UNCW’s Dobson, coach reflect on recruitment process
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WWAY) – College basketball programs are now in the recruitment stage of their offseason, and one of UNCW’s own had to go through a lot before finding her place on the Seahawks.
Tia Dobson just finished her freshman campaign, where she started 18 games at point guard. The Florida native received minimal attention during her high school days, which resulted in a lack of offers to play at the next level. However, she bet on herself and is now a key member of the team.
“Honestly, it was a hard time,” Dobson said. “Looking at my other teammates getting offers and from these bigger colleges and everything. I was going through ‘do I want to play basketball, is this for me?’ But luckily I stuck it through. Around this time last year, I was just ready to come to college and start my journey.”
(Photo: Jake Eichstaedt /WWAY)
Dobson led all CAA freshmen in assists in 2024-25. She was introduced to Head Coach Nicole Woods through a mutual connection. That being Iesha Small, who coached Dobson during her AAU days.
After breaking down the film and looking at her resume, Woods managed to see things in Dobson that no one else did.
“The first thing I noticed was how hard she played and how confident she was in everything she did,” Woods said. “I knew she was going to be coached well. And more importantly, the expectation of winning. We were looking for winners and she was coming off of being a state champion. Sometimes it pays to get lucky and we got lucky.”
(Photo: Colton Emswiler/WWAY)
While getting an offer with Wilmington was nice, it also proved to be the right one for Dobson after visiting campus and interacting with Woods.
“How she wants to have a relationship with you as a person and not just a player,” Dobson said. “My dad, we had went on a previous visit before we came here, and he didn’t have time to get a haircut. So they actually took him to get a haircut here before we took our pictures and I was like, ‘she didn’t have to do that.’ But she did. It was the little things for me that really captivated me here and made me commit.”
Woods just finished her second season leading the program, in which the team won more games than they did in their last four years combined. Dobson was a part of her first full recruiting class, and coach managed to help her newest member get ready for the college game.
“I told her to just play,” Woods said. “‘Be you, that’s good enough.’ The difference in our season in my opinion was when she was inserted into the starting lineup. It kind of put everybody else in a spot to where they were just comfortable doing their job and not having to do anything more than that.”
(Photo: Jake Eichstaedt /WWAY)
“I didn’t really get that until after the game because I was so nervous before the game and while I was in the game,” Dobson said. “But definitely, all your hard work seems like it’s paying off. You make your parents proud, your family proud. So it was really a full circle moment for sure.”
The duo has advice for other athletes in a similar situation that Dobson was around 18 months ago.
(Photo: Colton Emswiler/WWAY)
“Just keep going,” Dobson said. “Everybody has their own journey. You can’t compare yourself to other people because that’s when you get down into a hole you don’t know you’ll be able to get out of. Just keep spreading your joy. Keep spreading your light. People will gravitate towards you. Go where you’re wanted and not where you’re tolerated.”
“Sometimes it’s just the right connection,” Woods said. “A friend of mine asked me if I was looking for a point guard and I was. Sometimes it pays to be lucky, but relationships matter. Use the ones you have to try to get your film in front of folks. Who knows. You could be the next Tia Dobson.”
