A Massachusetts college basketball player born with one arm has made history. Baileigh Sinaman-Daniel, a guard at Lesley University, became the first one-armed Division III player to score in an NCAA women’s basketball game.
“I kind of just shot the ball with the anticipation that I would have to go and get it back on a rebound,” Sinaman-Daniel told The Associated Press about the historic basket. “When the shot actually went in, I was more so surprised.”
The college junior mentioned how she was cut from her high school basketball team.
“I had played for my high school for about three years and my senior year of high school when I tried out again, as I always did, I actually got cut and the coach basically told me that I wasn’t needed on the team,” she said.
“I thought to myself, I could do this in college. What’s stopping me from doing this in college?” Sinaman-Daniel said. “So, I started emailing hundreds of coaches and it didn’t really matter what division it was. I was just trying to get a possible maybe or even better — a yes.”
Martin Rather, Lesley’s basketball coach, was impressed by the 22-year-old’s drive.
After Sinaman-Daniel spent two years at North Carolina’s Warren Wilson College, Rather selected the 5-foot-6-inch guard from the transfer portal.
“I’m really just so proud,” Rather said. “Seeing Baileigh score, you know her face lit up, so did those faces of her teammates, it was just a really wonderful moment.”
Sinaman-Daniel added, “It is not very common to see somebody with one arm playing basketball. I think there’s probably about two or three of us in the collegiate level.”
Despite the number of one-armed players, Rather believes Sinaman-Daniel is an asset to any team.
“I think any team in this country would benefit from having a player with Baileigh’s heart on their team,” Rather said.
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