“Just how proud he is to represent his country.” One month ago, Syla Swords spoke these words about her father and current basketball coach, Shawn Swords. Just a few days from then, Canada Basketball confirmed her name on their 12-player roster. Continuing the family’s name in the Olympics as the youngest women’s basketball player, at the age of 18 years, to come from Canada, Swords has all the right ingredients to wear the Maple leaf on her chest.

The youngster with an impressive national resume found all her skills inside her family. Hence, before Canada takes over France’s national team, let us learn about the genetic skills, idols, and more of the talented guard.

Syla Swords: A peek into the life of a balling family

After knowing what she has achieved by being selected for the 2024 Paris Olympics Team Canada, it will not sound surprising that her entire family comes from a basketball background. Syla Swords was born on January 28, 2006, in Mulhouse, France. Later, her father, Shawn, who wanted to raise the kids in Canada, transferred to his home country. He played professionally on international waters from 1997 to 2007. Shawn has also represented Canada in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Still, he moved from France to Ontario, Canada to focus on his family.

Consequently, he became the head coach for Laurentian University in Greater Sudbury. There, he worked from 2007 to 2022 before picking up a job as an assistant coach in the USA. Currently, he is the associate head coach with the Brooklyn Nets’ NBA G-League team– the Long Island Nets.

Although he has had a decent playing career, he believes that his first daughter Syla is better at shooting. He also told Canada Basketball that his youngest daughter Savannah, who also plays the sport, is more like him. Both have more focus on every other aspect of a game than just offense. Savvy currently plays at the U-17 level for Canada.

Interestingly, Syla Swords’ mother, Shelley Dewar, used to play for the same university that her husband later on became the head coach for. While playing for the Laurentian Voyageurs, Shelley was named the Ontario Conference Rookie of the Year in 1995. She is a high school coach now. Shelley’s sisters-in-law also played basketball and were the primary influence on Shawn for taking basketball.

Clearly, Syla has a long line of basketball genes forwarded in the family. Still, there is one person that she continues to look up to.

Idols, national career, and more

One name that almost every female Canadian basketball player will take for their inspiration is the Los Angeles Sparks star Kia Nurse. In her recent interview after being named into Team Canada, Syla Swords spoke to Raptors Republic about the 2x FIBA Women’s AmeriCup gold medalist. She said, “Kia was definitely like one of my biggest role models. That is where I want to be in the next 10-15 years. Hopefully, I can follow in her path.”

Nurse has had quite an influence on the current generation of basketball players reigning down from Canada. In fact, Syla Swords also played in Kia Nurse’s AAU team. Nurse has 2 NCAA titles, 2 WNBL titles, 3 gold and 1 silver medal representing Canada. Fatefully, the two will now be teammates, putting on the red jersey for Canada in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

As for her national experience, the 18-year-old has already bagged two bronze medals for Canada. Two years ago, in the 2022 FIBA under-17 Women’s Basketball World Cup, Syla Swords represented her country. However, she only averaged 4.7 points, 4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists. Next year, she returned to the under-19 team of the event to sweep the bronze medal. Therein, the Ontario native recorded 26 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals in a game-high 42:23 minutes. As a result of her brilliant performance, she was named the FIBA U19 World Cup All-Second Team.

In the 2023 FIBA Women’s AmeriCup, she was the youngest member of the team and helped them snatch a bronze. It was also her senior team debut for Canada. She brought the good news home after wearing the Maple leaf in the 2024 FIBA Women’s Americas Pre-Qualifying and Qualifying games that she will be going to Paris. But she also has a bright future that she has already planned for.

NCAA and the Olympics for Syla Swords

As for the 2024-25 season, the young Olympian has signed the National Letter of Intent with the Michigan Wolverines of the Big 10 conference in NCAA’s Division 1. But for now, she has her eyes set on a dream she had long before she picked up a basketball. Wanting to always follow in her father’s footsteps, Syla Swords told the Raptors Republic, “The Olympics was always the goal for me even before I chose basketball. It’s really exciting, just being with the senior team so long. It’s really cool to finally be an Olympian.”

The humble basketball player credits her coaches so far who have evolved her into the player that she is today. Still, she knows what wearing the Swords name on a Canadian jersey would mean. It will be 24 years since her father did the same, and now, she is in the same boat. Expressing her feelings about it, she said, “I feel like it’s not going to hit me that I’m an Olympian until that moment when I first step foot onto the court.”

Syla Swords’ entire family may have been in basketball at some point. However, no one has the boasting right to have worn the Maple leaf at just 18 years of age. Certainly, that’s quite a huge responsibility on the shoulders of the young shooting guard. Still, she is confident to push for the best and bring Canada some hardware from Paris.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting pilot episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and SEC All-Freshman Team Selection, Silas Demary Jr.