GREENSBORO, N.C. – Former UNC Greensboro (UNCG) standout Nadine Soliman has signed a professional contract with the Cairo Giants Al Ahly in her home country of Egypt over the weekend.
Soliman finished her career as UNCG's all-time leading women's basketball scorer with 2,084 points. Also, Soliman was the 2020 Southern Conference (SoCon) Player of the Year after helping the Spartans win the regular-season championship.
Soliman led the SoCon with a 16.4 points per game average, scored 20 or more points nine times, and had seven double-doubles last season.
"Playing at UNCG has played a role in my identity as a player on and off the court," Soliman said. "I came in as a teenager with dreams and aspirations of doing big things but had no clue what it would take. Over the years, through my failures and disappointments, I have developed a tremendous work ethic to make many of my dreams come true."
Soliman will be joining a team with a solid tradition.
An 18-time winner of the Women's Egypt Basketball League and the 14-time winner of the Egypt Basketball Cup, Al Ahly currently plays in the Egyptian Basketball League Top Division. The club, nicknamed The Red Devils, won the Arab Women's Club Basketball Championship in 1996.
"I am very humbled about the opportunity and I hope to continue the winning tradition here as a kid that grew up in this organization," said Soliman in her Instagram post announcing her signing. "Thankful for the UNCG family who has helped me get where I am now. Also, a big shout out to my family who has been my rock throughout the years."
She comes from a basketball family as her parents, Mohamed Selaawi and Iman El Badrawi, were both basketball players. Her brothers are basketball players, including Ahmed, who also plays for Al Ahly.
Soliman is a two-time First Team All-SoCon honoree. She earned All-SoCon recognition in each of her four years as a Spartan, including being named the Freshman of the Year. Also, Soliman garnered a spot on the Second Team All-SoCon squad twice following her freshman and sophomore seasons.
She was named to the Women's Basketball Invitational (WBI) All-Tournament Team after averaging 15.3 points and 5.0 rebounds during the four postseason games for the Spartans in 2017. For her career, Soliman scored in double figures 107 times.
Soliman owns program records in games played (128), field goals made (751), and three-pointers made (222). Her 709 rebounds ranked fourth in UNCG's Division I program history.
She is thankful for her time at UNCG. She believes all of the experiences have significantly prepared her to make her mark as a professional.
