Natasha Watley facts for kids
Watley in July 2011
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| Born | November 27, 1981 Irvine, California, U.S. |
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| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||||||||||
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| College team | UCLA Bruins | ||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Natasha Renee Watley (born November 27, 1981) is a famous American softball player. She was a top player in college and professional leagues. Natasha won medals at the Olympic Games for the United States. She is known for being a great hitter and for stealing bases.
Natasha played college softball at UCLA. She helped her team win a national championship. She represented the United States women's national softball team at the 2004 Summer Olympics. There, she won a gold medal. She also played at the 2008 Summer Olympics, where she won a silver medal. Natasha Watley was the first African-American woman to play softball for the United States in the Olympics.
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Early Life and High School
Natasha Watley was born in Irvine, California. Her parents are Edwin and Carolyn Watley. She went to Woodbridge High School. During her junior and senior years, she was named a second-team All-American. This means she was one of the best players in the country. In her last three seasons, she hit over .445. She also stole more than 20 bases each season.
College Softball Career
Natasha Watley played college softball for the UCLA Bruins. She was an amazing player from 2000 to 2003. She was named a First Team All-American four times. This is a huge honor for college athletes.
Becoming a Star Player
In 2001, Natasha became a First Team All-American. She also made the All-Pac-10 team. She broke the school record by stealing 32 bases. This record is still one of the best at UCLA. On May 13, she had a perfect game against the Oregon Ducks. She got 4 hits out of 4 tries. She also stole a record 4 bases against the Canisius Golden Griffins.
Natasha and the Bruins played in the Women's College World Series finals. They faced the Oklahoma Sooners. Natasha played great, getting 3 hits. But the Bruins lost the game 3-1.
Setting New Records
In her second year, Natasha continued to earn top honors. She set new school records with 75 runs scored and 56 stolen bases. Her total number of hits was the second-highest ever for a UCLA player.
From March 2 to April 29, 2001, she had a 32-game hitting streak. This means she got at least one hit in 32 games in a row. It is the fifth-longest streak in NCAA history. During this time, she hit for a .426 batting average.
On May 28, Natasha played in another WCWS National Championship game. This time, UCLA played against the Arizona Wildcats. Natasha got one of only 4 hits against their star pitcher, Jennie Finch.
Leading the Bruins to a Championship
Natasha earned First Team All-American and All-Pac-10 honors for a third year. She broke the school record for hits in a season with 112. This was also the most hits in NCAA Division I that year. Her triples and stolen bases were also among the best. Her batting average of .485 was one of the highest in UCLA history.
She had another long hitting streak from February 1 to March 9. She hit for a .543 batting average during this 29-game streak. This streak was the sixth-best in NCAA history. Natasha was also named to the WCWS All-Tournament Team.
In her senior year, Natasha was again named to the All-American team. She also won the Pac-12 Conference Softball Player of the Year award. She received the Honda Sports Award as the nation's best softball player. Then she won the Honda-Broderick Cup, which is given to the nation's top female athlete.
On April 30, Natasha had a career-high 5 RBIs against the Washington Huskies. She hit two home runs in that game. At the WCWS that year, Natasha was again named to the All-Tournament Team. The Bruins made it to their third final with Natasha. They won the championship game against the California Golden Bears on May 26. Natasha got 2 hits, including a triple.
UCLA Career Achievements
Natasha Watley finished her college career as a record-holder for the Bruins. She was first in career hits, triples, runs, and stolen bases. She was second in career batting average with .450. She also ranked high in doubles and on-base percentages. Natasha holds the single-season record for hits with 112. She was the first UCLA Bruin to have two seasons with over 100 hits.
Natasha Watley was honored for her amazing career. She was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame on October 11, 2014.
Playing for Team USA
Natasha Watley also played for the United States women's national softball team. She helped them win many international competitions.
Early International Success
In 2001, Natasha played for the USA Red Team. They won the US Cup and placed third at the Canada Cup. She was named "Most Inspirational Player" at the Canada Cup. In 2002, she was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Canada Cup. She also earned Most Valuable Player at the 2002 ISF World Championship. In 2003, Natasha won a gold medal at the Pan American Games.
Olympic Games Medals
Before the 2004 Olympics, Natasha hit over .450 on the "Aiming For Athens" tour. This helped Team USA keep a perfect record. At the Athens Olympic Games on August 14, Natasha had a perfect game against Italy. She got 4 hits out of 4 tries, including a double and a triple. Team USA won their third straight gold medal on August 23. They beat Australia 5–1. This was the only run they allowed in the entire tournament. Natasha earned her first gold medal. She led the team in hits and stolen bases. She had a .400 batting average. She also broke the Olympic record for stolen bases with five.
In 2008, Natasha played on the "Bound 4 Beijing Tour." She hit over .450 again. She led the tour in hits, triples, and stolen bases. Natasha started the Beijing Games with a two-run home run against Venezuela. On August 21, Team USA played in the gold medal game. They were upset by Yukiko Ueno and Team Japan, losing 3–1. Natasha got a hit in the game, and Team USA earned a silver medal. She hit .321 and led the team in hits and stolen bases.
Professional Softball Career
After college and the Olympics, Natasha Watley played professional softball.
Starting in the NPF
Natasha played her first professional season in 2005. She joined the NY/NJ Juggernaut in the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) league. She led her team in batting with a .374 average. She was named an NPF All-Star. In 2006, she played for the Philadelphia Force. She had limited playing time because of her duties with Team USA.
Success with USSSA Pride
Natasha played for the USSSA Pride for many years. In 2010, she earned her second All-NPF Team honor. On August 6, she set a career best with 4 hits in a game. Her team made it to the Cowles Cup Championship on August 29. They played against the Chicago Bandits. Natasha hit a solo home run and helped her team win the title.
In 2011, she led the league with a .459 batting average. She also had a 21-game hitting streak, which was a career highlight. From July 2 to August 12, she hit for a .531 average. The Pride played for the championship again on August 24. They lost to the Bandits, but Natasha had two hits and drove in two runs.
In 2012, Natasha was second in the league in batting average. On July 16, she drove in a career-best 4 RBIs against Chicago. She played in the Cowles Cup Championship again against the Chicago Bandits. Her team lost, but Natasha still got a hit. In 2013, Natasha and the Pride won the Cowles Cup Championship. She got a hit in the final game.
In 2014, Natasha became the first player in NPF history to get 300 career hits. In 2015, she had her sixth straight season with at least 50 hits. She was named All-NPF again. Natasha won her second season batting title in 2015. She made her last appearance in the Cowles Championship final, losing to the Bandits. She got a hit and a walk in her final game.
Natasha Watley holds the NPF career batting average record. She is also tied for second in stolen bases and hits. She ranks third for triples. In 2016, Natasha played overseas in Japan for team Toyota. She retired from softball in 2017.
Images for kids
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Watley in July 2011
