In the early evening on Nov. 22, Brittney Whiteman sat on the bench and listened as Adams State University’s head women’s basketball coach Larry Joe Hunt shouted instructions.
Then, the 28-year-old shooting guard from Towaoc, Colo., entered the game and drilled two three-point field goals, much to the delight of a home crowd that had come to watch the Grizzlies play the No. 1 ranked Div. II team in the nation.
While the majority of the cheering fans didn’t realize it at the time, Whiteman’s points were her first on a college court since the 2007-08 season. Just as significant however, was the fact that the shooting guard’s baskets represented another memorable moment in a journey more than two decades ago.
Humble beginnings
Growing on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation in Towaoc, Whiteman, like so many other girls in her shoes, was exposed to basketball at an early age.
The product of a basketball-crazy family, Whiteman became a fixture at the Towaoc Recreation Center as soon as she could walk. She also looked on from the stands at numerous tournaments throughout the Four Corners area and beyond.
“I’ve been playing basketball ever since I could walk,” said Whiteman. “I grew up around basketball, and my parents went to tournaments all the time. They made sure that I always had a basketball in my hand.”
Extremely talented at an early age, Whiteman began her formal playing career at Cortez Middle School in 1998 and immediately made an impact on the Jaguars team. Thanks in large part to Whiteman’s deft ball handling, the CMS girls won league titles in 1999 and 2000.
Whiteman arrived at M-CHS in the fall of 2001 and immediately made an impact, starting on the Panthers varsity team for four straight years and leading M-CHS to the Sweet 16 at the Class 4A state tournament in 2005.
While a student-athlete at M-CHS, Whiteman was a two-time first-team all-conference selection in track, a two-team first-team all-conference selection in basketball and a second-team all-state selection in basketball. She also broke 10 school records in basketball, which continue to stand to this day.
“Being from Towaoc and accomplishing everything that I did was special,” said Whiteman. “There were times that my parents wanted me to go to school in Kirtland, but I would always tell them that I wanted to stay in Cortez because I wanted to make a difference.”
College courts
Intent on playing basketball at the next level and wanting to stay close to home, Whiteman signed with Fort Lewis College prior to her graduation from high school in 2005. Foot problems temporarily derailed the talented freshman however, and she was forced to redshirt her first college season.
Then, in 2006, Whiteman decided that she needed a change.
“I liked the (Fort Lewis College) program, but I wanted a different experience,” she said. “I was really close to home, and I wanted to grow as a basketball player. I had always heard that junior colleges had some of the best athletes, so I decided to transfer.”
After eventually deciding on Colorado Northwestern Community College, Whiteman excelled for two straight seasons. As a sophomore, she led her team in three-point field goals made and free throws made.
Whiteman then transferred to Colorado Mesa University prior to the 2007-08 season and appeared in every Mavericks game that year.
“I played against some really good talent,” said Whiteman. “Playing at Mesa was a different experience because I played for a female coach. It was a good experience though.”
Changing priorities
Soon after completing her junior season at Colorado Mesa, Whiteman moved back to Cortez and began working at the Ute Mountain Casino in the graphic design department.
She was then promoted to Graphic Design and Advertising Coordinator and decided not to return to Colorado Mesa for her senior season.
During the next four years, Whiteman immersed herself in the gaming industry and put basketball on the back burner. She returned to the court during the summer of 2013 however, and soon began coaching a local AAU team.
She was then hired as an assistant girls basketball coach prior to the 2013 season and soon began playing more often.
“After I started coaching and playing a lot more, a lot of people would tell me that I was good enough to still play,” said Whiteman. “I started getting in shape and I was running a lot more. I had always wanted to play out my last year of eligibility, so I started looking into it.”
A return to the court
After talking to college coaches, Whiteman visited Adams State University for a tryout and after she performed well, she was offered a position on the team.
Although Whiteman’s playing time has been somewhat limited this season due, in part, to a foot injury, she said that she has enjoyed the college experience. She is currently double majoring in marketing and finance and will complete her degree next year.
“I love the support that the community gives to the team,” said Whiteman. “I’ve always been a student athlete and I really don’t know how it would be to go to school and not play.”
As for her future, Whiteman said that she has been offered an assistant coaching position at Adams State next season and would like to eventually coach college basketball.
If a long-term coaching career does not work out, Whiteman said that she would pursue a career in a field related to Indian gaming.
Asked what advice she would give to young people who might want to follow in her footsteps, Whiteman said that it is critical to do what you love.
“You have to find something that drives you,” said the M-CHS alum. “I’ve always wanted to be the best that I can be at things. Regardless of where you come from or what race you are, you can do it.”
