Hijab wearing players in women’s NCAA Tournament hope to inspire others

By DOUG FEINBERG
AP Basketball Writer

N.C. State’s Jannah Eissa and UC Irvine’s Diaba Konate are leaving a big impact off the court, bringing visibility and inspiration to Muslim women by wearing hjiabs while they play. They aren’t the first women to do it in NCAA Tournament play, but with record viewership and attendance they are certainly getting noticed. Konate admires Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir, who made NCAA history by being the first to wear a hijab in college basketball when she played for Memphis a decade ago. Abdul-Qaadir was instrumental in getting FIBA to overturn its own ban on headgear in 2017.