09/20/2026
Stacy Abrams who taught Santa Barbara City College tells the story of winning the championship.
Day 19 of my Deaf Story!
If I wasn’t Deaf… I wouldn’t have become a USADB Women’s Basketball National Champion!
I’m a HUGE basketball lover, whether I’m playing or watching. And if you don’t know by now, I’m also a huge Razorbacks fan!
When I was a student at Gallaudet, our Deaf club back home, the Little Rock Association of the Deaf (LRAD), decided to put together a women’s basketball team. Of course, I was IN!
We always did well at regionals and had all kinds of finishes at Nationals, but we kept coming back. Then in 2000 in Rhode Island, we finally did it, we became USADB National Champions!
Most of us grew up playing basketball together, and we also had a few players from Mississippi join us after their women’s team disbanded. And we showed that a small state could PLAY! We went up against so many great women’s teams, so we had to play smart & work together. The tournaments were always like a reunion, seeing old friends, having fun and just play ball.
Our coach, Acey, was seriously the BEST! We also had the best managers, fans, and people who were always rooting us on. We worked hard, but we always had so much fun. So many great memories from those years.
Thank you, LRAD, for giving me a few extra years to keep playing the game I loved!
So if I wasn’t Deaf… I wouldn’t have become a USADB Women’s Basketball National Champion!
