Troy University Athletics
Johnson’s Journal – Troy's Pipeline to the Pros Runs Across the Globe
8/11/2026 9:42:00 AM | Basketball (W)
TROY, Ala. – The pipeline from Troy women's basketball to professional careers overseas is a win-win situation, as head coach Chanda Rigby sees it.
Entering her 15th season at Troy, Rigby has developed 18 players who have gone on to play professionally after finishing their college careers with the Trojans.
In turn, Rigby has gained strong ties throughout the world, often recruiting players from abroad to join the Troy basketball program. It also helps catch the attention of players throughout the United States whose sights are set on future professional careers.
"Recruiting-wise, we use this a lot," Rigby said. "I don't have a statistic on this, but we have one of the highest percentages of players who go pro. We've got to be in the top of the mid-majors (conferences).
"We're a little bit known for that in the girls basketball world — that a lot of our players go play (overseas), they have longevity and earn great contracts.
"It's part of our selling tool to come to Troy. It doesn't just happen by chance. You've got to have relationships with agents.
"Players can't talk to agents until their eligibility is out, so our coaches make highlight films for them. Word gets out about my players that the coaches at Troy really help them get to the next level. It really helps attract serious players to us."
Setting the Example
Ashley Beverly Kelley was the first of Rigby's players at Troy to sign a professional contract and is entering her 11th season playing internationally.
The former All-Sun Belt Conference point guard and 2025 inductee into the Troy University Sports Hall of Fame has had stints with teams in Israel, France and, most recently, Russia, where she will be playing this season for a fifth straight year.
"She should probably write a resource guide, or a book, because there's nothing out there to tell these young women how to navigate that," Rigby said of playing overseas. "It's such a big world and the leagues are so different. We try to lean on our former players to help our current players who are trying to get contracts."
Each year, Kelley is among former Troy players who get on a Zoom call with current Trojans to share advice about playing overseas. Most of those teams are limited to two Americans per club.
"In America, we focus on one-on-one and you have to play a lot of games," Kelley said of the college basketball grind. "When you play overseas, they only play like one game a week and all the rest of the days they are doing training. The fundamental part of it is way different than America.
"Also, I let them know that whenever you go over there, try their food; try to speak their language, because they take that as respect that you are trying. It makes your stay being there so much easier."
Kelley, a 2016 graduate, was known for her tremendous work ethic, which has carried over to the professional ranks.
"Physically, I've always been very active from a young age," Kelley said. "Even at Troy, Coach Rigby would tell me I had to get out of the gym or I was going to get in trouble (for overworking her body). I like staying active and fit. I don't know, I guess I'm just a busybody and really love basketball."
Besides playing professionally, Kelley and her husband, Aaron Allen, teach basketball to youths both overseas and in the U.S. through their LovHandlez Basketball Training, which is based in Samson.
Kelley, a graduate of Minor High School near Birmingham, and Allen, a graduate of Samson High who played junior college basketball at Bevill State, met during Kelley's freshman year at Troy.
They have a 5-year-old daughter, Aarsley Lov, and make their home wherever Kelley is playing during the pro season, which stretches from September until May. Having her family with her provides support and motivation.
"You do this for your family to provide and make sure your daughter has what she needs, because she's growing," Kelley said. "It's (Russia) one of the top leagues besides the WNBA, of course. They pay really good money. A lot of the big-time players come from over there.
"Whenever you play, of course you want to play at the highest level. I like the competitive nature they have over there, and the style of play. It's very physical, and I'm used to that."
Whenever she decides to retire from professional basketball, Kelley would be interested in coaching at the college level.
"I've talked to Coach Rigby about that I would eventually love to be able to coach at Troy University alongside her," Kelley said.
Still Benefiting from Experiences
Caitlyn Ramirez was a talented forward at Troy who graduated following the 2016-17 season and then played two years overseas — one in Spain and one in Israel.
Now a state trooper in Alabama, Ramirez said the experiences are proving beneficial in her current work environment.
