FAIRMONT — On the morning of Tuesday, Sept. 1, Gini Grimsley's athletic dreams were fulfilled.

Herner Turn Club of the Damon Basketball Bundesligen offered the University of North Carolina at Greensboro alumna a contract to play professional basketball in Herne, Germany.

Fairmont High's all-time leading scorer happily accepted.

"I'm really excited about playing for the German team and I think it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Grimsley said.

Grimsley, 22, arrived in Germany three days later and immediately started training with the Herner TC team. The 6-foot forward suits up for her first regular-season pro game Saturday. Grimsley scored two points in her debut in a scrimmage earlier this month.

"Not many people really get to go overseas and play professional basketball, and that's a lot of people's lifetime goal or dream,” Grimsley said. “I feel like I've lived up to one of the goals I set for myself.”

Herner TC assistant coach Frank Konstandt said Grimsely should be satisfied with her scrimmage debut since she was noticeably fatigued from travel.

UNCG coach Lynne Agee thinks Grimsley won’t have any problems adjusting to a new country and calls her one of the most independent players she’s ever coached — high remarks from a basketball teacher who has been on the bench 30 seasons and is the state's third winningest women's basketball coach, trailing only North Carolina's Sylvia Hatchell and the late Kay Yow at N.C. State.

"It is obviously an exciting event for her as a player and a good statement for our program to place someone overseas," Agee said. "She is in the process of preparing to leave and embark on that new basketball adventure. We're very pleased with that and very proud of Gini."

Agee was instrumental in helping Grimsley's idea of playing basketball professionally at the next level transform into reality.

"(Agee) kind of got me started in this whole process of finding a team and making my dream come true," Grimsley said.

As a senior at UNCG, Grimsley led the Spartans in scoring with 10.8 points per game and rebounding at just over six per contest. Grimsley scored a career-high 24 points against College of Charleston in December 2008.

The Exercise and Sports Science major has been just as successful off the court, earning top honors in the classroom. During her undergraduate career, Grimsley was a three-time Academic All-Southern Conference selection. She was Fairmont's Valedictorian in 2005, earning the top grade point average among 139 graduating seniors.

“Gini is a player who will take advantage of everything,” Agee said. “She’ll take advantage of the educational opportunities and get to know the country and its people.”

Agee added that she even told Grimsley before her departure that she needs to buy a book and learn how to speak German.

Grimsley was a four-year letterwinner for coach Travis Kemp at Fairmont and was named to the All Tri-Six Conference basketball first team four times during her standout prep career. She amassed over 1,600 points in her prep career and also excelled in volleyball and track, leaving Fairmont as the Golden Tornadoes' all-time leader in kills.

Grimsley is the second UNCG player in five years to sign an overseas basketball contract. Jacinda Lambert, a 2004 graduate, played professionally in Luxembourg and England.