Good Sports: BROWN BEARS BASKETBALL
Shayna and Nina Mehta of Brown University in Rhode Island have received scant attention for their basketball skills outside Ivy League circles, but they’re among only a handful of Indian-Americans to make the roster of NCAA Division 1 teams. The sisters, who hail from the San Francisco area, are also the first Indian-American sisters to play for the same Division 1 team. Shayna, a senior guard, is captain of the Brown Bears, averaging 16.5 points per game this year. Nina, also a guard, is only a freshman, subbing in for a couple of minutes per game.
Entering her final season, Shayna ranked ninth all-time in career points for the Bears and third all-time in career 3-pointers.
In an article for Brown magazine in 2017, Shayna said she was fortunate that her parents, Yogy Mehta and Usha Rajagopal, had supported her athletic goals. “They have allowed me to challenge traditional cultural barriers in athletics with their guidance,” she wrote. “With so few desi women athletes in sports to follow as role models, my parents’ support has been the key to my achievements.”
Compiled and partly written by Indian humorist MELVIN DURAI, author of the novel Bala Takes the Plunge.
[Comments? Contributions? Please email us at melvin@melvindurai.com. We welcome jokes, quotes, online clips, and more.]
Enjoyed reading Khabar magazine? Subscribe to Khabar and get a full digital copy of this Indian-American community magazine.
