Syla Swords played a key role in Canada's win over France in the bronze-medal game at last year's FIBA U19 World Cup.
When Sudbury’s Syla Swords was first invited to a training camp with Canada’s senior women’s national team, she needed to pause for a moment.
In a weeklong camp at Toronto Metropolitan University, Swords was in a room filled with players she grew up watching on TV in the WNBA and the Olympics.
Swords was just an up-and-coming 16-year-old talent soaking it all in.
“When I first got in the gym, I remember seeing Kia Nurse over there, Natalie (Achonwa) over here, Nirra Fields — I just took a step back. I just really needed to calm down a little bit because those are my idols growing up,” said Swords.
A year and a half later, the 18-year-old has become one of North America’s most decorated and accomplished high school basketball players while playing for Long Island Lutheran in New York.
Swords has a resumé that includes McDonald’s All-American and Gatorade player of the year in New York. She was on the shortlist for national player of the year in the United States while also helping Canada qualify for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
“I grew up always thinking I was going to play for Laurentian University,” said Swords. “That’s where my mom went, that’s where my dad went. I just grew up around that atmosphere, so it was never outside my mind that I would be going there.”
Swords is a long way from Laurentian now, just recently representing Canada for the second straight year at the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, Ore. She’s set to play at the University of Michigan this fall.
ESPN has her ranked No. 4 in this year’s high school class.
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