Movin' on up - The University of Texas-Arlington women’s wheelchair basketball team is on the rise

Charlotte (Steve Goldberg’s Wheel World) - Practice officially started on Wednesday this week for the second season of the University of Texas-Arlington (UTA) Lady Movin' Mavs. And it couldn't be more different than last year.

Coach Jason Nelms went through the inaugural season without having to worry about a rotation as he only had five players. When one dropped out before the final tournament quarterfinal against Edinboro (Pennsylvania) University, they played with four - as in the classic hoops movie Hoosiers - and won. With only four players though, they had to forfeit the chance to compete in a semifinal.

"We won with only four and had to swallow the pill of forfeiting but I've never been more proud to represent UTA and I know we made coach Hayes proud," says Nelms, referring to the late Jim Hayes, founder and long-time coach of Movin' Mavs men's wheelchair basketball team.

If the name is familiar, it should be. Nelms made a name for himself on the court for UTA, a program which has seven national titles, before taking it global on the USA Paralympic National Team as a sharpshooting point guard. He's a card-carrying gym rat who often posts on Facebook that he's headed to the court and looking for a game.

He quoted his former mentor in saying "It's not who you are playing, it's that you are playing," and added his own note of "Our girls are now here. The train is coming, either get on board or get off the tracks because we don't have brakes."

The girls he refers to are the seven new recruits joining the two holdovers from last year, Morgan Wood and Elaina Terry. New to the squad are Josie Alaskson, Abby Dunkin, Lindsey McGlinch, Mikila Salazar, Kiya Smith, Bridgette Wise, and one Rose Hollerman.

If that last name sounds familiar, it should as well. Hollerman played for the USA's Women's Paralympic Team in London as a 15-year-old and was a bigger part of this summer's IWBF World Championship squad that took silver in Toronto. Her excitement on landing in Texas is about as big as the Lone Star State.

"UTA forming a team changed my entire career path," said Hollerman in a TV interview. "On and off the court, it changed everything about my life"

"It was extremely tough to recruit our first season without having a true team to show our recruits," says Nelms.

Wood was the first significant player to commit.

"She took a huge leap of faith for us and has helped tremendously in recruiting. She is determined to make the USA team and her dedication has helped us build our culture," explained Nelms.

"We had an unbelievable recruiting year and brought in girls with the skill and academics to make this program strive. Every single one we wanted also wanted us - what a fit. Adding a Rose Hollerman was huge. We will be a powerhouse soon. And after a year of only five players, I welcome the workload."

Hollerman isn't the only stud. Alaskson, Dunkin and Wood have seen time with the USA National Development Team. Hollerman and Alaskson already have chemistry having played together on the Minnesota Courage junior team.

UTA will open the season on October 31 with a tournament including the University of Alabama, and women's NWBA teams from Arizona and Dallas. With just four teams in the women's collegiate division - the University of Edinboro withdrew for this year - UTA, Alabama, the University of Illinois and the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater will also compete against outside women's and men's teams to fill their schedules.

The Lady Movin' Mavs will have about 25 games this season.

Nelms' outlook for the season is one of calculated optimism. The competitor in him has an eye on the prize but it's tempered with a mix of coach-speak and poker face.

Three-time defending champions Whitewater are losing three of the four Paralympic stars that led them to the title last year. Americans Becca Murray and Desiree Miller, along with Germany's Mareike Adermann depart while Mariska Beijer of the Netherlands returns.

With their entire team returning, Nelms feels that last year's runners-up "Alabama is the team to beat. But for us, we are at the bottom, so everyone is our target."

Looking towards the future, Nelms wants to bring the international level players to Arlington who are now going to Alabama, Illinois and Wisconsin. But first things first.

"My main goal is to improve each practice. If we can do that by the end of the season we can compete. Can we win? Maybe but our goal is to get better each time we take the court. I want to be in the championship game and that's our goal. Then it's ours to win and theirs to lose."

That focus is echoed by Wood who told a Dallas TV station: "We're ready to win championships here. We want our name up on the wall along with the guys."

And that's just what the coach likes to hear.

Steve Golberg

FIBA

FIBA's columnists write on a wide range of topics relating to basketball that are of interest to them. The opinions they express are their own and in no way reflect those of FIBA.

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