Redshirt freshman NaShara McNeill-Watlington joins the Fayetteville State women's basketball program as a versatile student-athlete with a proven record of success in multiple sports. A native of Erwin, North Carolina, McNeill-Watlington excelled in basketball, cross country, and track & field at Triton High School, demonstrating her competitiveness and leadership both on and off the court.
During her high school career, McNeill-Watlington earned Southern Pines Conference Player of the Year honors, was a four-time Most Valuable Player, received Academic All-Conference recognition, and was named Best Middle Distance Runner and Most Valuable Runner in cross country. She also reached the prestigious milestone of scoring 1,000 career points, a moment she considers one of the most memorable achievements of her athletic career.
At Fayetteville State, McNeill-Watlington is pursuing a degree in Political Science and has aspirations of one day working in Congress while becoming fluent in multiple languages. She chose FSU because it provided an affordable opportunity to continue her basketball career while pursuing her educational goals.
McNeill-Watlington values the support she receives from the Bronco family, particularly from Coach Reese, whose commitment to student-athlete development has made a lasting impact. She credits her father as her greatest athletic influence and source of motivation, often speaking with him before games to help prepare mentally for competition.
Away from basketball, she enjoys reading, braiding hair, and learning Spanish. Her passion for leadership is evident through her involvement in National 4-H and her experience serving as a captain for every sports team on which she competed in high school. She also remains committed to community engagement by working with others to develop ideas and initiatives that improve her local community.
Despite facing the challenge of being overlooked during portions of her high school career, McNeill-Watlington has used adversity as motivation and continues to embrace opportunities for growth at Fayetteville State.
Why Fayetteville State: "It was the best opportunity to continue playing basketball while pursuing my education."
What Makes FSU Special: "Coach Reese really shows that he cares about all of us."
Major: Political Science
Career Goal: Work in Congress and become multilingual
Biggest Athletic Influence: Her father
Pregame Routine: Prayer and listening to music
Most Memorable Athletic Moment: Scoring 1,000 career points in high school
Leadership Roles: Team captain throughout high school; National 4-H participant
Hobbies: Reading, braiding hair, and learning Spanish
Advice to Young Athletes: "Never give up something you love."
Instagram: @nasharaa
Twitter/X: @mcneill_nashara5
