Mshilla looks to take women’s basketball a notch higher

“This is beyond a coaching clinic. It’s planting seeds that will grow into opportunities for women and girls in sport,” she said.

by CHARLENE MALWA

Sports07 October 2025 - 08:49

In Summary

Mshila described the feeling as both humbling and empowering.
Thunder have broken barriers on the court with unbeaten back-to-back national titles and a historic Basketball Africa League qualification.

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Nairobi City Thunder assistant coach Rose Mshilla sees her nomination to the 2025 espnW Global Sports Mentoring Programme as a chance to sow seeds that will uplift women and girls in the sport.

Mshila described the feeling as both humbling and empowering. “This is beyond a coaching clinic. It’s planting seeds that will grow into opportunities for women and girls in sport,” she said.

She said, “I carry the values of Thunder with me, because what we do at Thunder has always been about discipline, belief and giving young players confidence. Now I get to show that spirit on a global stage.”

She admitted that the programme would stretch her vision and bring benefits back home.

“Five weeks of learning from world leaders will not only sharpen my vision as a coach but also allow me to design plans that empower girls across Kenya, because this is how we change the story of our game.”

Mshila believes the opportunity is a chance to open doors for others. “If one woman can take this step, then more will follow, and that’s how we build a future where leadership in basketball is not defined by gender but by talent and commitment,” she said.

Thunder hailed Mshila's move as a milestone not only for her career but for the club’s identity as trailblazers in Kenyan basketball, proving that their influence now stretches beyond the court into shaping leadership and opportunity.

Thunder have broken barriers on the court with unbeaten back-to-back national titles and a historic Basketball Africa League qualification.

Founded in 1998 as NSSF Stars before rebranding in 2010, Thunder have risen from modest beginnings to dominate the Kenya Basketball Federation league, winning the 2000 championship, and returning to the finals in 2019.

In recent years, they have established themselves as the country’s standard bearers by clinching back-to-back crowns in 2024 and 2025, including an unbeaten campaign and a sweep over KPA in the finals.

On the continental stage, they became the first Kenyan side to reach the BAL after edging Uganda’s City Oilers 72-62 and later made history again by recording Kenya’s first BAL victory over South Africa’s MBB.