Fatima “TNT” Lister

Harlem Globetrotter TNT Lister joined a very elite group in the fall of 2011, becoming the first woman to don the red, white, and blue since 1993 – and her success opened the door for other female players to join the team in recent years.

TNT’s basketball journey started in the seventh grade. “I played my first basketball game at recess, and I fell in love with the game that day,” she says. She also excelled in volleyball and track and field during her teenage years – setting Colorado state records in both the long jump and triple jump – but she didn’t love those sports like she loved basketball. She was an all-conference selection in basketball in each of her four years in high school.

TNT began her college career at New Mexico before transferring to Temple, where she was lucky enough to be coached by Hall of Famer Dawn Staley. TNT says, “Coach Staley was not only a role model for me through her amazing basketball credentials, but she showed me balance – balance between being a player, taking care of family and giving back to the community. I admired her so much for her unique combination of kindness, toughness and ability to make the team feel like a family.”

The Globetrotters are like a family too, and TNT is honored to be a part of it. “Honestly, this means everything to me,” she says. “This team incorporates everything I love about basketball. Not only to play it, but to entertain, and to give back to the community. I’ve always dreamed of leaving a positive mark in basketball history, and this is the perfect opportunity to do so.”

When she thinks about 90-plus years of Globetrotters history, TNT says the player she would have enjoyed playing with most is the late Marques Haynes, because of how much she admires his dribbling skills.

When she’s not burning up the floor of all 50 states across the U.S. with her own ball handling – or shooting hoops with President Barack Obama, like she did during the annual White House Easter Egg Roll in 2012 – TNT likes to watch movies (Leonardo DiCaprio, Denzel Washington and Angela Bassett are her favorite actors), as well as skate and play pool, and she really loves to draw and paint. The Globetrotters star has brought her blistering basketball skills to shows like “The Late Late Show with James Corden,” “The Queen Latifah Show,” and “The Arsenio Hall Show.”

“The best part about being a female Globetrotter is being able to inspire girls and young women to follow their dreams,” says TNT. This holds especially true for her new daughter, Kali Rose. TNT went back to play for the world famous team only five months after having her baby. Adding, “I’m so proud to come back and do my thing and be able to tell my girl, ‘Hey, you can still chase your career when you become a mom.’”

“One of the most challenging parts of being a female Globetrotter is proving that you belong on the court with the men. I love a challenge, though,” she says. Ask any of her Globetrotter teammates, and they will tell you that TNT definitely belongs. The guys on the team embraced her from day one. “I walked in with two brothers, and now I have about 30,” says TNT with a smile.