Local basketball community rallies for Wesmen player injured in attack

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This article was published 25/05/2017 (3025 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The day after police announced an arrest in a brutal attack, Manitoba’s basketball community is rallying around the victim — a prominent player — and her boyfriend, the accused’s brother.

“At this point, it’s still a sinking-in period for everybody,” Adam Wedlake, executive director for Basketball Manitoba, said Wednesday. “Stunned is probably the best word. And for most, they’re probably hearing about it for the first time. Trying to grasp, of course, the question of why.”

The 20-year-old victim was taken to hospital in critical condition early Tuesday after the incident in the West End. A passing motorist saw the attack outside a home on Dominion Street and tried to come to the woman’s rescue, only to be chased off. The accused is alleged to have jumped behind the wheel of the motorist’s vehicle and fled.

RCMP stopped the stolen vehicle near Boissevain — headed south on Highway 10, which leads to the U.S. border — and turned the accused over to Winnipeg police.

On Wednesday, city police announced Junior Sesay, 21, had been charged with attempted murder, robbery and break-and-enter. His younger brother, Will Sesay, 20, is a star basketball player with the Wesmen at the University of Winnipeg and the boyfriend of the victim.

Her condition hadn’t changed.

“The only word coach (Tanya) McKay gave me this morning was ‘stable,’ which was encouraging. Twenty-four hours earlier, it would have been very different,” Wedlake said. “Ultimately, the outpouring is for the young lady who was dreadfully affected by all this.”

The victim, whose name has not been released, was said to be headed into her third season with the Wesmen women’s team at the time of the attack. The extent of her injuries isn’t known, but police described the attack as “particularly horrific.”

“The focus is getting her healthy, back to normal, whatever normal would be for her,” Wedlake said.

The U of W released a statement Thursday acknowledging the victim was their student.

“We are staying in very close touch with our student and her family, and our hearts are with them in this incredibly difficult time,” university president and vice-chancellor Annette Trimbee said.

The university said its administration is co-operating fully with the police and it has made counselling services available for students and faculty.

The victim’s fellow teammates on the women’s Wesmen team were also described as closely knit and rallying around the young woman.

“Twelve sisters who do everything together, and prior to this, anybody’s who’s ever played any type of sport at that level, knows what it’s like — living together, travelling together, the highs the lows, the roller-coaster of emotion. This is overwhelming… this would have affected each and every one of them, including the coaching staff,” Wedlake said.

“We’re trying to make sure they know we (the larger basketball circle) are behind them. They’re not alone.”

The basketball community is also worried about the victim’s boyfriend.

“He’s probably one of the nicest kids you’ll ever want to meet, and he’s got a great circle of friends around him, including his own band of brothers in that team,” Wedlake said. “They’re a very tight group.

“I’m sure this is doubly devastating for him, being in the middle of this, the common connection between the two.”

Wedlake said he’s fielded a lot of questions and expression of concern for Will and his family.

“People who know the Sesay family know how entrenched they are in the basketball community, and (they want) to ensure Will’s health, as best as it can be in a tough situation like this,” Wedlake said.

The Sesay brothers and their mother emigrated from Sierra Leone about a decade ago. Both brothers excelled on the basketball court, winning scholarships to university. Will chose the U of W, and Junior played two seasons with the University of Victoria before returning to the Wesmen. He left before Christmas because of a disciplinary matter.

— with files from Ashley Prest

alexandra.paul@freepress.mb.ca