Sporting Witness
Sporting Witness
Ryneldi Becenti - Native American basketball hero
Up next
May 19, 2022
9 minutes
Available for over a year
It's 25 years since Ryneldi Becenti became the first Native American to play in the women's NBA when she made her debut for the Phoenix Mercury. Basketball is a big sport on Native American reservations and success made Becenti a hero in her community. In 2019, Lucy Burns spoke to Ryneldi Becenti about her career and her challenging family background.
Photo: Ryneldi Becenti playing for Arizona State University (courtesy Arizona State University)