SASKATOON – For some athletes, winning a national championship in their final season would be a storybook ending. But for Laura Dally, it’s on to the next chapter.
“I think it’s everyone’s dream to put on the Canadian jersey and if it’s for the senior team then that’s kind of the pinnacle,” said Laura Dally, a former guard on the Saskatchewan Huskies women’s basketball team.
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In her final season of Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) hoops, the most outstanding player in the Canada West conference helped lead the Saskatchewan Huskies to their first-ever national championship. With her Huskies career now over, Dally’s focus has shifted to the national stage.
The CIS all-Canadian is one of 24 players invited to try out for Team Canada ahead of the Rio Olympics later this summer.
“It’s nice to just see all the hard work you put in and you get to prove it on the best stage.”
Dally has worn the Maple Leaf on three previous occasions – twice as a junior player and last summer as a member of the national development team that won silver at the World University Games in South Korea. It was that experience that gave her a better understanding of the differences between CIS basketball and the international game.
That knowledge will come in handy as the six-foot guard tries to crack a lineup that had a sensational 2015, winning gold at the Pan-Am games and the FIBA Americas tournament.
“Relax and have fun. You’ve already make it this far and if you could go and keep making it onto the next phase then that’s just kind of like a cherry on top but don’t get me wrong, I am going to compete for a spot and just show the older girls what I’m all about,” said Dally.
She plans to play professionally this fall but for now the Canadian camp is her top priority and no matter the outcome, she’s proud to have made it this far.
“I made the junior team and I actually got cut two summers in a row and that took a big toll. I knew I wanted to get back so just to grind back, work hard and get a call for the senior team, it just proves if you put in the time and you love the game, great things are going to happen to you,” said Dally.
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