On any basketball court, Deuce Benson stands out not just because he plays with heart but because he's got a knack no one can deny. His game plan? It sounds simple, but it's a game-changer—directly challenging defenses while getting his teammates involved like clockwork.
"I try my best," Benson shared in an interview, "to bring variety and engage my teammates every game. It's what makes me valuable out there."
Chasing dreams in professional basketball
Playing as a point guard with women's college basketball teams at Northwest Missouri State and Ball State, Benson's been on a mission. Since high school, he's dreamed about making it in professional basketball. Now, as he stands on this path, it's more than just about basketball; it's about fully embracing who he really he has become—and that goes both on and off court.
After graduating from Ball State in 2020, where he was a key player leading his team, The Cardinals, through 21 victories, Benson embarked on a journey beyond basketball. He started his gender transition while playing in summer pro leagues, showing he wasn't just chasing a career in women's basketball but something much bigger.
Benson's road isn't one many have traveled. Sure, there have been others like Kye Allums, Mitch Harrison, and Bryson Cavanaugh, who transitioned after college, but they've moved away from basketball. Benson, though, can't quite let go. By 2025, he's determined you'll see him on a men's professional basketball team somewhere, making history.
"Just hand me that ball and those sneakers," he says with a point guard's confidence. "I've got a passion that runs deep and a stronger sense than ever who I am, and I'm ready."
A lifetime love affair with basketball
It all began in Omaha, Nebraska, when Benson first felt that pull towards basketball. Middle school was awkward, and he felt out-of-place in football, bullied even—until he found his groove on a basketball court.
Fast forward, and he's a high school star. His skills on both sides—offense and defense—helped his team at Omaha's Benson High snag its first girls' basketball title during his junior year. That led him all-too-naturally towards a scholarship at NCAA Division II Northwest Missouri State.
In no time at NMSU, he transformed from benchwarmer in his first year, then starting player, averaging 11 points and excelling in assists. Even thriving, something inside him was missing. He dreamed bigger—Division I. But there was a struggle—his identity.
"College was a whirlwind," Benson recalls. "I knew I was different and felt alone, unable really connect with others."
Embracing who he truly was
In 2017, Benson made a move—to NCAA Division I Ball State. Sure, red tape made him wait until 2019-20 before hitting court again, but this time he was also navigating personal revelations about his identity and basketball's place in it.
"Balancing basketball with figuring myself out was hard," Benson admits. "The idea that transitioning might cost me women's basketball opportunities weighed on me."
At Ball State, he showed he was a force, both as a player and as part within LGBTQ community that made him feel accepted.
Finding balance between hoops and self-discovery
College ended, but his journey didn't. A close friend—a trans man—helped him through his transition. In Houston, Benson wrestled with how being his true self fit with his deep love basketball. In 2022, his mom offered some sage advice: "Just be you; let basketball find you."
He took those words heart, cementing who he was while not letting go his hoops dream. Training never stopped, even post-surgery. Now, he's on lookout, talking agents and scouting teams both overseas and domestically, like The Basketball League in U.S.
Changing conversations with a basketball in hand
Deuce Benson stepping onto a men's court does more than fulfill a personal dream. It speaks volumes. "I love this game," he says. "I'm here not just play but alter perception. It's not about identity or labels; if you can play, that's all that matters."
With this mindset, Benson keeps pushing not just himself but challenging us all—a testament that passion and being true yourself can drive toward what you dream.
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