Dalton Walker
ICT
The Balkans in southeastern Europe is quickly becoming a second home for Navajo basketball player Analyss Benally.
First it was a professional contract in Romania, then Albania and now Kosovo for the 25-year-old.
Benally grew up in Shiprock, New Mexico, on the Navajo Nation and spent her high school years in Kansas before taking her basketball talents to San Jose State University in California.
Now, she’s set for her third year as a professional basketball player overseas. Benally starts preseason in September and the regular season will likely stretch into late March or early April.
“I do know a little bit about the team, a little about the coach, nothing too crazy,” Benally told ICT in a recent Zoom interview from Farmington, New Mexico. “But as long as I’m improving in my stats and making sure I’m comfortable and have some team chemistry, then I should be just fine.”
SUPPORT INDIGENOUS JOURNALISM. CONTRIBUTE TODAY.
Benally is another example of Native basketball talent relocating to far-away countries to keep their basketball dream alive. Jude Schimmel played professionally in Spain briefly in 2017. The Umatilla basketball star played college basketball at the University of Louisville.
Lakota Beatty, Caddo Nation, is playing professional basketball in the Netherlands. She played college ball for Oral Roberts University.
Brad Greene, Kamaka Hepa, Jaden Stanley-Williams signed professional contracts to play basketball in Europe.
Greene, Lone Pine Paiute-Shoshone, signed with the Bristol Flyers in England. Greene has played professionally in Germany and Austria. Greene said the move to England “definitely feels like a step up in my career,” according to the Flyers announcement.
Hepa is headed to Poland after finishing up his college basketball career at the University of Hawai’i. Hepa, Inupuaq and Native Hawaiian, signed with Enea Zastal BC Zielona Góra, according to NDN Sports. Stanley-Williams, Chippewa Cree Tribe, signed with Galitos Aveiro of the Portuguese Proliga. He most recently starred for Moorhead State University in Minnesota.
Former Oklahoma State University basketball star Lindy Waters is one exception. Waters, Cherokee and Kiowa, re-signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder on a two-way contract. The contract essentially means Waters can suit up for the Thunder or play for its development league team. It also means he doesn’t have to go far from home to play pro basketball.
This isn’t the case for Benally. At least not yet.
Benally signed a one-year contract with KB Bashkimi Prizren in the Kosovo Superliga. She played 27 games for the Romania-Liga Nationala team in 2021-22 and 22 games for Albania-Superliga last season, where she averaged 16 points, nearly 5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.
After college, Benally worked with a trainer who connected her to an agency that helped land her first contract in Romania. She hasn’t looked back since.
Benally said she adjusted quickly to the European game style. One adjustment was its physicality, she said. She said she enjoys the game atmosphere and many fans support the teams.
Playing professional basketball isn’t all about the game. Benally is always working to improve. Most days consist of two workouts, one in the morning and another in the evening.
“Romania taught me how to time manage my whole day when I do double days,” she said.
Benally describes her playing style as shooting based. She’s known for her 3-point shot and is improving on her mid-range shooting game.
In Albania, the language barrier wasn’t a huge problem, she said. Her teammates spoke English but the coach didn’t.
“Which was a little tricky, so one of the girls, our captain, was always translating for us,” Benally said. “Once you kind of get a hang of, like, just a few words, then you kind of know what (coach) is saying. It wasn’t too bad at all and I assume I’m not going to have any language barrier in Kosovo.”
In Kosovo, Benally will be 8 hours ahead of her family back in New Mexico. Her family and friends are key to her basketball success, she said. Her dad is one of her biggest fans and has filmed her games since she was a youth.
“I have a really strong support system and community.”
When the offseason begins, Benally doesn’t stop working to get better. Each of the last two summers, she came back home to train.
A passion of hers is giving back to her community. This past summer she teamed up with the nonprofit organization Rise Above again to provide free athletic camps for Native youth.
Benally also had a chance to act when she was back home. She spent a few days on the set of Netflix’s “Rez Ball,” which had been filming in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The film follows a Navajo basketball team, so Benally felt right at home among the boys.
“I asked if I could be an extra and they actually gave me a bigger role than expected. I have a few lines,” Benally said.
“The one thing that stood out to me is that the actors can play. It’ll be a good film and I’m excited to see it,” she added.
Benally said she’ll watch the film one day, but for now it’s all business once she lands in Kosovo. Still, she does enjoy all the travel.
“I love traveling and the aspect of that. It’s probably one of my favorite parts besides playing.”
Like this story? Support our work with a $5 or $10 contribution today. Contribute to the nonprofit ICT. Sign up for ICT’s free newsletter.