She made it to the WNBA, playing for the New York Liberty. She took home a gold medal with the Canadian national team. She won two national championships during her time at UConn. And yet, it’s not just winning that drives Kia Nurse. For her, she’s building a legacy of transforming sports for BIPOC girls in Toronto so that they have the same opportunities that she had.

Kia Nurse grew up in Hamilton, Ontario – a place that few basketball scouts ventured, especially to scout female players. So she started Kia Nurse Elite – Canada’s only Nike Girls Affiliate Team playing in the EYBL, or Elite Youth Basketball League. In the short time since she started it, Kia Nurse Elite became the first Canadian women’s EYBL team to play in high-profile tournaments in the states. And the young women she mentored have gone on to play at select basketball programs in the U.S., from Gonzaga University and UConn to Louisville and Arizona State. By helping women from all backgrounds break into the big leagues, she’s become quite the role model for the next generation of athletes – in, and beyond, Ontario.

Learn how Nike and Lay-Up Basketball are teaming up to help change girls' lives through sport.