Every basketball fan is familiar with HORSE—the driveway game that lets players of all skill levels compete to show off their shots.
At 6 p.m. on Feb. 7 at the Huntington Bank Rotunda at the Mall of America, fans can watch FLOSS, a renamed variation of HORSE sponsored by Delta Dental. The competition will bring some of Minnesota’s top female executives and basketball notables to show their stuff in a free family event, called “If You See Her, You Can Be Her.”
It’s the third consecutive year that Delta Dental has sponsored the event and invited the community to get in on the fun.
“When young people, especially young girls, look around and see women who have achieved success as leaders and are positive visible role models, they are better able to imagine themselves growing into these roles in their own futures,” explained Stephanie Albert, chief legal officer of Delta Dental of Minnesota and president of the Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation.
FLOSS is intentionally being staged on National Girls and Women in Sports Day, which honors the creation of Title IX, the landmark civil rights legislation credited with opening athletic participation for girls and women.
The friendly competition among 20 high-profile Minnesota women leaders demonstrates the lifelong value of competition.
“Participating in sports instills essential characteristics like strength and resilience, perseverance, discipline, and teamwork that are essential for a lifetime of success and well-being,” added Albert.
Some of the 20 accomplished on-court participants at this year’s competition include Rachel Banham, point guard, Minnesota Lynx and assistant coach; Minnesota Gopher Women’s Basketball, Allison Kaplan, editor of Twin Cities Business; DeLinda Washington, Chief People Officer HealthPartners; and Kathie Eiland-Madison, Delta Dental’s chief engagement and inclusion officer and former Gopher player.
“The powerful women who are participating are modeling the future of success to girls in our community,” Albert said.
Well-known former professional basketball players will be on the sidelines with the teams. High-profile coaches include Rebekkah Brunson, five-time WNBA champion and All-Star and current Minnesota Lynx assistant coach, Terry Porter, former NBA All-Star and head coach, and Quincy Lewis, former Timberwolves and Gopher basketball player and current director of alumni relations for the Utah Jazz.
Fans will even be dazzled by the celebrity status of the emcees for the day—former Bachelorette Michelle Young and former Gopher basketball standout and Minnesota Lynx and Timberwolves broadcaster Lea B. Olsen will again bring their knowledge and personalities to the competition.
The FLOSS “If You See Her You Can Be Her” competition caps off a day of free family sports-related events at the Huntington Rotunda at the Mall of America sponsored by Delta Dental.
From 2 – 3 p.m., Diamond Miller and the Minnesota Lynx will lead a Practice with a Purpose Youth Basketball Clinic. That will be followed by Sports and Our Somali Community Athlete Showcase featuring Kalsoni Activewear, hosted by Michelle Young from 4 – 5 p.m., then performances by the Minneapolis Hoop Jams, TKO Drumline & Knockout Dance Team, and the Dominion Dance Company.
In honor of National Girls and Women in Sports Day, Delta Dental will donate to the Tucker Center for Research on Girls and Women in Sport at the University of Minnesota and the Golden Gopher Fund for Women’s Basketball.
For more information about the events: www.mallofamerica.com/events/view/32423
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