"I really do think as much as everybody just thinks you went overseas to just play basketball, it was a lot more than that," Ramirez said. "We had to get involved with the community; we had to interact with people.
"You have to learn people-skills, let alone I'm having to interact with people who don't speak the same language as me. Just the diversity you come across really did help, because I come across diversity obviously in the work field that I'm in. It's just learning how to talk to people, and interact with people, and just communicate better."
Playing in front of large, enthusiastic crowds during her professional career remains vivid to Ramirez.
"No disrespect to the Trojan fans whatsoever, but the fans overseas are on a whole different level," Ramirez said. "They bring in their own drums; they bring in their horns … it's so energizing while playing.
"Certain clubs have younger teams — 18-under, 10-under, 8-under — so it's not just the Division I league you're playing in. You're basically playing for an entire community, you know? So everybody is going to show up.
"It's very fulfilling playing for fans like that, even though you can't really understand what they're saying or what they're telling you, but it is so much fun."
While Ramirez enjoyed her time overseas, it wore on her body.
"Since seventh and eighth grade, I had struggled with knee injuries … more so because of growing spurts," Ramirez said. "Then when you do play overseas, people don't realize, but not every court you play on is a wooden floor. We played on tile floors; we played on concrete floors.
"Like in Israel, we had to play our games in a high school gym. My body took a lot of wear and tear throughout the entirety."
Ramirez eventually decided it was best to step away from the sport when injuries prevented her from being 100 percent.
"In Israel towards the end of the season, I did have an injury that I was trying to fix," she said. "As an American, you're over there and they're spending money on you … they just have expectations.
"I was still young and wanted to be able to run around 30 years from now, so it was a decision that was just better for the long run."
Just Getting Started
Tai'Sheka Porchia is the latest Trojan to enter the professional ranks overseas.
A 2024 graduate, Porchia has already played for clubs in Poland, Australia and Romania, and will begin playing for a team in France this September.
"After my season at Troy, I had an agent interested in signing me," Porchia said. "I made sure he was a good agent, and we went over paperwork. I felt like I could trust him, and I stuck with him throughout these years. He hasn't steered me wrong."
The native of Camden, Arkansas, wasn't intimidated in the least about packing her bags and leaving for countries she'd never experienced.
"I don't have a problem with going places far away," Porchia said. "I actually enjoy traveling. The culture is different, but it's not really that hard to adjust. They'll help you if you have some problems with things.
"The food is really different. You've just got to find what you like to eat. Sometimes you start to miss family … that would be the only thing, really."
Porchia went from having no interest in basketball at a young age to making a living in the sport.
"I never played basketball until the eighth grade," Porchia said. "I was just walking the halls, and this coach saw me in the hall, and he was like, 'Have you ever played basketball before?' I was like, 'No.'
"He was like, 'Do you want a free education?' I was like, 'Yeah.' So I got a physical and came back to practice. That's how it all started. I just wanted to get a free education at first.
"I didn't know how far it would take me. When I got to JUCO (Pensacola State) and then Troy, that's when I realized this is what I wanted to do."
Although Porchia stands 6-foot-1 and played forward in college, she's not considered very big on the professional level. Still, she plays in the paint, often matching up against much taller competitors.
"It's not hard to guard a tall person, but it just takes heart, honestly," Porchia said. "I'm more physical and quicker, so they have me play down there. I just have to adjust to be able to play against the tall people."
Porchia says Troy prepared her well for the next level.
"They taught me discipline," Porchia said. "Like overseas, I'll probably get there 30 minutes to an hour (before a game) … get some extra shots up and work on extra things to do better in the game. They really prepared me to go overseas.
"I want to play as long as I can, and then eventually go into coaching after I'm done doing this."
A Long-Range Plan
Rigby and her coaching staff train their players for potentially playing long past their college careers.
"We have players that are playing eight and 10 years," Rigby said of the Trojans who go the pro route. "We take that into consideration.
