The William Floyd High School girls’ varsity basketball team recently attended the Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Showcase at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. The event featured a Division I college basketball matchup between the Syracuse Orange and the No. 6 ranked Michigan Wolverines.
This game held special significance for the William Floyd community as it featured two alumni: Kim Barnes Arico, head coach of the Michigan Wolverines, and Shy Hawkins, a player for Syracuse. Rich Sinclair, head coach of the Colonials, highlighted this unique circumstance.
Kim Barnes Arico is a 1988 graduate of William Floyd and has been recognized by several athletic halls of fame. She has achieved more than 500 wins as a college head coach, including 291 with Michigan—the most in university history for any basketball coach. Her accomplishments include leading Michigan to its first appearances in both the Sweet 16 (2021) and Elite Eight (2022) rounds of the NCAA Tournament. She also earned Big Ten Coach of the Year honors in 2017 and 2022.
Shy Hawkins graduated from William Floyd High School in 2024 and was named to Newsday’s All-Long Island team during her senior year. As a freshman at Syracuse, she played in most games last season and started all eight games so far this campaign, helping her team to a strong start.
After the game, members of the William Floyd team had an opportunity to meet with both Barnes Arico and Hawkins. They answered questions from students, took photos together, and spoke about teamwork, hard work, and maintaining a positive attitude.
Coach Sinclair described this as “an inspiring, one-of-a-kind experience that will have an overwhelmingly positive impact on the Colonials as they begin the 2025-26 season.” The Colonials are currently off to a strong start with two wins over North Babylon and Sachem North. Their next scheduled game is against Longwood on December 9.
Coach Sinclair expressed gratitude to everyone who helped organize the trip: “Coach Sinclair and the varsity girls’ basketball team would like to thank everyone who helped make this unforgettable trip a possibility, including Kim Barnes Arico, Shy Hawkins, the hospitality team at Mohegan Sun Arena, the Feldstein family and the William Floyd Board of Education, Athletics Department, administration, teachers, coaches and parents.”