NEWCASTLE (Paul Nilsen’s Women’s Basketball Worldwide) – Not even the best wordsmith can get anywhere near describing the overpowering emotion experienced when Lauren Hill scored her basket for Mount St Joseph recently.

Nor is it possible to even begin to describe how inspirational it was to see her smiling from ear to ear as she waved to the crowd and walked off the court, prior to declaring how it wasn’t her last game, but her first collegiate game.

Olympics and FIBA World Championship for Women tournaments are the foundation for inspiring more girls and young women to play the game – but even the most decorated Olympian can’t get anywhere near the courage and inspiration provided by Hill.

Her extraordinary battle against an inoperable brain tumor has not touched and inspired a nation. 

It has inspired fans of the game worldwide and indeed those who don’t even follow the game.

Given special dispensation by the NCAA, her Division III school, Mount St Joseph in Ohio were able to bring forward their season opener to allow the terminally ill Hill to play in the season opener before she was too sick to do so.

Even before the teenager stepped out, there was overwhelming support shown towards her situation as 10,000 people turned out to cheer this remarkable young woman - with Xavier University volunteering the use of their MSJ Home court.

They crowd went wild as Hill scored a couple of lay-ups in the contest, including a set-play after her team had won the tip-off.

Apparently she had to fight through the additional challenges of feeling dizzy, feint and her favoured right hand being too weak to use when going to the hoop in the game.

Entering his sixth season at Xavier, head coach Chris Mack summed it up when he spoke about Hill.

He said he was in awe at her courage and how she is responding to her tragic situation which had seen her a seemingly healthy 18 year old last year, looking forward to playing in the NCAA and with her whole life ahead of her.

It’s little wonder that the ‘King’ LeBron James counts himself as a fan and that Hill has now been given the honour of being the cover player for a special edition ‘NBA Live15’ game box, manufactured by EA Sports.

Meanwhile I would urge you to watch the captivating seven or eight minutes  of ‘Lauren Hill: One More Game’ by ESPN. It will have your throat experiencing a lump like never before and fighting back the tears - it's also something every player who moans about something trivial at a club needs to take on board.

Now she has lived her basketball dream by taking to the NCAA hardwood, Lauren is spending her precious time with family and friends, rather than in the locker room where she thought she would predominantly be for the next four years.

While her basketball career may have been brief – her legacy will be long. Few others in the women’s game have been quite so inspirational.

The women’s basketball family hugs you with so much love Lauren and we salute you for your passion for the game and amazing courage in the face of such unimaginable adversity.

Paul Nilsen

FIBA