In recognition of Girls and Women in Sports Day, United Spinal Association, a national disability rights organization, in partnership with the New York Liberty of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), announces the formation of the United Spinal Liberty women’s wheelchair basketball team. The team will proudly wear the Liberty uniform and compete throughout the US under the United Spinal Liberty team logo.
Head Coach Re Marks explained, “The team started when a group of women wanted to continue playing the sport they loved after ‘aging out’ of the junior wheelchair basketball programs at just 21 years old.” The team is currently looking forward to qualifying for the Women’s National Tournament in Birmingham, Alabama in March. “There are many teams for men and the women wanted to have a team of their own,” Marks said. “United Spinal Association has been a monumental help in achieving this sponsorship with the Liberty and we are proud to be part of such an established team and organization.”
The New York Liberty is the first professional WNBA team to sponsor a wheelchair basketball team and the United Spinal Liberty is the 11th women’s wheelchair basketball team in the country, and the first in the tri-state area. The United Spinal Liberty consists of 15 women, ranging in age from 5 to 51 years old.
“The New York Liberty is pleased to join the United Spinal Association in sponsoring the first women’s wheelchair basketball team in the tri-state area,” said Carol Blazejowski, Senior Vice President and General Manager, New York Liberty. “It brings us great pride to encourage all female athletes to compete in our game of basketball.”
Under similar, innovative affiliations with other professional franchises throughout the New York metropolitan area, United Spinal Association sponsors swimming, softball, track and field, and handcycling, and hosts numerous adaptive sports clinics for children and adults throughout the country.
“We want to make adaptive sports more available to people with disabilities—particularly women—because it is beneficial on so many levels,” said Victor Calise, United Spinal’s Director of Sports Marketing “Competing is a great way to combat heart disease—the leading cause of death in women—while also building confidence, self-esteem, and independence.”
Wheelchair basketball follows the same rules as NCAA basketball with several exceptions. There is a four-second lane violation rule for the offense, as opposed to the standard three seconds, and players are classified according to the severity of their disability. Players with the most mobility are assigned “Class III,” while players with the least mobility are graded “Class I.” Teams are not allowed to have more than 12 classification points on the court at any one time. Anyone with a disability that prevents him or her from playing traditional basketball is eligible to play wheelchair basketball. Common disabilities include spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, and amputations.
United Spinal Association is a national nonprofit disability rights organization. The Association sponsors a wide variety of wheelchair recreational and adaptive sports programs, guided by the belief that the benefits of athletic competition are no different for athletes with disabilities than for the able-bodied. Membership is free and open to all individuals with spinal cord disabilities. For more information visit call our toll free number, 800-404-2898.
