There's a long tradition of Native American girls playing basketball in the United States. (You can check out some past entries in this blog's WBBall History section to catch up on the backstory.)

Thanks to an email from Peggy, we get a piece from Andi at the Outer Limits blog on a group of young women preparing to compete in Native American Basketball Invitational tournament (NABI) on July 19th.

I watch the girls scrimmage, and I’m struck by the effortless athleticism of almost all of them. Most shoot either-handed, dribble and fake with moves that rival pros, and conduct seemingly impossible passes under the boards. At an average age of 16, most of these girls have been playing basketball for 10 years out here in Indian Country and most play other sports, on teams that consistently go to state tournaments or take state championships in their divisions.

But fewer than 5 percent of college athletes across the nation are Native. I’m here to explore that, to find out what drives these young women, and to find out what in their communities both nurtures and hinders them. Watching them on the court, I’m caught up in the way the team works together, and the focus of every single player out there. A few bystanders wander in and take up positions near the old stage, on one end of the court. I ask one what he thinks and he says: “I’m just glad they’re playing and going to the tournament.”