Following the recent end of an impressive high school career, the goal for Syla Swords has shifted to making the Canadian women's basketball team heading to Paris.
Swords, from Sudbury, Ont., is a five-star recruit who committed to Michigan for the fall as the Wolverines' highest-ever ranked prospect at No. 11.
After falling in the high school national championship game with Long Island Lutheran, Swords played in three major events this month: the Nike Hoop Summit, McDonald's all-American game and Jordan Brand Classic.
"I want to put myself in the best position to make that team, but at the end of the day, I understand that I'm still young," Swords said. "I understand that I have hopefully a couple more Olympics to go where I can try out for that team and hopefully represent Canada.
"Representing them in Paris 2024 would be amazing. But whether I make the roster or not, I'm going to be happy with what I put out there and happy with whatever they put out there as a roster and trust in the staff."
The 18-year-old guard made her senior national team debut at the 2023 AmeriCup last summer, later playing at the pre-qualifying Olympic qualifying tournament in the fall and the Olympic qualifier in February. With a crowded frontcourt, Swords has a real shot to make the team at her position with her skillset.
Swords's goal was always to represent Canada like her father Shawn Swords, who played for the men's team at the 2000 Olympics and professionally overseas. His Olympic jersey hangs at the gym Syla Swords once trained at.
Swords was brought into the mix for the senior team early — first getting a camp invite in Grade 11 — and it wouldn't be the only time she would accomplish the unexpected.
The Swords family moved to New York when Shawn Swords, who had coached the men's team at Laurentian University since 2007, accepted a job to be associate head coach with the G League's Long Island Nets in 2022.
Shawn Swords and mother, Shelley Dewar, who played at Laurentian and overseas professionally, sent an email to Lutheran head coach Christina Raiti looking to get Syla and her younger sister, Savannah, into the program.
"There wasn't necessarily room on the roster, but when I saw the two of them play, it wasn't as much as what they were doing in the film within the OSBA, as much as their body language, their ability to move, their toughness," Raiti said. "It was very clear, we joke about it all the time, but there are some kids you watch film on and it takes 30 seconds.
"I said first of all, Syla is going to be a pro. We need each other, right? Like she needs to come play at the highest level."
With the move, and her time with the Canadian senior women's team, Swords made a leap on both sides of the ball in her final two seasons. Swords, well known for her shooting prowess, averaged 17.6 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game for Lutheran in 2023-24.
But it's about more than just her ability, Raiti said, while mentioning Swords shoots at 6 a.m. every morning by choice.
"Syla has always been talented, right?" Raiti said. "Probably one of the most impressive parts, is the type of leader she's become. … I think that her work ethic and competitive nature is something that separates her from the rest, right?"
Swords' path has changed quite a bit from her original plans.
"Growing up, I always thought I would stay in Sudbury, go to Laurentian, play for (Voyageurs coach) Jason Hurley just because that's what I saw, that's what I thought was the coolest," Swords said. "It wasn't until my Grade 9 or 10th year that I was like, I'm getting recruited for Division I basketball in the States, that I can go somewhere with this.
"McDonald's (All-American game) still wasn't really on my radar. In Canada, it's something you watch on t.v., but it's not really something that you're pushing for. It was BioSteel All Canadian for us at the time. So it was really cool to be a part of that experience knowing that I have a country behind me. I'm not just another American, I'm a Canadian guard."
Playing in Paris and representing Canada is an opportunity Swords is prepared for. She was born in Mulhouse, France, where her father played pro, and moved to Sudbury at two years old.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 26, 2024.
Abdulhamid Ibrahim, The Canadian Press