"Very intentionally, we learn off of our legs as much as possible. In other words, maybe in the film room; or maybe with your position coach. If there is something that doesn't need rep, we don't unnecessarily use our knees and our bodies.
"We take a lot of pride in trying to preserve our athletes to still have a long career after they finish at Troy.
"That might get out among athletes by word of mouth and makes Troy attractive that we see that ending in mind for them. We do lots of things like that to help them be successful for a long time with their pro careers."
The Troy women's basketball program periodically takes trips overseas during the offseason to play exhibition games, which helps with making connections abroad.
Rigby is thankful to Troy University Chancellor Dr. Jack Hawkins Jr. for making those trips possible.
"He constantly encourages and affords us to take trips overseas," Rigby said. "He has that phrase, 'How can our students be globally competitive if they're not globally aware?'
"He created a pathway to fund these overseas trips by the license plate program. All the money that Troy makes off of the Troy license plate goes to a fund … not just for athletes, but for our students who get scholarships to go overseas and have experiences overseas.
"So let's say I have a player from a small town in Alabama, or Mississippi, or somewhere, and they've barely been out of their town … and so it's a big deal for them to come away to college. But then think about how it opens their eyes up when Dr. Hawkins and Troy afford us to go overseas on these trips.
"Then it becomes believable that, 'Oh, we can do this … I want to keep playing basketball and have a career playing professional basketball.' The world gets a lot more familiar and less big and scary when we're able to do that."
Other Former Trojans Who Have Played Overseas:
Tina Stephens (Ireland, France, Germany and Switzerland), Japonica James (Portugal, Sweden and France), Alexus Dye (Israel, Switzerland and Sweden), Tiyah Johnson (Portugal), Shaterrika O'Neal (Puerto Rico), Tyra Johnson (Ireland), Joanna Harden (Portugal), Alissata Maiga (Mali), Ronita Garrett (Spain), Sarah McAppion (Australia), Sophia Kleeman (Australia), Ja'Mia Hollings (France), Nia Danial (Spain), Agus Talasimov (Spain) and Brianna Jackson (Germany).
Entering her 15th season at Troy, Rigby has developed 18 players who have gone on to play professionally after finishing their college careers with the Trojans.
In turn, Rigby has gained strong ties throughout the world, often recruiting players from abroad to join the Troy basketball program. It also helps catch the attention of players throughout the United States whose sights are set on future professional careers.
"Recruiting-wise, we use this a lot," Rigby said. "I don't have a statistic on this, but we have one of the highest percentages of players who go pro. We've got to be in the top of the mid-majors (conferences).
"We're a little bit known for that in the girls basketball world — that a lot of our players go play (overseas), they have longevity and earn great contracts.
"It's part of our selling tool to come to Troy. It doesn't just happen by chance. You've got to have relationships with agents.
"Players can't talk to agents until their eligibility is out, so our coaches make highlight films for them. Word gets out about my players that the coaches at Troy really help them get to the next level. It really helps attract serious players to us."
Setting the Example
Ashley Beverly Kelley was the first of Rigby's players at Troy to sign a professional contract and is entering her 11th season playing internationally.
The former All-Sun Belt Conference point guard and 2025 inductee into the Troy University Sports Hall of Fame has had stints with teams in Israel, France and, most recently, Russia, where she will be playing this season for a fifth straight year.
"She should probably write a resource guide, or a book, because there's nothing out there to tell these young women how to navigate that," Rigby said of playing overseas. "It's such a big world and the leagues are so different. We try to lean on our former players to help our current players who are trying to get contracts."
Each year, Kelley is among former Troy players who get on a Zoom call with current Trojans to share advice about playing overseas. Most of those teams are limited to two Americans per club.
"In America, we focus on one-on-one and you have to play a lot of games," Kelley said of the college basketball grind. "When you play overseas, they only play like one game a week and all the rest of the days they are doing training. The fundamental part of it is way different than America.
