Waterloo West standout Nakia Ollivierre lets her drive, work ethic do the talking

Waterloo West junior Nakia Ollivierre prides herself on being the ‘No. 1 multi-sport athlete in the state’

Nakia Ollivierre is a multi-sport standout who has committed to Army West Point. She is currently a junior at Waterloo West averaging over 30 points per game. / Submitted Photo

Waterloo West standout Nakia Ollivierre has had her future planned out for some time now.

The junior committed to Army West Point in 2023 just as she was preparing for her sophomore cross country season. 

Ollivierre, though, continues to make headlines regardless of the sport she is currently involved in.

After several calls, with several coaches, I am so grateful and blessed to announce that I have decided to pursue my academic and basketball career at West Point 🫡

Happy 40th Mom (I mean 24th 😂) Your kid did it and she still has a long ✍️list. The grind never stops! But for… pic.twitter.com/5hPJDQOdec

— Nakia Ollivierre (@N_Elite_Baller) August 4, 2023

Right now, that is basketball, as she recently recorded a triple-double in a win for the Wahawks over Western Dubuque. In fact, she was within a single steal of improving that to a quadruple-double. 

But Ollivierre had no idea she was close to either during the game. No, her focus was on attaining the win for her school.

“Honestly, I had no idea or goal to hit a triple-double,” Ollivierre said in an exclusive interview with High School Sports on SI. “A team win is the ultimate goal. I think my stats are an example of my work ethic. Intangibles are so important.”

Ollivierre finished that night with 37 points on 14 of 27 shooting from the floor, knocking down five 3-pointers. She dished out 10 assists, grabbed 10 rebounds and had the nine steals with just two turnovers. 

“I had triple-doubles prior in AAU,” she said. “It’s a different atmosphere, a very different style of play. I am just happy that we got the ‘W’ and that we as a whole are continuing to work together for something better.”

Waterloo West followed that win up with a 59-32 triumph over Mason City the following night. Ollivierre went for 27 points with seven rebounds and seven assists. On the year, she is averaging 30.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, seven assists and almost four steals a night.

As a sophomore, Ollivierre averaged 20.5 points with almost five rebounds, three steals and three assists a night for the Wahawks, who finished 9-14 overall.

Waterloo West junior Nakia Ollivierre recorded a triple-double last week. She has committed to Army West Point. / Submitted Photo

This past fall, she was fourth at the Class 4A state cross country meet, clocking a time of 18:18.5. As a sophomore, Ollivierre also cracked the Top 5, finishing fourth in 18:01.9.

Ollivierre was ninth in the 3,000 and 17th in the 1,500 at the state track championships this past spring.

“Confidence has always been a strong suit for me,” she said. “I let my work ethic and numbers speak volumes. Ultimately, I work very hard to prepare myself for West Point. Serving my country has always been my No. 1 choice. The education that I will receive is top tier and I believe there is more to me than being an athlete.

“I am the No. 1 multi-sport athlete in the state because of the behind-the-scenes lifestyle that I live. I am a walking example of what it means to be the best version of yourself every single day. I don’t feel pressure to perform in cross country because that is not something I train for. I believe that I do well in track and cross country because of how mentally strong and competitive I am as an individual.

“Moving forward, my goals are to continue to be better, prepare for West Point, strengthen my intangibles, place emphasis on being a leader, continue to evolve more as a player, but ultimately, serve my community.”

Waterloo West heads to Cedar Rapids Kennedy on Tuesday and play at Waterloo Columbus on Saturday this week. They close out the month at No. 7 (4A) Cedar Rapids Xavier on December 17 and back home to play sixth-ranked (5A) Cedar Rapids Prairie on December 20.