Excerpt:
Playing basketball, Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir was always the best player on the court. The Springfield native finished her high school career as the leading scorer in Massachusetts state history. During her senior season at New Leadership she earned the Goodnow Award and was named the Gatorade state player of the year.
Abdul-Qaadir went to college and excelled in the classroom and on the basketball court at Memphis and Indiana State. And now, this exceptional student athlete, a young woman who represented her community in the best possible way sits idle, unable to pursue a professional career because of politics.
"As of right now I'm really in a holding pattern because of FIBA," Abdul-Qaadir said. "I think in many ways the key word in FIBA is international. I think that's what upsets me most."