 4:11 here at home.

Athlos is different from a traditional track meet, with an all-women’s field, a condensed entertainment-focused format, and only six athletes in each elite event.

Also, the money is significant, with each event paying $65,000 to the winner, $35,000 for second and $20,000 for third, as part of more than $2.1 million in prize money across the 2026 Athlos Season.

Higgs Left His Mark as Athlete and Coach

The Bahamian athletics community is mourning the loss of Khyle Higgs, who died at the age of 31, leaving behind a legacy as both a successful thrower and a coach who helped develop the next generation of Bahamian athletes.

Higgs built an impressive resume as a competitor, specializing in the discus, shot put and hammer throw.

One of his biggest international achievements came in 2014, when he won gold in the men’s under-20 discus at the Central American and Caribbean Junior Championships in Mexico with a throw of 56.64 metres.

He also set multiple Bahamian junior records during that period, including a 52.10-metre discus throw and a 15.54-metre shot put throw while representing the College of The Bahamas.

Higgs later continued his development at Queens University of Charlotte, where he became a decorated collegiate thrower.

In 2016, he won the South Atlantic Conference discus title, added a silver medal in the hammer and a bronze in the shot put, and was named the conference’s field athlete of the year.

However, Higgs’ contribution to Bahamian athletics eventually moved beyond his own performance.

He became involved in the development of throwers at both the junior and senior levels, including his work with athletes at the University of The Bahamas.

Higgs also served on multiple national team coaching staffs, including at the CARIFTA Games and Central American and Caribbean Games.

His CARIFTA involvement spanned multiple teams, with Higgs serving in a throws coaching role as he helped prepare Bahamian throwers for international competition.

In 2025, Higgs was named the throws coach on The Bahamas CARIFTA team, an appointment he described as a full-circle moment after first representing the country as an athlete.

He was also part of the national team coaching staff for the CAC Games, adding another major international assignment to his coaching resume.

For Higgs, the transition from athlete to coach allowed him to pass on the knowledge and experience he had gained through his own career.

His legacy, then, is not only measured by the medals he won or the distances he threw, but by the athletes he helped develop and the knowledge he passed on to the next generation.