Faatimah A says basketball has changed her life and when she tells her story it's clear that is no exaggeration.
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Faatimah arrived in Dubbo from California this week and will headline the returning Rams women's side in the 2019 Waratah League.
Travelling overseas is nothing new for the livewire guard, who has developed into a leading player and coach.
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Making the journey even more amazing is how difficult things were for Faatimah in her early years.
"Growing up, my family wasn't in the best situation financially and we were actually homeless during my middle school years for about three years," she said.
Thankfully she had a coach who believed in her and her talents and two trips to youth camps run by the all-conquering Golden State Warriors NBA franchise changed everything.
"Being in that atmosphere really helped me shift something mentally and I wanted more from myself," the 27-year-old said.
"I changed my environment around me after my middle school years and in high school I started surrounding myself with a crowd who was more basketball-minded and wanted to play at the next level.
"After that I just did my best to surround myself with the best people and they would help me succeed."
Succeed she has done, and now she wants to bring all she's learnt to the Dubbo Basketball Association.
"I can't stress enough how basketball has changed my life. It's taken me to so many places and helped me interact with so many amazing people. I'm very fortunate to be able to have this gift," she said.
"Whoever knows me knows how hard-working I am and how determined I am, but also how grateful I am because this sport has given so many opportunities."
Faatimah will be a key leader for the newly-reformed Rams side this season, working alongside Ty Forrester as coach.
The Rams women haven't competed since 2012 and being the first female import in a group starting from scratch is an incredibly exciting opportunity.
"It's a huge thing and I'm happy to be part of this program," she said.
"I'm looking forward to meeting the girls and interact with members of the community as well.
"I've always wanted to play in Australia and it's been a huge dream of mine. The opportunity jumped out at me."
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In terms of what Faatimah hopes to bring to the side, it's about providing a "spark".
While she expects the level of competition to be high, the player who has recently coached in France and at Golden State Warriors youth camps wants to perform well and have a good time while doing it.
"I just want to have fun while I'm out there and see what we can accomplish," she said.
As for what her own game will be like?
"I like to think of myself as someone who's crafty. I like to be very deceptive on the court," she said.
"I love to score but I'm also able to get my teammates involved and I love to help players get open looks. I like the flashy pass sometimes to keep things interesting but I'm also very defensively-minded."
The Rams women are scheduled to play their first game on March 30 against Tamworth.