Well-rounded is honestly such a wonderful compliment to any young, elite athlete.

In the case of R.L. Beattie graduate and long-time Sudbury resident Savvy Swords, the term is equally applicable to both her game on the court as well as her personality and demeanour away from the sport.

Rest assured that the University of Kentucky Wildcats were captivated on both fronts when they offered the 18 year-old Team Canada talent a full scholarship last summer as the younger of two top-end female basketball players in the family (Syla begins her third year at the University of Michigan this fall) began her post-secondary journey State-side just a few weeks ago.

“It’s a lot of the little things,” said Swords, when asked about the biggest areas of adjustment as she transitions from a star-studded career with the Lu-Hi Crusaders in Long Island (NY) on to one of the most storied schools on the American university basketball scene. “I’m generally pretty good about finding my way with that.”

“With bigger, stronger girls, my rebounding will be key – and continuing to guard as many positions as I can,” added Swords, a 6’2” assemblage of versatility. “I definitely could do that in high-school. I feel that if I can guard every different positions and still play well offensively, that will put me in a good spot.”

In many ways, it also reflects the direction of her sport in general. “I don’t know exactly when it started but these days, players can play different positions, taller people can play guard and have guard skills.”

For as much as the ascension of the young woman who was named tournament MVP at U15 Nationals, representing Ontario in the summer of 2022 has been a steady and consistent one, it has not been without hurdles.

In December of 2024, Swords fell victim to a torn ACL, attempting a spin move she could pretty much do in her sleep. The surgery and rehab would set the aspiring recruit back almost a full year – though her summer of 2025 commitment to the Wildcats certainly provided some light at the end of the rainbow.

An even greater stream of sunshine emerged more recently (June 2026) as Swords earned All-Star Five honours at the FIBA U18 Women’s AmeriCup 2026 in Mexico, averaging more than 16 points per game, nine rebounds and 3.8 assists as Canada settled for silver following a 90-72 loss to the United States.

“Coming off a year of not playing, being able to come back and feel like myself and play as well as I did – I was really proud of that,” she said. “It was nice to remember just great it felt to play in a Canada jersey.”

Where some might see the need to appease coaches both with Basketball Canada and the University of Kentucky as challenging, Swords suggested that the aligned visions of both of her key priorities made it fairly easy to address the parts of her game that require the most work.

“Both were kind of saying the same thing: work on my confidence and be more aggressive,” said Swords with a smile. “It’s all about trusting myself, taking the shots I know I can make. It’s just doing what I know I am good at some that we succeed as a team.”

Spending time with family and friends in Sudbury in mid-August, Swords had already devoted a full month of summer to on-site training with the Wildcats in Lexington (Kentucky), a stretch that only served to confirm the wisdom of her next-step decision. “Being there for a full month really solidified everything that they were telling me was true,” she said.

“In recruiting, schools can say a lot. But being there and seeing the player development, seeing the amount of time they put in, the attention of detail they devote to everybody, it was clear: this is the right choice.”

For as much as she is navigating her way in new waters, a compass of reason is but a phone or Zoom call away. “I am so lucky to have Syla,” said Savvy. “She’s been through all of this, times ten. I lean on her a lot. And outside of basketball, I love to bake and paint and stuff like that.”

Now that’s appropriate.

When Savvy Swords dons her basketball gear, she will almost always “bake in the paint” - displaying just a small part of the versatility that is so coveted by every team that she plays for.