Shelomi Sanders, daughter of NFL Hall of Famer and Colorado head football coach Deion Sanders, made her long-awaited return to the hardwood this week with the Alabama A&M Bulldogs. Now back in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), Sanders is eager to prove herself on the court.
In her debut, Sanders played just 10 minutes but made an immediate impact, scoring 14 points, grabbing one rebound, dishing out one assist, and recording two steals. She finished shooting 41.6% from the field and hit 40% of her shots from beyond the arc.
Last season, Sanders was unable to break into the starting lineup at Colorado, logging just 11 minutes of play. Her lone basket came in a game against Air Force, where she hit a 3-pointer.
Several months ago, it was reported that Sanders felt unhappy with the atmosphere at Colorado and was considering leaving the program. During an Instagram Live session, she shared her reasons for transferring: “I don’t want to say anything too bad. It just wasn’t good energy. It wasn’t good vibes. There wasn’t enough being poured into me as a player and young lady. If I didn’t leave when I did, I promise you I would’ve quit,” Sanders said.
Before joining Colorado midway through the season with her father and brothers, Shedeur and Shilo, Sanders spent her freshman year at Jackson State during the “Coach Prime” era. However, she did not play for the women's basketball program, delaying her college debut.
Deion Sanders expressed strong opinions about his daughter’s decision to transfer, calling it “stupid” during an interview with DENVR Sports. “You get a team before you enter the portal,” he said. “That’s what I would advise a kid. I know, ‘Well, it’s illegal.’ C’mon, man. Everybody knows somebody that knows somebody that knows somebody. You kind of want them to do something, and she has been truly advised.”
“I’m a real father,” he continued. “Where I come from, historically, kids follow their parents. When did parents start following the kids? That doesn’t work in my book. That doesn’t work where I am from. I am the leader of the family. So, I’ve been dictating where my kids will go. They’re not dictating where I go. I’m happy. I’m cool. I’m sound in Boulder. I love it 100%. We’re going to build a monument. You see those mountains over the stadium? I want my head on one of them.”
In response, Pilar Sanders, Shelomi’s mother, defended her daughter’s decision to transfer. During an interview in April, she said, “Shelomi was never given a fair chance to really get recruited, okay? Because when recruitment started out of high school going into college, and she was having colleges and universities starting to contact her, but the minute they did—”
“Everyone already thought I was going to JSU,” Shelomi interjected.
Pilar continued, “People who are in sports have a certain level of respect just because of the time that [Deion] did in the NFL and in baseball and whatever, and we were told about that. Coaches told me about that, coaches told other professional athletes that we know about that, so that completely stopped Shelomi short of having the whole experience of being recruited, which I thought was very unfair.”
Now at Alabama A&M, Sanders is seizing the opportunity to shine on her own. While much of the spotlight has traditionally focused on her father and brothers, her strong performance offers a chance to showcase her talents on the basketball court.
For Alabama A&M and the broader HBCU sports community, Sanders' presence brings additional visibility and highlights the unique opportunities these programs offer athletes.
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