The athlete | Kia Nurse
One of just four Canadians currently on the roster in the WNBA, Kia Nurse signed on with the Seattle Storm, one of the league’s most successful franchises, early this year. But professional basketball player is just one of a few titles Nurse holds — she’s also the founder of high-performance youth basketball organization Kia Nurse Elite, a basketball analyst for TSN and, this year, a recipient of the Athlete Award at the Black Legacy Awards. Whether it’s on the court on on the air, Nurse is role model for young Black girls and young athletes everywhere.
By Bridget Carleton- Friend and teammate, WNBA player, Olympian
Kia and I met 13 years ago when we were on Team Ontario, winning a national championship together. I was the youngest player on the team back then, naturally pretty shy and reserved. Kia was one of the first ones to make me feel welcomed and accepted with her outgoing personality, and I am forever grateful for that. There are a lot of similarities to how Kia is as a person, friend and teammate to how she conducts herself on the court. She is strong-willed and tenacious yet intelligent and poised. An NCAA national champion at Uconn, a first round draft pick, a WNBA all-star, a two-time Olympian — these are just a few of the many accolades Kia has racked up in her young career, but it hasn’t come without fighting through some adversity. After a season-ending injury in the semi-finals of the WNBA playoffs in 2021, she attacked that rehab head on. She has been at the forefront of putting women’s basketball in Canada in the spotlight, which has not only inspired me, but so many others and future generations, especially women of colour — seeing that not only can you be a tenacious competitor, but also an emphatic broadcaster, a loyal friend and an attentive teammate. Kia has set the standard and shown that by being 100 per cent your authentic self, you really can do it all.Â
For more of Toronto’s most inspiring women of 2023, click here.Â
