‘It means everything to him’

The adage ‘family is everything’ rings even more true in the face of adversity.

When national basketballer Chase Audige helped Jamaica to back-to-back upset wins over Puerto Rico last November, it had only been six months after he lost his father, Andre Audige.

By the time the 26-year-old shooting guard lined up with his teammates at the National Indoor Sports Centre as Jamaica hosted the Bahamas and Canada, he was mourning both parents, after his mother, Claudette Boothe-Audige, passed away in January.

Two days after his mother’s death, the six-foot, four-inch player represented his club Unicaja Malaga, scoring a team-high 20 points in 22 minutes to lead them to victory, and later, cheered on by fans and his teammates, paid an emotional homage to her.

Behind every shot, every drive to the basket, every steal, Audige’s family not only whisper prayers, but offer vocal support from the stands.

The Gleaner caught up with Audige’s girlfriend, Alia Moore, and his older sister, Jody Ashton, as they supported him during the recent FIBA Americas World Cup qualifying window, which saw Jamaica losing 93 – 96 to the Bahamas and 81 – 97 to Canada.

Moore told The Gleaner that through every heartbreak, she has tried to be a supportive partner to the New York native.

“In Puerto Rico, there was really no expectation. They were, I think, 16 in the world and we were 100-something; so I think going out there they didn’t have any expectation, so that allowed them to just go out there and just play free. They had so much fun, and for me it was the first time I was able to see Jamaica on that type of stage, so it was super fun. And to watch them win and to be so close in the games, and to have two upsets in a row, back to back, is hard, especially in another home team’s country with their fans; it was incredible.”

According to the latest FIBA ranking, Puerto Rico are 16th in the world, while Jamaica sit 87th, and after that massive upset, remain on course to advance to the second round of qualifiers, the first time the country has achieved this level of play.

“I am super happy for them, super happy for Chase. It means everything to him. I didn’t realise how much it meant to him until afterwards. So being able to carry that here, especially with all the things he has been going through, it was even more important to him. So for him, it’s everything, and so for me it’s also everything. Here, the loss was disappointing. I think because they found out how good they were. And I think when you know how good you are and what you’re capable of, and you have your ride in hand and you let it slide, it’s just more disappointing.”

Ashton’s strong religious belief and love for her younger sibling fuel her desire to be part of his support system:

“I’m here to support him in every way. Both of my parents just died within a couple of months. So it’s really hard on him. So I know he is giving his all, because that’s what they would want, so I’m just here to support him. Well, it just feels like a sense of joy for me because, you know, we know who God is, what He is capable of, and Chase knows that. He is a praying man, and we just keep everything on the court and just let go, and let God. So, yeah, that’s why I am here - to just keep supporting him and egging him on, and he will do it (chuckle) and just leave it up to God.”

With two games left to go in this round, Audige’s big sister is confident Jamaica will advance to the 2027 World Cup.

“If they come together as a team and try to get it going, because I see what they did just awhile ago (against Puerto Rico). And I just believe that if they become one and just read each other, everything will go well.”