The basketball tournament kicks off August 7 in Indiana.
A team from Delaware will head to Indianapolis this August to compete in a landmark event for inclusive sports: the first-ever Women’s 3×3 Unified Basketball Tournament.
Hosted by Special Olympics North America (SONA). The tournament will be held August 7 at Bicentennial Unity Plaza, adjacent to Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the home court of the Indiana Fever.
The event is part of the 2025 SONA Conference, which will bring nearly 1,000 Special Olympics staff and supporters from the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean to Indianapolis.
Delaware’s team includes:
- Elizabeth Shea, 21, a Sussex Riptide Unified Partner
- Ashley Ohmott, 33, a MOT Tigers athlete
- Elizabeth Nolan, 37, a Wilmington Wizards athlete
- Sara Perrotta, 22, a Sussex Riptide athlete
- Ella Gordon, 21, a Wilmington Wizard Unified Partner
- FEIF Gallagher, Coach
“I am very excited to try the 3X3 basketball and competing with other special olympic female athletes,” Ohmott said. “It is going to be lots of fun.”
Nolan said the event means a lot to her and she’s excited to play basketball.
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This year’s conference marks the 25th anniversary of SONA and carries the theme “Voices of Victory,” highlighting the diverse individuals who have shaped the inclusion movement over the past quarter-century.
The tournament will feature nine Unified basketball teams—each comprised of athletes with and without intellectual disabilities—competing side by side.
The goal is to elevate women’s participation in Unified Sports especially among girls and women with intellectual disabilities.
“Being able to represent Special Olympics Delaware is truly an honor,” Perrotta said. “I played unified basketball during my junior and senior years of high school, and at that time, I didn’t really know how Special Olympics worked outside of the school setting. Once I got involved in the community program, I was able to branch out into other sports. Doors keep opening, and I now participate in over six sports. My time spent around such a strong group of girls who are compassionate and always willing to get better makes it worthwhile. Each week, I look forward to playing alongside my teammates. Everything has come full circle, and it’s been an awesome experience! We are so excited to be competing in Indiana.”
The Women’s 3×3 Unified Tournament is more than just a competition—it’s a celebration of empowerment, leadership, and the unifying power of sport, organizers state.
Held in partnership with Pacers Sports & Entertainment and the Indiana Fever, the tournament will serve as a centerpiece of the larger SONA Conference.
In addition to the sporting event, attendees will take part in three days of workshops, networking sessions, and collaborative forums aimed at advancing the goals of the Inclusion Revolution.
Raised in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Jarek earned a B.A. in journalism and a B.A. in political science from Temple University in 2021. After running CNN’s Michael Smerconish’s YouTube channel, Jarek became a reporter for the Bucks County Herald before joining Delaware LIVE News.
Jarek can be reached by email at jarek@dimgrey-peafowl-504880.hostingersite.com or by phone at (215) 450-9982. Follow him on Twitter @jarekrutz and on LinkedIn.
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