From warmups to team dinners, from cheering courtside to cutting down the net in celebration, Amina was there for every moment. \u201cMy favorite memory was being able to see them win the championship, because it was so good to enjoy and see how proud they were and their families, too,\u201d she said. \u201cI was so proud of them\u2014they worked hard. It was exciting to cheer them on.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Amina\u2019s mom, Queena, saw firsthand how impactful and influential this connection became. \u201cThis experience means support, hope, and genuine love for my family,<\/strong>\u201d she said. \u201cSeeing Amina excited, supporting the team, looking forward to attending games, seeing them on TV, or just wanting to share something with them made our family happy to know she has another support system that brings a feeling of belonging.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n That sense of belonging quickly grew into something profound. Amina prepared for the championship game like any team player\u2014joining warmups and even grabbing a piece of the net during the post-game celebration. \u201cIt was wonderful and positive,\u201d she recalled. \u201cI was surprised when Coach called me to get a piece of the net like everyone else on the team. I loved the celebrating.<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Though winning the National Championship was an incredible experience for Queena, her favorite moments all stem in the positive changes she\u2019s witnessed in Amina since joining the team. Seeing Amina truly belong has been life-changing, Queena says, showing Amina the hard work and preparation that result in success. \u201cMy favorite memory with the team has been the consistent sense of inclusion for\u00a0Amina,\u201d Queena said. \u201cWatching Amina work out and try to mimic what the ladies were doing showed me just how much she adores and values them but also allowed her to see firsthand what it takes in order to prepare to succeed.<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because of this, Queena says, Amina\u2019s confidence and self-assurance have grown as well. She is more willing to talk to people, share her story more confidently, and trust that she has support from her entire team. \u201cShe brags about them all<\/strong>,\u201d Queena said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And what Amina and Queena feel for the team, the team feels right back. Assistant Coach Annie Harper Barrett, who participated in Team IMPACT as a student-athlete, joined the Team IMPACT Fellowship program, and even interned at Team IMPACT, summed it up by saying, \u201cWe call ourselves the \u2018sisterhood\u2019 and Amina has fit in perfectly.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOftentimes people assume that Amina is the primary beneficiary of this partnership,\u201d she continued, \u201cbut the joy and excitement that Amina has brought to our team is unmatched. Our girls and our staff light up when they see Amina. <\/strong>Regardless of what she\u2019s going through, she is always so positive and cheerful when we see her. Her energy is unmatched, and she truly does light up a room.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n This season, Amina\u2019s energy became part of NYU\u2019s winning formula. Whether sending good luck videos or cheering from the stands, she reminded the team what they were playing for and motivated them with her loud cheers from the crowd, her stylish NYU violet outfits, and her constant support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur success this year is in great part due to the people around us, including Amina. She is a constant reminder that we are playing and doing this for something bigger than ourselves, and her support of our girls is unmatched,\u201d Coach Annie continued. \u201cEven if Amina’s having a bad day or week, she\u2019s always sure to send us positive vibes. We could not do this without her.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Coach Annie credits a lot of Amina\u2019s positivity to Queena\u2019s influence. \u201cI want to give a shoutout to her mother, Queena, who has been an invaluable part of this experience,\u201d she said, \u201cnot only from a logistical standpoint of bringing Amina to the games and events, but Queena herself is an incredibly positive light and is always supporting us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n For Amina, Queena, and the entire NYU basketball program, it was always about more than basketball. Amina grew in confidence, proudly sharing her teammates\u2019 accomplishments with her family and even turning them into fans themselves. Queena recalled a game where Amina brought her younger cousin with her, cheering together and celebrating on the court after the win. \u201cThey felt like rockstars<\/strong>,\u201d Queena said. \u201cI thank Team IMPACT and the team for making these wonderful opportunities that make a supportive difference.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOne loving and funny moment in Virginia was prior to the game,\u201d Queena recalled, \u201cteammate Kelsey\u2019s grandma came to meet Amina and told Amina she had heard so much about her and was glad to meet her in person. Amina looked at me with surprise and said, \u2018Mommy, Kelsey talks about me to her family too, just like I talk about her!\u2019\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Coach Annie agreed that these are the moments that define what Team IMPACT is all about\u2014creating lifelong bonds, building resilience, and celebrating every kind of win. These are the moments that drew her to the program as a student-athlete and kept her involved all these years later. \u201cAs someone who has seen it from multiple levels, our team truly appreciates all of the hard work that goes into making these relationships not only happen but flourish and grow,\u201d she said. \u201cHaving been a part of it this year, we can\u2019t imagine our team without Amina and her family. Having Amina and Queena in Virginia for our National Championship game was truly the cherry on top!\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Congratulations to the NYU women\u2019s basketball team on their historic season\u2014and to Amina, a National Champion in every way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At Team IMPACT, we believe in the transformative power of team. This season, the NYU women\u2019s basketball team had a historic season that capped off with a National Championship win\u2014and they gained a lifelong teammate and sister along the way in nine-year-old Amina.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":7997,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[33,25,17],"tags":[38],"mens-teams":[],"class_list":["post-7996","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-match-stories","category-perspective","category-success-stories","tag-northeast"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.teamimpact.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/IMG_5552.jpg?resize=800%2C600&quality=89&ssl=1\")
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