"Also, I let them know that whenever you go over there, try their food; try to speak their language, because they take that as respect that you are trying. It makes your stay being there so much easier."
Kelley, a 2016 graduate, was known for her tremendous work ethic, which has carried over to the professional ranks.
"Physically, I've always been very active from a young age," Kelley said. "Even at Troy, Coach Rigby would tell me I had to get out of the gym or I was going to get in trouble (for overworking her body). I like staying active and fit. I don't know, I guess I'm just a busybody and really love basketball."
Besides playing professionally, Kelley and her husband, Aaron Allen, teach basketball to youths both overseas and in the U.S. through their LovHandlez Basketball Training, which is based in Samson.
Kelley, a graduate of Minor High School near Birmingham, and Allen, a graduate of Samson High who played junior college basketball at Bevill State, met during Kelley's freshman year at Troy.
They have a 5-year-old daughter, Aarsley Lov, and make their home wherever Kelley is playing during the pro season, which stretches from September until May. Having her family with her provides support and motivation.
"You do this for your family to provide and make sure your daughter has what she needs, because she's growing," Kelley said. "It's (Russia) one of the top leagues besides the WNBA, of course. They pay really good money. A lot of the big-time players come from over there.
"Whenever you play, of course you want to play at the highest level. I like the competitive nature they have over there, and the style of play. It's very physical, and I'm used to that."
Whenever she decides to retire from professional basketball, Kelley would be interested in coaching at the college level.
"I've talked to Coach Rigby about that I would eventually love to be able to coach at Troy University alongside her," Kelley said.
Still Benefiting from Experiences
Caitlyn Ramirez was a talented forward at Troy who graduated following the 2016-17 season and then played two years overseas — one in Spain and one in Israel.
Now a state trooper in Alabama, Ramirez said the experiences are proving beneficial in her current work environment.
"I really do think as much as everybody just thinks you went overseas to just play basketball, it was a lot more than that," Ramirez said. "We had to get involved with the community; we had to interact with people.
"You have to learn people-skills, let alone I'm having to interact with people who don't speak the same language as me. Just the diversity you come across really did help, because I come across diversity obviously in the work field that I'm in. It's just learning how to talk to people, and interact with people, and just communicate better."
Playing in front of large, enthusiastic crowds during her professional career remains vivid to Ramirez.
"No disrespect to the Trojan fans whatsoever, but the fans overseas are on a whole different level," Ramirez said. "They bring in their own drums; they bring in their horns … it's so energizing while playing.
"Certain clubs have younger teams — 18-under, 10-under, 8-under — so it's not just the Division I league you're playing in. You're basically playing for an entire community, you know? So everybody is going to show up.
"It's very fulfilling playing for fans like that, even though you can't really understand what they're saying or what they're telling you, but it is so much fun."
While Ramirez enjoyed her time overseas, it wore on her body.
"Since seventh and eighth grade, I had struggled with knee injuries … more so because of growing spurts," Ramirez said. "Then when you do play overseas, people don't realize, but not every court you play on is a wooden floor. We played on tile floors; we played on concrete floors.
"Like in Israel, we had to play our games in a high school gym. My body took a lot of wear and tear throughout the entirety."
Ramirez eventually decided it was best to step away from the sport when injuries prevented her from being 100 percent.
"In Israel towards the end of the season, I did have an injury that I was trying to fix," she said. "As an American, you're over there and they're spending money on you … they just have expectations.
"I was still young and wanted to be able to run around 30 years from now, so it was a decision that was just better for the long run."
Just Getting Started
Tai'Sheka Porchia is the latest Trojan to enter the professional ranks overseas.
A 2024 graduate, Porchia has already played for clubs in Poland, Australia and Romania, and will begin playing for a team in France this September.
"After my season at Troy, I had an agent interested in signing me," Porchia said. "I made sure he was a good agent, and we went over paperwork. I felt like I could trust him, and I stuck with him throughout these years. He hasn't steered me wrong."
