Though statistics are not readily available, very few Indian girls have competed in NCAA Division 1. My ultimate goal is to play in the WNBA. This Division 1 college has given me three years.
It’s going to be a difficult journey for me; I’ll have to work hard and I’m willing to do that, Ann Mary told The Hindu on Thursday night from Texas. Five years ago, I never imagined I’d be playing in the United States for a US college; I’m truly blessed.
This is my third year in the United States. When I first arrived here, it was very different from India, both physically and mentally. My coaches are pushing me to improve as a player. I’m getting better with each practise session.
Ann Mary was born with basketball genes. Her parents, Zachariah Thomas and Jeena Zachariah, are former internationals who now work for the Southern Railway in Chennai, and she began playing at the age of 10 and is now one of the country’s best juniors.
The 6’2 forward, who attended Mount Carmel School in Kottayam and had previously participated in NBA development camps, represented India in the under-16 and under-18 Asian championships (the country competed in Division ‘B’).
She was one of four Indian girls chosen for the NCAA’s Next Generation camp in Florida in 2019, and she later attended the Kansas State Life Preparatory Academy.
Her new moves in the United States will be closely monitored at home.
