Atoka’s Shasta Whitmore signed to play women’s college basketball at Greenville University for the 2025-2026 season on April 23 in the gymnasium. Greenville women’s basketball is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III program that plays in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Atoka is 555 miles from Greenville, Ill.
Participating in college athletics was never a part of Whitmore’s dream but after visiting Greenville she decided to commit. She will be the first person in her family to play basketball at the college level.
“I chose Greenville because of the community support and coaches. The university is just such a great fit. I immediately felt like I was at home,” Whitmore said.
Whitmore spent her freshman season at Pittsburg, where she was a member of Pittsburg’s first state championship team in 2022. After her freshman season, she transferred to Atoka. After her sophomore season, Jay Ray was named the Atoka Girls Head Coach. Ray was an assistant coach on the 2022 Pittsburg team.
“Having her on the team, understanding what it takes to play at a high level helped the team by hearing it from a fellow player, not just me. Also with Shasta already knowing the system, she was able to greatly assist the other girls in picking things up a lot faster. People want to talk about her three point shooting, which is awesome but Shasta is one heck of a defender, both on ball and off ball. Often the fans don’t see the backside rotations on defense but it’s what makes our half court defense flow. Shasta is one of the best I’ve coached at “helping the helper” and that was a very big contribution to our success. I’m excited to watch her go to the next level,” Ray said.
During the 2024-2025 season, Greenville went 11-14 and 9-8 in the conference. The Lady Panthers are coached by Roy Mulholland, the all-time winningest coach in Greenville history. Mulholland took over as head coach in 1999 and has over 300 wins.
“We are excited Shasta is joining our program. We are excited by what she can do on the floor but more excited about who she is as a person. She is a great fit for our program on and off the floor,” Mulholland said. He added that the coaching staff made an immediate connection with Whitmore and he believes she will make a positive impact to the team.
After moving to Atoka, Whitmore credits Hannah Vanderburg for pushing and motivating her every day on and off the court to be a better player. During this past summer, Atoka girls basketball went to several team camps and when they weren’t attending team camps, Whitmore was in the gym shooting.
“My coaches have pushed me to the best of my abilities, they showed me how I could be successful in every aspect of the game. Coach Ray was my biggest supporter, I couldn’t be more grateful for him as a coach. I’m so grateful to be a part of the AHS girls basketball program. These girls are so much more than teammates, they are my best friends. I wouldn’t be where I am today without them. It was very special that my entire family and friends showed up to support me on signing day. I am thankful that they are my biggest supporters,” Whitmore said.
After college, Whitmore plans to become a sports psychologist. She wants to help support athletes who are struggling with mental health issues.
