The world of basketball has fond memories of Rodzilla. Dennis Rodman’s physical prowess still stands as an example of a good defense on the court. So fans tend to look for “the next Dennis Rodman.” Recently, a female version of Rodman has been making waves in Nottingham.

Jakia Howard, a 5 ft 7 ball player for the Nottingham girls basketball team is being dubbed as a female replica of the Chicago Bulls legend. Despite her size, Howard has been able to establish herself as a formidable force in the paint. Recently, her coach Randy Wright talked about her game, unveiling what separates her from the rest of the lot.

What makes Jakia Howard the female Dennis Rodman?

Howard’s coach was shocked by her movement in the paint. Coach Wright initially wanted to put her on the wing where a player of her size would be more effective for the team. However, he soon realized that Howard was not like other 5’7 athletes as she was driving defenders and grabbing rebounds over players much taller than her.

This made Wright re-evaluate her position on the team and since then she has been contributing immensely to the team. Potsman women’s basketball coach Brittany Cohen said, “She’s probably the most athletic kid I’ve ever seen”.

It is not just Howard’s rebounding that is never seen before, but her physical abilities as an athlete surpass those around her. During practice sessions at Nottingham, Coach Wright proposed something for the players. He said that during drills if they manage to stay within five feet of Howard, they can be excused from the drill.

To everyone’s surprise, this has been impossible for others to match. Despite being just 5’2, Howard has been adding 10-15 rebounds per game to her tally, while competing against those who are over 6 feet. There is surely something very about the Nottingham youngster.

However, she is unaware of how she has been able to perform magic on the court. She said, “Honestly I have no clue. I think of that myself half the time. I didn’t think I could jump as high as other people, especially people who are already taller than I am. I’m determined to get the ball. I want the ball, I’m going to get the ball. That’s my mentality.”

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Howard has been shocking herself with what she is able to accomplish on the court. However, the coaches can see traces of the Bulls legend in the youngster. Cohen said, “You could honestly equate her to Dennis Rodman. She just has this knack of knowing where the ball is going to be. It’s this innate ability. I don’t know how she does it”.

Although Howard is unknown to her own genius, having a youngster like her take a step toward the big leagues, the future sure seems bright with upcoming athletes like her.

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