SANTA CLARA, Calif. (December 14, 2012)--A 50-year-old Northern California woman is causing a stir in college basketball circles and her age isn’t the reason.

Gabrielle Ludwig became the first transsexual to play intercollegiate ball as both a man and a woman when she was cleared this month to play with the Lady Saints at Mission College in Santa Clara.

Ludwig last competed at the college level 30 years ago, on the men's team at a community college in New York, but she coached youth basketball both before and after her transition from male to female in 2007.

Some commentators complain that at 6 feet, 6 inches tall and 220 pounds, Ludwig's size gives her an unfair advantage.

Her coach and her teammates say she is a terrific addition to the team, but hardly its strongest player.