The native of Camden, Arkansas, wasn't intimidated in the least about packing her bags and leaving for countries she'd never experienced.
"I don't have a problem with going places far away," Porchia said. "I actually enjoy traveling. The culture is different, but it's not really that hard to adjust. They'll help you if you have some problems with things.
"The food is really different. You've just got to find what you like to eat. Sometimes you start to miss family … that would be the only thing, really."
Porchia went from having no interest in basketball at a young age to making a living in the sport.
"I never played basketball until the eighth grade," Porchia said. "I was just walking the halls, and this coach saw me in the hall, and he was like, 'Have you ever played basketball before?' I was like, 'No.'
"He was like, 'Do you want a free education?' I was like, 'Yeah.' So I got a physical and came back to practice. That's how it all started. I just wanted to get a free education at first.
"I didn't know how far it would take me. When I got to JUCO (Pensacola State) and then Troy, that's when I realized this is what I wanted to do."
Although Porchia stands 6-foot-1 and played forward in college, she's not considered very big on the professional level. Still, she plays in the paint, often matching up against much taller competitors.
"It's not hard to guard a tall person, but it just takes heart, honestly," Porchia said. "I'm more physical and quicker, so they have me play down there. I just have to adjust to be able to play against the tall people."
Porchia says Troy prepared her well for the next level.
"They taught me discipline," Porchia said. "Like overseas, I'll probably get there 30 minutes to an hour (before a game) … get some extra shots up and work on extra things to do better in the game. They really prepared me to go overseas.
"I want to play as long as I can, and then eventually go into coaching after I'm done doing this."
A Long-Range Plan
Rigby and her coaching staff train their players for potentially playing long past their college careers.
"We have players that are playing eight and 10 years," Rigby said of the Trojans who go the pro route. "We take that into consideration.
"Very intentionally, we learn off of our legs as much as possible. In other words, maybe in the film room; or maybe with your position coach. If there is something that doesn't need rep, we don't unnecessarily use our knees and our bodies.
"We take a lot of pride in trying to preserve our athletes to still have a long career after they finish at Troy.
"That might get out among athletes by word of mouth and makes Troy attractive that we see that ending in mind for them. We do lots of things like that to help them be successful for a long time with their pro careers."
The Troy women's basketball program periodically takes trips overseas during the offseason to play exhibition games, which helps with making connections abroad.
Rigby is thankful to Troy University Chancellor Dr. Jack Hawkins Jr. for making those trips possible.
"He constantly encourages and affords us to take trips overseas," Rigby said. "He has that phrase, 'How can our students be globally competitive if they're not globally aware?'
"He created a pathway to fund these overseas trips by the license plate program. All the money that Troy makes off of the Troy license plate goes to a fund … not just for athletes, but for our students who get scholarships to go overseas and have experiences overseas.
"So let's say I have a player from a small town in Alabama, or Mississippi, or somewhere, and they've barely been out of their town … and so it's a big deal for them to come away to college. But then think about how it opens their eyes up when Dr. Hawkins and Troy afford us to go overseas on these trips.
"Then it becomes believable that, 'Oh, we can do this … I want to keep playing basketball and have a career playing professional basketball.' The world gets a lot more familiar and less big and scary when we're able to do that."
Other Former Trojans Who Have Played Overseas:
Tina Stephens (Ireland, France, Germany and Switzerland), Japonica James (Portugal, Sweden and France), Alexus Dye (Israel, Switzerland and Sweden), Tiyah Johnson (Portugal), Shaterrika O'Neal (Puerto Rico), Tyra Johnson (Ireland), Joanna Harden (Portugal), Alissata Maiga (Mali), Ronita Garrett (Spain), Sarah McAppion (Australia), Sophia Kleeman (Australia), Ja'Mia Hollings (France), Nia Danial (Spain), Agus Talasimov (Spain) and Brianna Jackson (Germany).
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