Head Dress Flap

Women's Basketball, Dec 2004

The University of South Florida was set to ask the NCAA for an exemption to its uniform policy that would allow a Muslim player to wear Islamic clothing on the basketball court.

However, South Florida player Andrea Armstrong, a Muslim convert, left the team in September. Armstrong, originally from Lakeside, Ore., had left the team earlier saying she lost her athletic scholarship after she was told she could not wear religiously mandated clothing during practices or games. She wanted to wear long pants, a top with long sleeves and a head scarf, according to a report by the Associated Press.

Originally, school officials said Armstrong voluntarily left the team and was not pressured to do so, according to the story. However, school officials after meeting with Armstrong and the Council on American-Islamic Relations, agreed the team would accommodate her attire and reinstate her scholarship, while working with the NCAA on the matter. Armstrong then later voluntarily left the team on a permanent basis.

Armstrong averaged 3.4 points and 2.3 rebounds last year for South Florida after transferring from Kansas State where she played from 2000-2002.

"Knowing the potential of my team and how hard coach (Jose) Fernandez and the rest of the coaching staff is working with the team, I don't want this issue to cause further distraction," Armstrong wrote in a handwritten note to Fernandez in mid-September. "I am concerned that this is dividing my team, school and community. Because of this concern I believe it best to withdrawl (sic) from the team. So please consider this my resignation."