MISSOULA — Malia Kipp, the trailblazing former Montana Lady Griz basketball player who broke barriers as the first Montana Tribal member to play NCAA Division I women’s basketball on a full-ride scholarship, passed away on Tuesday morning.
Malia Kipp was remembered with a moment of silence prior to Thursday night's Lady Griz game against Eastern Washington.
Former UM head coach and Lady Griz legend Robin Selvig spoke before the game about Kipp's legacy as a trailblazer for female Native American basketball players.
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"Got to talk to her and hold her hand and she made me feel good like she always does," Selvig recalled before she passed. "Apparently I had very cold hands and she said, 'Oh, cold hands, but warm heart,' and she had a knack of making you feel good.
"I feel good seeing her, visiting with her, going through her documentary, following it. I think every player that played with Malia is planning on being in Browning in a couple days and we'll celebrate Malia's life then."
