Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir was notable for playing basketball while wearing a hijab, a headscarf for Muslim women.
21 Facts About Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir
1.
2.
Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir played four years of college basketball for the University of Memphis.
3.
Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir finished her college basketball career at Indiana State University, where she later served as a graduate assistant with the team.
4.
Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir was born in Springfield, Massachusetts, on November 11,1990, to Tariq and Alooah Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir.
5.
Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir began wearing a headscarf, a traditional head covering for Muslim women, and practiced modesty on the court by covering all skin except her hands.
6.
Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir began playing varsity basketball in eighth grade at New Leadership Charter School.
7.
Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir reached 1,000 career points as a freshman, only the third player in Massachusetts history to do so.
Related searches
Barack Obama 8.
Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir finished her high school career with 3,070 points, surpassing Lobo's previous record of 2,740.
9.
Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir was named 2009 Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year, averaging 42 points per game as a senior.
10.
Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir graduated from New Leadership Charter School as an honor student.
11.
Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir's received a full scholarship to the University of Memphis where she played four years.
12.
Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir was invited to the White House and was acknowledged by President Barack Obama for being the first Muslim woman to play covered in collegiate basketball.
13.
Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir set a team record by making 26 consecutive free throws in the regular season.
14.
Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir averaged 10.6 points per game and 3.2 rebounds per game.
15.
Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir's hopes were to continue playing professionally in Europe, but were quickly diminished when she was informed of the rule from the International Basketball Federation that prohibits headgear larger than five inches.
16.
Unwilling to stray in her beliefs, Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir has stood up to the international rules, petitioning for an exemption to the rule.
17.
Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir put her dreams of playing professionally aside as she works to now pave a way for other Muslim women in sports.
18.
In 2009 Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir was invited to the White House by President Barack Obama for Eid al-Fitr.
19.
The president spoke about how much of an inspiration Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir was, due to her being an honor student as well as an athlete, and how she was not only an inspiration to Muslim girls but an inspiration to everyone in the world today.
20.
Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir joked and said how he wanted to play her in a game of 1-on-1.
21.
On February 4,2015, Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir was one of 14 American Muslims invited to a closed-door meeting with President Barack Obama at the White House.