Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir

Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir
Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir
Born	November 11, 1990 (age 36); Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Basketball player, activist, coach
Years active	2009–present
Known for	First NCAA athlete to compete while wearing a hijab; Muslim women's sports activism

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 1 December 2025

Bilqis Abdul-Qaadir (born November 11, 1990) is a former American college basketball athlete recognized for competing while wearing a hijab, the traditional head covering worn by Muslim women.

Abdul-Qaadir amassed 3,070 points during her high school career, establishing the all-time scoring record in Massachusetts. She spent four years playing at the University of Memphis before concluding her collegiate basketball tenure at Indiana State University, where she later took on the role of graduate assistant.

Early life and high school career

Hailing from Springfield, Massachusetts, Bilqis was raised in a devout Muslim family by her parents Tariq and Alooah Abdul-Qaadir. Her brother Yusuf also played basketball at Bentley College, guiding the team to two NCAA Division II Final Four appearances.

Beginning basketball at age four, Abdul-Qaadir integrated her religious beliefs by wearing a hijab and maintaining modest attire on the court. She joined varsity basketball as an eighth grader at New Leadership Charter School and reached 1,000 points during her freshman year—making her only the third player in Massachusetts history to achieve this feat so early. She closed her high school career with a total of 3,070 points, surpassing Rebecca Lobo’s previous state record of 2,740.

In 2009, she earned the Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year award after averaging 42 points per game as a senior. During her final high school contest, she scored 51 out of the team’s 56 points. She graduated with honors from New Leadership Charter School.

College

Abdul-Qaadir was awarded a full scholarship to attend the University of Memphis, where she played from 2009 to 2013 and graduated magna cum laude with a degree in exercise science. Her teammates affectionately called her Qisi.

After suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury during preseason as a freshman, she was redshirted for the 2009–2010 season. In the following year (2010–2011), she participated in 34 games, averaging 3.9 points and 1.3 rebounds per game, becoming the first NCAA athlete to compete while wearing a hijab. For this groundbreaking achievement, she received the United States Basketball Writers Association “Most Courageous” award at the NCAA Women's Final Four and was honored by President Barack Obama at the White House.

During the 2011–2012 season, Abdul-Qaadir improved her scoring average to 7.8 points per game. She became only the third point guard in Memphis Tigers history to record over 100 assists in one season and set a team record by making 26 consecutive free throws. The subsequent season was limited to 25 games due to a wrist injury, but she posted averages of 10.6 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.

Following graduation from Memphis, she utilized her final year of eligibility at Indiana State University, where she earned Conference Outstanding Newcomer honors (2013–2014), contributed to winning the Missouri Valley Conference championship, ranked tenth in single-season scoring with 454 points, and received First Team All-MVC as well as Second Team Scholar-Athlete distinctions. Additionally, she claimed seven conference weekly awards during that season. In 2014–2015, Abdul-Qaadir took on responsibilities as a graduate assistant coach for Indiana State’s women's basketball program.

Memphis and Indiana State statistics

Source

Year	Team	GP	Points	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2009-10	Memphis	Medical redshirt
2010-11	Memphis	34	131	33.1%	18.8%	78.7%	1.3	1.2	0.8	0.1	3.9
2011-12	Memphis	33	258	38.9%	32.4%	72.7%	3.2	3.4	2.4	0.1	7.8
2012-13	Memphis	25	265	39.0%	38.6%	84.3%	3.2	2.5	2.2	0.2	10.6
2013-14	Indiana State	32	454	39.6%	30.7%	77.3%	2.8	4.4	1.9	0.1	14.2
Career		124	1108	38.5%	32.4%	77.9%	2.6	2.9	1.8	0.1	8.9

Post-college

Abdul-Qaadir sought to pursue a professional basketball career in Europe but encountered obstacles due to the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) regulation that bans head coverings exceeding five inches in size, conflicting with her religious principles. She appealed for an exemption and ultimately achieved a successful ruling in 2017, which broadened opportunities for Muslim women in basketball.

She initiated the "Muslim Girls Hoop Too" movement aimed at encouraging Muslim women's participation in sports, particularly basketball, serving as a means to empower young females worldwide.

Her activism earned her invitations to the White House in 2015 for the Muslim Leaders Meeting hosted by President Obama, as well as involvement in the Easter Egg Roll event supporting the First Lady's "Let’s Move" initiative.

Presently, Abdul-Qaadir resides in London, Ontario with her husband Abdulwaahid Massey and their son, where they manage a basketball training facility dedicated to nurturing talent within their community.

Awards

2009 Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year
Western Massachusetts Player of the Year
Boston Globe All-Dream Team
Holder of Massachusetts Scoring Record
ESPN High School National Honor Roll
Valedictorian of her graduating class
Conference USA Commissioner's Honor Roll (2010–2012)
Tiger 3.0 Club member (2009–2011, Fall 2012)
Dean's List honoree (Fall 2009, Fall 2011, Fall 2012)
C-USA Academic Medalist (2010)
C-USA All-Academic Team selection (2013)

Eid al-Fitr

In 2009, Abdul-Qaadir received an invitation from President Barack Obama to attend the White House Eid al-Fitr celebration. During the event, Obama commended her as a role model for Muslim girls and a wider audience alike, recognizing her achievements both as an honor student and an athlete, and lightheartedly expressed interest in challenging her to a one-on-one basketball game.

Closed-door White House meeting

On February 4, 2015, Abdul-Qaadir was among a group of 14 American Muslims invited to participate in a confidential meeting with President Barack Obama at the White House.