When Baileigh Sinaman-Daniel was cut from her high school basketball team senior year, she didn’t let the rejection—or the fact that she was born with one arm—stop her from pursuing her dream. That dream? Playing the game she fell in love with 15 years ago, thanks to her childhood idol, LeBron James.
Fast forward to today, and the 22-year-old guard at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, made history as the first NCAA Division III women’s basketball player with one arm to score in a collegiate game, according to her coach, Martin Rather.
“I kind of just shot the ball thinking I’d have to grab the rebound,” Baileigh said about the basket she made from near the three-point line. “When it actually went in, I was surprised.” Her coach immediately called a timeout to mark the moment.
Baileigh’s journey to this historic shot started with a tough experience at Mountain View High School in Stafford, Virginia. After three years of playing, she tried out for the team again her senior year, only to be cut. The coach told her she wasn’t needed. That news hit hard. “I cried for two days straight,” Baileigh recalled. “But then, sitting in my car, I thought, ‘Why can’t I do this in college?’ So, I started emailing hundreds of coaches, no matter the division, just hoping for a chance.”
That persistence paid off when Baileigh, a 5’6” guard, entered the transfer portal after two years at Warren Wilson College in North Carolina. Coach Rather at Lesley University took notice, and Baileigh’s dedication quickly earned her a spot on the Lynx team.
Now, she’s known for her incredible work ethic, completing more individual practice sessions than anyone else on the team, which is having its best season in 14 years and making it to the playoffs. Coach Rather said, “Any team in the country would benefit from having a player with Baileigh’s heart.”
Her success is even more significant considering how rare it is to see one-armed players in collegiate basketball. Since Baileigh can’t rely on the usual two-armed techniques for things like ball handling or shooting, she’s had to develop her own methods. “I’ve had to tweak and adjust everything,” she said, from receiving passes to perfecting her shooting form.
Baileigh scored her second basket on her birthday, about seven weeks after her first, adding even more joy to her breakout season. Now in her junior year, studying psychology, she hopes her story will inspire others facing their own challenges.
“When people look at me, I just hope they see me as Baileigh,” she said. “I want them to see me as a basketball player who’s doing everything everyone else is doing.”
Coach Rather agrees, noting her impact extends beyond the court: “We’re showing that you can win and have high-quality players who might not look like everyone else.”
