Daisha Simmons: Alabama knew about my family's health issues
Women's college basketball player Daisha Simmons provided e-mails to SB Nation that she says refutes the rumor that she did not tell Alabama about her family's health issues before they decided to block her transfer.
Simmons said she's been hearing that deputy director of athletics Shane Lyons and other people at Alabama have been telling reporters and others that Simmons did not inform them about her family's health when she was asking for her release.
"This is 100 percent false and it is unfortunate to be in a predicament where I have to prove that I did in fact tell the committee board at UA what my family issues were during the time I was asking for my release," she told SB Nation.
Simmons' brother has end-stage kidney disease and her mother is dealing with chronic arthritis. After graduating from Alabama in May, she transferred to Seton Hall to be closer to her brother and to get her MBA. She has one year of college eligibility left, but Alabama blocked her transfer and she will now have to wait until 2015-16 to use it. Simmons is already 23 and does not want to delay a possible professional career another year, as her mother is currently working two jobs.
• Ten questions as practice begins
Simmons provided a letter she said she emailed to associate director of financial aid Helen Allen in June, which details both her brother and mother's condition and states her desire to to transfer to be closer to them.
She also provided a response from Allen acknowledging receipt of Simmons' appeal and informing her the financial staff supports "the decision to not issue an athletic release."
On Monday, Simmons' legal counsel filed a Title IX complaint against the University of Alabama after the school's president announced she will not lift Simmons' transfer block.
- Molly Geary
