Ahead of her senior season, Newton’s Sanaa Tripp signed her NLI to play basketball at Belmont University.

Tripp sat alongside her family, friends and teammates as she put pen to paper to continue her basketball career at the next level.

Signing her NLI on the stage at Newton is something Tripp has always dreamed about, and she checked that box Thursday afternoon. Now that the signing is official, Tripp has her sights set on a successful 2023 campaign for the Lady Rams.

“This is always the goal when you are playing basketball and have dreams of going to college,” Tripp said. “The goal was to seal the deal and now I can play as freely as I can. Of course, I still want to fulfill my dreams in high school basketball as well, but I can check the college goal off of my list.”

From the environment of the university all the way to the culture in the locker room, Tripp loved everything she saw from her visits with the Bruins.

“I love the environment, I love the coaching staff,” Tripp said. “I love the players and the whole vibe I got from them was amazing. It just felt like a home away from home.”

Even though she still has her full senior season ahead of her, she discussed what kind of player Belmont will be getting when she steps on the Bruins’ court next fall.

“They will be getting a dog, I can’t lie,” Tripp said. “I am a very tough and physical player, but also a player that can shoot and be versatile.”

At the ceremony, Lady Rams’ head coach Jawan Bailey spoke about Tripp before her signing.

Though Bailey was not able to coach Tripp her junior year, he expects great things from her on the court for her senior year and spoke about how much Tripp loves the game of basketball.

“They will be getting an absolute workforce,” Bailey said. “A very smart, passionate basketball player, which is hard to find these days. Sanaa is a pure lover of the game which is going to suit her very well at Belmont. She has the work ethic to back it up.”