Group of basketball players and referees posing together on an indoor basketball court, many making peace signs or waving, with a scoreboard and whiteboard in the background.

League

Play, inclusive, and competitive fun

In Spring 2025, HAYA and Montgomery County Recreation launched the inaugural basketball league for women and LGBTQIA+ people, including those who are non-binary, trans, and genderqueer. The league is open to residents within and outside of Montgomery County.

Registration included nine weeks of games, including playoffs, team assignments, and a jersey.

Ages
21+

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Dates
Tentative: Fall 2025

Icon of a calendar with a purple background.

Time
Coming soon!

Black clock icon on a lavender background.

Location
Coming soon!

Purple background with a black location pin icon.

HAYA awarded

During Pride Month 2025, Councilmember Evan Glass awards HAYA.

HAYA in the news

The MoCo Show published an article about the league’s early success.

Group of five people standing in a gymnasium, one woman holding a certificate that reads "Hoop As You Are." They are smiling, dressed in casual and sports attire, and appear to have participated in a basketball or sports event.
A large group of basketball players, referees, and administrative staff posing together on a gymnasium basketball court, celebrating the end of the basketball season, with a framed certificate held by one of the league founders.
Group of basketball players and coaches inside a gymnasium, posing for a team photo. Some people are kneeling in the front row, others are standing behind. They are wearing team jerseys, some purple and some white.
Group of nine individuals on a basketball court wearing purple jerseys with 'HAYA' and a logo, smiling for a team photo.
Group of seven young women in purple basketball jerseys with 'HAYA' logo, standing side by side indoors, smiling, with one woman showing tattoos on her arm, against a classroom background.
A women's basketball team in purple jerseys huddles on an indoor court, with referees in the background.
Group of six women in purple basketball jerseys posing on an indoor gym court. Two women are kneeling in front, four standing behind them. All are smiling, with some making peace signs.
Two teams of basketball players are shaking hands in a gymnasium after a game.
A group of nine women and one man standing on a basketball court, posing for a photo after a game. The women are wearing white basketball jerseys with a black and white logo, and the man is wearing a blue polo shirt and shorts. The women are holding
A group of female basketball players in an indoor gym, receiving a trophy from an administrator. They are wearing matching tank tops with a logo, and some are smiling and clapping. The gym has wooden floors and a scoreboard on the wall.
A group of individuals in basketball uniforms holding rainbow pride flags and basketballs, standing on a basketball court inside a gymnasium with a sign saying 'Go Mustangs!' in the background.

❊ FAQs

You’ve got questions,
we’ve got answers

  • The league is for women and the LGBTQIA+ community, including those who are non-binary, trans, and genderqueer, aged 21 and up. This league is not for cis men.

    The league is open to residents within and outside of Montgomery County.

  • The league offers a fun yet challenging experience for the everyday hooper. Players come to the league with a wide range of experiences from playing in high school to college basketball. The league is not suited for current college athletes or people playing for the first time. We recommend that true beginners interested in joining the HAYA community attend one of our open gyms.

  • When players register, they’ll be asked a few skill assessment questions. Teams will be formed based on skill, position, and other factors to ensure the teams are as evenly matched as possible. Based on the skill assessment results, Montgomery County Recreation and HAYA will assign players to teams.

    Your team assignment and schedule for the season will be released at least one week before the start of the season.

  • If you'd like to be placed on the same team as one or two other players, you'll have the opportunity to indicate this preference during registration. To be considered, all players involved must list each other during registration to confirm mutual consent.

    We will do our best to honor your request to be on the same team, especially if you're pairing with one other player. While we’ll also try to accommodate groups of three, we can’t guarantee it, as we aim to keep teams balanced and competitive.

  • The Spring 2025 league took place from 9:30 am - 12:30 pm on Saturdays. Each team played just one game during this time frame. The games started at 9:30 am, 10:30 am, and 11:30 am. Toward the end of the season during the playoffs, the top teams had a bi-week. Team assignments and schedules for the season were released at least one week before the start of the season.

    The time, date, and location of the next iteration of the league is not available yet.

  • It is okay and expected that you may not be able to attend all of the games. If you cannot attend a game, please notify your assigned team about your absence so they can plan accordingly. If a team has too many absences in one week due to injury or scheduling conflicts, a substitute policy is available for teams to utilize.

    If you know you won’t be able to attend most of the games, it’s up to you to decide whether registering and paying the league fees is still worthwhile.

  • The Spring 2025 league cost Montgomery County Residents $135 and non-Montgomery County residents $155. The cost of the next iteration of the league has not been determined yet, but we suspect it will be similar.

  • Absolutely! We love when family and friends come out to support, watch us play, and cheer us on :)

  • At this time, there are no scheduled team practices. However, teams can coordinate amongst themselves a time to meet if they’d like.

    HAYA may host an open gym for league participants to practice and connect. During the Spring 2025 league, we hosted two of these sessions.