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Player's Secret Pregnancy Revealed at UNLV
19 Dec, 2025
Summary
- Summers learned she was five and a half months pregnant during a routine check-up.
- She feared losing her scholarship but found support from her coach and teammates.
- Summers returned to play for UNLV less than two months after giving birth.
Sydni Summers, a transfer student-athlete at UNLV, made a vulnerable announcement to her new basketball team: she was pregnant. The discovery came as a shock during a routine physical when doctors revealed she was already five and a half months along. Initially fearing for her basketball career and scholarship, Summers found unexpected support from UNLV coach Lindy La Roque, who emphasized vulnerability.
Despite legal protections like Title IX, many female athletes fear pregnancy can end their careers due to stigma and logistical challenges. However, Summers' situation highlights a shift, with women increasingly normalizing motherhood while continuing athletic pursuits. She returned to playing for the UNLV Lady Rebels just under two months after giving birth.
Summers' journey has been supported by her teammates, who embraced her and her child, affectionately calling themselves her "village." Her daughter, Naziyah Grace Summers, born in late September 2025, now attends games, and Summers is balancing her demanding schedule as a student-athlete and a new mother.
