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Michigan signee Syla Swords provides glimpse of Canada basketball’s future at Olympics

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Michigan signee Syla Swords provides glimpse of Canada basketball’s future at Olympics

Doug Feinberg
 |  Associated Press

Villeneuve-d’Ascq, France — It was a winless stay for Canada at the Paris Olympics. At least it got a closer look at Syla Swords — the future of its women’s basketball program.

The 18-year-old Swords, an incoming freshman at Michigan, became the youngest Canadian basketball player to compete in the Olympics.

“I still don’t really think I believe that I’m an Olympian. It’s been like the top of my goals for sports in general before I even chose basketball,” she said. “It’s been really surreal. Playing France in our first game was crazy. So it’s been a dream every day.”

Swords averaged 3.3 points and 15 minutes per game in the three losses.

“She’s really going to help us for a long time,” teammate Bridget Carleton said.

While Swords is part of the next generation for Canada, Natalie Achonwa announced her retirement from the Olympic team after Sunday’s loss to Nigeria. The Notre Dame great has played with Canada since the 2012 London Games.

“It’s never about the outcome. It’s about the journey,” an emotional Achonwa said. “These are the people that you invite to your weddings, that you invite to your baby showers, that my son will know for the rest of his life, and it’s bigger than basketball.”

Swords continued the family’s Olympic legacy. Her father, Shawn, played for the Canadian men’s squad at the 2000 Sydney Games when the team finished seventh.

“I grew up having his Olympic jersey hanging over top of the gym that I trained in every day. So you see it all the time,” she said.

Her Olympic jersey won’t hang next to her dad’s at his university. She is going to Ann Arbor to play for coach Kim Barnes Arico.

“Yeah, I’m so excited,” Swords said of playing at Michigan. “Been committed for two years now, so I’m finally about to get on the court with the team.”

Barnes Arico was in France to catch Swords’ last game. She wore a red Canada shirt with Swords’ name and No. 12 on the back.

“She is the youngest competing in the Games, but plays with a maturity and confidence that makes her stand out among the best,” Barnes Arico said. “She’s a natural leader and winner that is going to do amazing things in Ann Arbor. I can’t wait to be her coach.”

Playing with and against the best players in the world has helped Swords improve.

“It’s hard not to get better even if you’re trying to or not,” she said. “Like you’re going to make mistakes and ultimately like you’re going to learn from those mistakes when you get to the next level — you’re going to bring that intensity to the level for sure.”

There have been some sacrifices for Swords playing with Canada. She had to miss her high school graduation because it conflicted with pre-0lympic training.

She wouldn’t trade this experience for anything.

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