The University of Arizona boasts the largest and most successful adaptive sports program nationwide, and one of only five with women’s wheelchair basketball.
For the past 50 years, the university has supported adaptive athletes in basketball, golf, hand cycling, para swimming, rugby, tennis and track, and sent 51 athletes to compete in the Paralympics.
“It’s so cool, honestly. I get so excited when anyone recognizes that,” said Josie Aslakson, head coach of UA women’s adaptive basketball. “It’s a good reminder to me of being a part of something bigger.”
The Wildcats began regular-season play on Friday and Saturday at the University of Texas-Arlington. Arizona will host one tournament this season at the South REC, 1400 E. Sixth St., on Jan. 24-26, 2025.
In March 2026, the Wildcats are expected to host the Collegiate Wheelchair Basketball National Championship for both men and women. It would be the largest tournament hosted in program history.
Head Coach Josie Aslakson instructs her athletes in a drill at practice.
On Sept. 30, four athletes from the UA women’s adaptive basketball team — Alma Velasquez, Sam Fraser, Ella Rae Rodriguez and Alyssa Freeman — left for the team’s first international event, a competition with the Peruvian national team.
“They’ll go to competitions at night and they will go to hospitals and schools to spread disability awareness and advocacy during the day,” said Peter Hughes, director of adaptive athletics and former coach of the women’s team, before the trip. “It’s quite the exciting adventure for them.”
Joining them in Peru were para athletes from the women’s basketball programs at the City University of New York, Alabama, Illinois, Texas and Wisconsin. Despite being rivals on the court, the trip presented an opportunity for the players to connect.
“We’re always competing, we’re always against each other – it’s a completely different dynamic to leave the country with them,” said Velasquez, who traveled outside the United States for her first time.
Wheelchair basketball has been a staple at the Paralympic Games since its introduction in 1960. As the sport grows, so does its visibility. NBCUniversal reports that the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games averaged 1.2 million viewers–up 31% from Tokyo’s 888,000.
Abigayle Dunn, a senior on the women’s wheelchair basketball team guards sophomore Samantha Fraser in practice in September.
“It’s cool to see that we’re moving in the right direction,” said Aslakson. “Hopefully the paralympic movement trickles down into affecting the college teams having better opportunities and more visibility.”
Both Aslakson and Assistant Coach Courtney Ryan have represented Team USA at the last two Paralympic Games as athletes, earning bronze medals in Tokyo and silver medals in Paris.
“It’s so fun to get that chemistry on the court and then translate it to the sideline,” said Aslakson.
Hughes and her fellow UA teammates watched their coaches go for the gold in Paris; UA adaptive athletics hosted a live broadcast watch party on NBC.
“Of course I watched (the gold medal game). We watched it as a team,” Hughes said. “We got up at 3 in the morning, I brought donuts and we got everything set up to watch the game.”
“We did a bunch of chants and cheers,” he said. “It was quite fun.”
With Aslakson and Ryan back in Tucson, they’ve shifted their focus to the upcoming collegiate season. The Wildcats finished fourth last season, but Aslakson is aiming for a top-three spot this year.
“I love having them back. They bring such a great energy to the gym,” said Velasquez, a third-year student-athlete on the team.
