Tiffany Mitchell, a women's basketball player for the Australian Melbourne Boomers, accused Basketball Australia (BA) of racial discrimination over the implementation of a rule that prohibited players from wearing their hair in braids unless it was tied up or in a bun. The 27-year-old, who felt the rule was unjust, took a knee before a game alongside her teammates in protest.  

BA’s policy was once upheld by The International Basketball Federation (FIBA), however, the requirement was cut from the Women’s National Basketball League, according to the Australian publication The Age.

The league said the initial protocol was instituted for safety because team members could potentially be injured by players who wore their hair in braids, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. Mitchell took to social media to express her hurt and disappointment after being approached to tie up her braids.  

“An email was also sent out informing coaches and referees to make sure the “rule” was in place for “the players” with braids, she continued. I don’t know how many years this league chooses to enforce this “fiba” rule about the length of someone’s hair,” she said in her post. 

Mitchell added that she thought the rule specifically targeted Black players, saying, “I’ve played all around the world, in every top league at the highest level and my braids have never been an issue.”

The athlete and the league, however, were able to come to a resolution before her team's game against the Southside Flyers. But the 27-year-old still wanted to share how the experience affected her in the face of winning the game. 

“You can clearly see the pain I was still carrying — how are you enforcing a rule that isn’t even a rule anymore?’ The target I felt I had on my back was indescribable but still played with all the disappointment I felt from Basketball Australia,” Mitchell, who left the WNBA's Indiana Fever to play for the Boomers, said.

“Goes to show we have a long way to go for equality all over the world. Unfortunate it had to be for these conversations to happen but happy that Basketball Australia is held accountable and become aware of the ignorance that was displayed in this situation,” she said. 

After the game, the BA released a statement apologizing to Mitchell, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

“Basketball Australia makes an unreserved apology for any anguish and pain that was caused by this rule," the statement read. "The policy has been deemed discriminatory and inconsistent with Basketball Australia’s Diversity and Inclusion framework by the WNBL Commission."

“It is also not enforced in either the WNBL, other leading professional women’s leagues around the world or international competitions such as the Olympics and World Cup. … To this end, the WNBL Commission has removed the policy, effective immediately," the statement continued.

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