On March 5, 2025, siblings Baileigh and Daniel Sinaman made history as the first brother-sister duo to face off in a Division I basketball game. Guard Baileigh (University of Miami) and forward Daniel (University of North Carolina) clashed at UNC’s Dean Smith Center. Baileigh scored 22 points, hitting five three-pointers, while Daniel notched a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. North Carolina secured a 78-76 win with a last-second layup. Postgame, the siblings shared an emotional embrace. “We compete hard but lift each other higher,” said Baileigh. Daniel joked, “Glad Mom didn’t wear her Miami hoodie.”
A Family Affair on the Court
Growing up in Raleigh, North Carolina, the Sinaman siblings forged their basketball bond on backyard courts and in packed high school gyms. Their childhood rivalry—fueled by endless one-on-one games and driveway three-point contests—propelled both to Division I stardom. Baileigh, Miami’s junior guard and team captain, averages 18 points per game with a 42% three-point accuracy, earning All-ACC honors for her clutch shooting. Daniel, UNC’s sophomore forward, anchors the Tar Heels’ defense with 2.3 blocks per game while showcasing versatility as a double-double threat. “We’d trash-talk over breakfast,” Baileigh recalls. Daniel adds, “She’s why I never settle for ‘good enough.’” Their journey from hometown hoops to national headlines epitomizes sibling synergy.
Their parents, Maria and David Sinaman, who’d spent years shuttling between AAU tournaments and high school games, watched from the front row, clutching handmade signs reading “Team Sinaman” in split Miami and Carolina colors. “We’d wake up at 5 a.m. for practices, and now here they are—making history,” their father said, voice cracking. Maria, who once turned their garage into a mini-gym during rainy seasons, added, “Their grit humbles me.” As the buzzer sounded, David filmed the siblings’ midcourt embrace while Maria wiped away tears. “People see the points,” she said, “but we see the scraped knees, the late-night pep talks. This moment? It’s everything we hoped for.”
The Game: A Battle to Remember
The Miami-UNC showdown, billed as the “Sibling Slam,” drew a record 21,000 fans to the Dean Smith Center, including scouts from all 30 NBA teams. Baileigh electrified the crowd early, sinking back-to-back stepback threes and a coast-to-coast layup for 10 first-quarter points. Daniel answered with a physical second-quarter surge, snatching 6 rebounds—3 offensive—and dishing 4 assists, including a no-look pass for a corner three. ESPN’s broadcast highlighted their lone head-to-head clash: Baileigh crossing over Daniel before he recovered to block her floater. “That’s our childhood in one play,” she laughed postgame. UNC’s 42-40 halftime lead set the stage for a nail-biting finish.
At halftime, Miami trailed 42-38, fueled by Baileigh’s 16 points, including a buzzer-beating floater. Daniel countered with 8 rebounds and 3 assists, orchestrating UNC’s offense. The second half erupted with tension—Baileigh drained a deep three to cut UNC’s lead to 72-70 with 1:12 left, silencing the raucous Chapel Hill crowd. But Daniel, fouling out moments later, left his mark with a game-defining block on Miami’s driving guard, sparking a fastbreak layup. UNC sealed the 78-72 win as the arena chanted “DAN-IEL!” Postgame, Baileigh shrugged, “He got the block; I’ll get the rematch.” Their parents, hoarse from cheering, simply beamed: “This is just the beginning.”