Ann gets NCAA call, a step away from WNBA

Kerala Girl Is 5th Indian To Play In NCAA D-1 College Basketball in USA

Nagpur: Ann Mary Zachariah averaged 15.4 points per game in her first collegiate season at the junior level in the US and took a giant leap to- wards realizing her dream of playing in the world's best basketball league for women -the WNBA.

The 19-year-old forward was picked by Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado, to play NCAA Division 1 college basketball. She became the fifth Indian cager to get a scholarship to play at the NCAA level, which is just a step away from the WNBA.

The 6-foot-3 forward from Kottayam, Kerala, an alum- nus of the NBA Academy India, has been playing basket- ball in the United States since September 2020, when she committed to Life Prep Academy in Wichita, Kansas, before joining Howard Junior College in Big Spring, Texas.

At Howard, Ann Mary averaged 15.4 points per game while shooting 40.2 percent and pulling down 10.4 rebounds per contest. She also recorded nine games with 20+ points, including a career high 37 on 14-for-22 in shooting. With her dominating performance on the court, she was named the WJCAC Women's Basketball Freshman of the Year and to the All- Conference Team. Ann Mary's consistent performance gave her a berth to play with the future stars from where WNBA scouts pick the best women cagers.

"This scholarship means everything to me. This was the day I was waiting for a long time, to play D1 women's college basketball in America. I am proud to be an Indian and playing here. I just wanted to make my family and country proud," Ann Mary told TOI.

She will be at Colorado University for three years and will play D-1 NCAA basketball in the Mountain West Conference under head coach Ryun Williams.