NCAA star misses Olympic opportunity due to religious beliefs

Earlier this year, UC Irvine guard Diaba Konate was named the Big West's Best Defensive Player for her stellar showing in the NCAA Women's March Madness tournament. The French native became the first Anteater to win the award since Angie Ned in 2006-07 after she averaged 2.1 steals per game as a senior.

Konate was a menace on defense even before joining UCI, averaging nearly two steals per game during her three-year stint at Idaho State between 2019-22. Through her five-year college career, Konate compiled an impressive 277 steals.

You'd think those accolades would be enough to get the 24-year-old a spot on the French team at the 2024 Paris Olympics. However, she's not allowed to represent her country because she wears a hijab.

While FIBA, the WNBA and the NCAA do not preclude female hoopers from wearing a hijab, the French Federation of Basketball (FFBB) is not that progressive of a sporting body. The FFBB continues to enforce French laws on secularism that ban any form of symbols or clothing that expresses a religious affiliation in public schools or other institutions linked to the country. 

Technically, FIBA is the governing body for all international basketball — including the Olympics — but FFBB has the final authority here because Konate is a French national. In other words, foreign athletes are not affected by the secularism rules.

For Konate, the 2024 Paris Olympics omission is a "frustrating" reality that she hopes future athletes like herself don't have to endure. 

"The context in France makes me nervous," Konate said in a Zoom call, via Yahoo Sports. "It's very frustrating to be excluded from representing my country or just being able to play basketball simply because of my religious identity as a Muslim woman who chooses to wear hijab. I can't fully express my faith and pursue my athletic aspiration."

The basketball player isn't the only French woman trying to overcome her country's secularism laws. Sprinter Sounkamba Sylla won't be participating in the opening ceremony as he wears a hijab, too.  

Konate acknowledged that she wasn't a shoo-in to make the French national team, but lamented that she didn't get the opportunity to find out. She has played on France's U18 team in the past, before the hijab ban was in effect. 

"I don't know if I'm good enough, to be honest," Konate said. "I will never be able to answer that. I've never had the opportunity actually to be part of the team."

Konate and N.C. State's Jannah Eissa were two women who proudly wore their hijabs during the NCAA Tournament earlier this year.