2011 SEASON: Named the NPF Offensive Player of the Year…Led the league in batting average with .481 in the regular season…Tied for the league lead in at 3 triples with Tammy Williams…Led the NPF in stolen bases with 16…Led the NPF in plate appearances with 131…Had 18 multi-hit games…Had 7 3-hit ballgames…Had a .467 on-base percentage in all of 2011 play…Had 26 RBI.
PROFESSIONAL: Won an NPF Championship (2010)… Named MVP of the National Championship Series (2010). 2010: Joined the Pride…Had 15 stolen bases…Had 138 at-bats…Had a .423 on-base percentage…Achieved a .406 batting average…Had 7 RBI. 2006: Joined the Philadelphia Force…Stole 4 bases…Had 153 at-bats…Achieved a .268 batting average…Had 34 RBI…Had 41 hits…Hit 15 homeruns. 2005: Stole 9 bases…Had 96 at-bats…Had 37 hits…Had a .443 on-base percentage…Achieved a .385 batting average…Had 5 RBI.
NATIONAL TEAM EXPERIENCE: Played for the USA National Team…Won an Olympic Gold Medal (2004)…Won an Olympic Silver Medal (2008)…Won 3 World Cup Championships (2006, 2007, and 2010)…Won 2 World Championships (2002 and 2006)…Won 2 Pan American Gold Medals (2003 and 2007). 2010: Won the World Cup along with the USA National Team in Venezuela. 2009: Competed in the Canada Cup…Competed in the World Cup of Softball…Played for the Japan Cup. 2008: Competed with the USA National Team at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China, where the team won a Silver Medal…Had a .321 batting average…Hit 2 homeruns…Had 6 RBI. 2004: Won the Gold Medal with the USA National Team at the Olympic Games in Athens, Greece…Broke the Olympic record for stolen bases…Had the 3rd best batting average on the team with .400…Had 9 hits…Had 10 RBI.
COLLEGE: Graduated from UCLA in 2005…Played Softball at UCLA from 2000 to 2003…Recognized as a 1st Team All-American 4 times…Won 3 consecutive Women’s College World Series and the NCAA Division I Softball Championships (2001, 2002, and 2003)…Awarded the Honda-Broderick Cup for the Top Collegiate Female Athlete (2003)…Named Pac-10 Player of the Year (2003)…Finished in the top 3 in UCLA history for career hits with 395…Finished in the top 5 in UCLA history in career runs with 252…Finished in the top 10 in UCLA history in career batting average (.450)…Finished in top 10 in career stolen bases in UCLA history with 158…Holds the single season records for hits at UCLA with 112, ranking 4th in Pac-10 history, as well as 7th in the all-time NCAA record books at graduation. SENIOR: Stole 35 bases…Had a .481 batting average…Had 212 at-bats…Had 102 hits…Had 53 RBI…Achieved a .527 on-base percentage. JUNIOR: Stole 39 bases…Had a .485 batting average…Had 231 at-bats…Had 112 hits…Had 35 RBI…Achieved a .520 on-base percentage. SOPHOMORE: Stole 52 bases…Had a .409 batting average…Had 247 at-bats…Had 101 hits…Had 36 RBI…Achieved a .436 on-base percentage. FRESHMAN: Stole 32 bases…Had a .426 batting average…Had 188 at-bats…Had 80 hits…Had 11 RBI…Achieved a .463 on-base percentage.
PERSONAL: Born on November 27, 1981 to Edwin and Carolyn Watley in Canoga Park, California…Graduated from UCLA in 2005 with a degree in sociology…Currently resides in Los Angeles, California…Recently started the Natasha Watley Foundation to provide more softball playing opportunities in underserved communities.
The Natasha Watley Foundation (NWF) was founded by UCLA graduate and two-time Olympic medalist Natasha Watley. Established to create opportunities for girls in underserved communities to learn and play the game of softball. NWF uses the medium of sport to inspire young women to reach their full potential while fostering character development and awareness of social issues that affect women.The mission of the Natasha Watley Foundation is to empower young women to make healthy lifestyle choices, develop strong self-esteem, and to become leaders of character through participation and training in the sport of softball. Click here to Download a PDF to read more about Natasha’s foundation.
