When the Harlem Globetrotters come to Milwaukee on New Year's Eve for their annual games, there will be a few new team members, including a female player, Fatima Maddox – aka "TNT."

Maddox is the ninth woman to wear the red, white and blue uniform and the first female Harlem Globetrotter since 1993. (The first woman to make the Harlem Globetrotters was Lynette Woodard.)

Maddox, who is a guard, says this is a dream come true for her. She started playing basketball at at the YMCA in Colorado Springs at age 13, which she says is a little later than most professional players start the sport.

But she's been hooked on hoops ever since.

Maddox later played for the University of New Mexico and Temple University, where she was coached by three-time Olympic gold medalist Dawn Staley.

"Coach Staley was not only a role model for me through her amazing basketball credentials, but she showed me balance. Balance between being a player, taking care of family and giving back to the community," Maddox says.

While at Temple, Maddox saw the Harlem Globetrotters play, and at the time, had no idea she would someday join the team. After graduation, Maddox played professional basketball in Sweden for a few years, before returning to the United States. She tried out for the Globetrotters in August and was informed she had made the team in September.

"When I heard about the auditions in Philadelphia, I jumped at the chance," she says.

Maddox was attracted to the idea of being a Harlem Globetrotter first and foremost to have the chance to play professional basketball in the United States, but also because she admired and supported the positive impact Harlem Globetrotters make in the community.

"We are very involved in charity – at schools and hospitals – and our top priority is to put smiles on peoples' faces," she says. "That's one of my memories I have, whenever I heard about the Harlem Globetrotters, it would put a smile on my face."

Recently, Maddox attended a rigorous Globetrotters' training in New York which she said was pretty tough, but she learned a lot during the experience. She continues to practice many hours every day.

"I was pretty much a sponge at camp, now I am working on the stuff I learned there," she says.

So how is it, so far, being the only woman on the team?

Maddox says no one's been taking it easy on her during practices, which is just the way she wants it. And yes, it's a bit strange at times being the only female in the locker room.

The Harlem Globetrotters welcome two other new rookies this year, Paul "Tiny" Sturgess, who is the world's tallest basketball player at 7 feet, 8 inches, as well as the shortest Globetrotter ever, Jonte "Too Tall" Hall, who is 5 feet 2 inches.

Overall, Maddox's goal is to play with the Globetrotters as long as she can, and then, someday, to become a basketball coach.

"The possibilities for me in the future seem very open to me right now. I'm just going to see how it goes," she says.

The Harlem Globetrotters will play two shows against the Washington Generals at the Bradley Center on Dec. 31 at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Tickets starts at $15 and are currently on sale via the Bradley Center box office.