Hoops, Hijabs, Heartbreak and Hope: Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir comes home with a message

Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir hosts basketball clinic at Springfield College

Last week, I was reunited with Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir.

I first became aware of this extraordinary young woman at halftime of a high school basketball game in 2004. I was teaching then, as now, at Springfield College, but also covering sports for The Boston Globe, and I was curious to see a high school team called New Leadership and its star player, Yusuf Abdul-Ali. Indeed, he was impressive to watch: strong, unselfish, creative. He was the best player on a powerhouse team that would ultimately make it all the way to the state championship game.

But the moment that really caught my eye was just after the halftime buzzer sounded when the teams retreated to the locker room. A tiny girl, maybe 5 feet tall, was doing some dazzling things on the court. She was playing ball with four teenagers, all taller and seemingly a few years older. Read more ...