Syla Swords is staking her claim as one of the rising stars in college basketball. She is in her second season playing for the Michigan Wolverines, and played her best game of the season against UConn. Michigan lost 72-69, but Swords still put together a great performance, going shot-for-shot with UConn star Azzi Fudd.
Swords finished the game with 29 points, including eight made 3-pointers, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal. She was Michigan’s leading scorer and the second-leading scorer in the game behind Fudd.
Swords still has over two years of college basketball left, but WNBA teams are undoubtedly already paying close attention to her development—especially the Toronto Tempo. Drafting a member of the Canadian national team could be big for Toronto.
Syla Swords had a busy summer with the Canadian national team
Syla Swords put in extra work to represent Canada this summer. From June 28 to July 6, she suited up for the Canadian senior national team at the Women’s AmeriCup in Chile. She averaged 9.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.6 assists over six games. Her best performance came in a one-point win over Argentina to secure third place. Swords scored a team-high 23 points, grabbed six rebounds, and got three assists.
From July 12-20, Swords also played in the U19 World Cup in Czechia. She led the Canadian national team in minutes, points, and rebounds per game on the way to a fourth-place finish. Swords finished the tournament with an All-First Team selection.
Sandy Brondello hopes to get some Canadian players to suit up for the Tempo
Sandy Brondello and Monica Wright Rogers have a completely blank slate to work with. The Tempo currently have no players under contract and will get a chance to change that in an expansion draft and free agency. When Brondello appeared on In Case You Missed It with Khristina Williams, she said that she expects the Tempo to chase a lot of international players and that it would be great to sign some Canadians.
Under the current CBA, Swords will be draft eligible in 2028. So, it will be a while until the Tempo can land her, but there is plenty of other interesting Canadian talent to consider. Bridget Carleton and Kia Nurse, for example, will be unrestricted free agents. Kayla Alexander hasn’t played in a WNBA game since 2020, but is having a solid season for Valencia in Spain. The Valkyries may not bring back Laeticia Amihere, making her available for the Tempo.