Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir was born and raised in a Muslim family in Springfield,

Massachusetts, the birthplace of basketball. She is the youngest of the eight

children in her family. Bilqis started playing basketball when she was only three

years old, and she’s been playing ever since.

Bilqis began wearing her hijab every day when she was in high school. She

currently holds the Massachusetts State high school basketball scoring record,

with 3070 points! Bilqis later became the first Muslim woman to play NCAA

(National Collegiate Athletic Association) Division I basketball wearing a hijab.

She was invited to the White House three times and was recognized by

President Barack Obama for her achievements.

Bilqis trained hard and made it to the professional basketball level. However,

the professional league had a rule prohibiting headgear larger than five inches,

which meant she would not be allowed to wear her hijab on the court. So,

Bilqis had to choose between her faith and the sport she loved.

She chose her faith, advocated for Muslim women and girls in sports through

her nonprofit organization Muslim Girls Ball Too, and played a key role in

pushing the professional league, FIBA (International Basketball Federation), to

change their rule regarding headgear. That happened in 2017. Today, Bilqis is

an athletic director, motivational speaker and sports trainer, creating sports

programs, leagues and opportunities for Muslim girls and boys internationally.