• Basketball Australia chiefs tried to ban players with ‘free’ braids from playing
  • Decision was branded racist for targeting  black people with the blanket ban
  • Rule enforcing the ban has actually been scrapped by world basketball bosses 
  • Basketball Australia later backtracked and dropped it, but US star raged online

An American hoops star has lashed out at Basketball Australia for ‘clear racial discrimination’ after she was threatened with a ban over her braided hair.

Melbourne Boomers’ US import Tiffany Mitchell, 27, was told she’d never play in the WNBA until she put her long braids into a bun to stop them flicking into rivals’ faces.

But the rule Basketball Australia cited has been axed by the sport’s international body – and should have gotten the chop in Australia too.

Basketball Australia sent out an email (pictured) to the general managers of all WNBL and NBL clubs advising of the ban before later reversing the decision

Tiffany Mitchell (pictured) said the ruling had affected her in their WNBL match against Southside Flyers on Saturday, despite winning 91-74