When I say UC Irvine senior Diaba Konaté is utterly determined to win her next game, to do everything she can to extend her beloved basketball career, you say of course she is. So are hundreds of seniors whose playing days likely will end when their teams’ NCAA Tournament runs do. What makes her any different? The French Muslim, who wears a hijab, can’t play in her home country because of a ban on religious clothing in sports. … Later this year, Konaté will go home as a Big West Tournament champion who helped lead UCI to the second NCAA Tournament appearance in program history.

For the full story, please visit https://www.ocregister.com/2024/03/20/ncaa-tournament-diaba-konate-a-symbol-of-joy-for-uc-irvine-cant-play-basketball-in-france/.