Women's basketball

Representing Canada
FIBA Women's AmeriCup
Gold	2015 Edmonton
Gold	2017 Buenos Aires
Silver	2013 Mexico
Pan American Games
Gold	2015 Toronto	Team

Kia Nurse is a Canadian professional basketball player. She was born on February 22, 1996. She plays for the Chicago Sky in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Kia also works as a basketball analyst for TSN. She has proudly played for the Canadian National Basketball team. She even played in the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Early Life and High School Basketball
College Basketball Journey
Professional WNBA Career
Playing for Team Canada
Career Statistics
Kia Nurse's Family Life

Early Life and High School Basketball

Kia Nurse started playing basketball very young. She was only four years old. By age seven, she was already in a competitive league. She went to St. Vincent de Paul Elementary School.

Nurse played basketball at St. Thomas More Catholic Secondary School in Hamilton, Ontario. She helped her high school team win three championships in a row. These wins were in 2011, 2012, and 2013. She also played for the Hamilton Transway Club team. With this team, she won seven provincial championships in a row.

College Basketball Journey

Nurse played college basketball for the Huskies. This was at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Connecticut. While at UConn, she played for coach Geno Auriemma. She played alongside famous players like Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier.

About 50 colleges wanted Nurse to play for their teams. She first narrowed her choices to four schools. These were Connecticut, Penn State, Indiana, and Kentucky. She finally chose Connecticut. After signing her letter to play there, she shared a secret. She had set a goal to play for Connecticut when she was just in Grade 7!

Professional WNBA Career

Starting with the New York Liberty

At the 2018 WNBA draft, the New York Liberty picked Nurse. She was the tenth player chosen overall in the first round. Nurse joined the Liberty team with players like Tina Charles. She played her first WNBA game on May 20, 2018. She scored 17 points in that game. In June 2018, Nurse scored 34 points. This was the most points scored by a rookie that season. It helped the Liberty win against the Indiana Fever.

Becoming a WNBA All-Star

In July 2019, Nurse was chosen to start in the 2019 WNBA All-Star Game. This was a big moment for her. She was only the third Canadian player to be an All-Star. Nurse joined "Team Delle Donne" for the game. She also took part in the Three-Point Contest.

Moving to Phoenix and Injuries

Nurse was traded to the Phoenix Mercury for the 2021 season. She moved with Megan Walker. In return, the Liberty received draft picks. During the WNBA semifinals in 2021, Nurse got a serious injury. She tore her ACL in her knee. This meant she missed the rest of the playoffs. The Mercury team lost in the finals that year. In February 2022, the Mercury re-signed Nurse. However, her injury kept her from playing the entire 2022 season.

Recent Teams and Chicago Sky

On January 31, 2024, Nurse was traded again. She went from the Seattle Storm to the Los Angeles Sparks. The Sparks also received a high draft pick. Then, on February 4, 2025, Nurse signed with the Chicago Sky. She is currently playing for them.

Playing for Team Canada

Youth National Team

Nurse was invited to play for Canada's under-17 national team in 2012. This tournament was held in Amsterdam. She scored almost 14 points per game. She helped her team finish in third place.

Senior National Team Success

Nurse joined the senior national team in 2013. She played in the 2013 FIBA Americas Championship for Women in Xalapa, Mexico. She helped Canada win a silver medal. They finished second after losing to Cuba in the final game.

In 2014, Nurse played in the 2014 FIBA World Championship for Women. Canada finished in fifth place. Nurse was the youngest player on the team. She played almost 22 minutes per game as a point guard.

Pan American Games Gold

Nurse was part of the Canada women's national basketball team at the 2015 Pan American Games. These games were held in Toronto, Ontario. Canada played very well, winning all their preliminary games. They beat Brazil in the semifinal. In the final game, Canada faced the United States. In front of a home crowd, Canada won 81–73. This was Canada's first gold medal in basketball at the Pan Am Games. Nurse was the star of the game. She scored 33 points, making many of her shots. Her amazing performance led to her being chosen as the flag-bearer for the closing ceremonies.

FIBA Americas Championship Gold

Nurse also played for Canada at the 2015 FIBA Americas Women's Championship. This event was held in Edmonton, Alberta. Canada won all their games easily. They beat Brazil in the semifinal. The gold medal game was against Cuba. Canada won again, 82–66. This win meant Canada qualified for the 2016 Olympics in Rio. Nurse was the top scorer for Canada with 20 points. She was named the MVP (Most Valuable Player) for the whole event.

Olympic Appearances

In 2016, Nurse made her Olympic debut for Team Canada. This was at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Canada finished in seventh place. Nurse was also named to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic squad. Canada finished in 9th place overall at those games.

Career Statistics

Legend
GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game	RPG	Rebounds per game
APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game	BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game
TO	Turnovers per game	FG%	Field-goal percentage	3P%	3-point field-goal percentage	FT%	Free-throw percentage
Bold	Career high	°	League leader

*	Denotes season(s) in which Nurse won an NCAA Championship

WNBA Regular Season

Stats current through end of 2024 season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	TO	PPG
2018	New York	34	7	22.8	.402	.294	.870	2.4	1.6	0.7	0.1	0.9	9.1
2019	New York	34	34	29.4	.393	.353	.872	2.5	2.3	0.7	0.1	1.6	13.7
2020	New York	21	18	27.5	.273	.238	.864	2.9	2.3	0.5	0.2	2.2	12.2
2021	Phoenix	32	32	26.1	.359	.353	.790	3.5	1.8	0.5	0.1	1.5	9.5
2022	Did not play (injury)
2023	Seattle	40	40	19.7	.343	.350	.889	2.3	1.3	0.6	0.1	0.7	5.9
2024	Los Angeles	40	27	20.3	.388	.331	.793	1.6	1.3	0.5	0.0	1.2	7.6
Career	6 years, 4 teams	201	138	23.8	.363	.324	.850	2.5	1.7	0.6	0.1	1.3	9.3
Career	All-Star	1	1	17.3	.500	.375	—	2.0	0.0	1.0	0.0	0.0	15.0

WNBA Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	TO	PPG
2021	Phoenix	6	6	21.8	.432	.455	1.000	3.3	1.5	0.2	0.0	0.7	8.3
Career	1 year, 1 team	6	6	21.8	.432	.455	1.000	3.3	1.5	0.2	0.0	0.7	8.3

College Statistics

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	TO	PPG
2014–15*	Connecticut	39	36	25.0	.485	.407	.721	3.1	2.7	1.4	0.1	1.5	10.2
2015–16*	Connecticut	38	38	28.3	.442	.369	.753	1.9	2.7	1.3	0.1	1.3	9.3
2016–17	Connecticut	33	33	30.6	.480	.462	.855	2.0	3.8	1.0	0.1	1.5	12.7
2017–18	Connecticut	33	33	33.1	.519	.442	.809	3.5	2.7	1.2	0.3	1.2	13.5
Career		147	144	30.6	.483	.423	.784	2.6	3.0	1.2	0.1	1.4	11.4

Kia Nurse's Family Life

Kia Nurse was born to Richard and Cathy Nurse. She grew up in Hamilton, Ontario. Her father, Richard Nurse, played in the CFL (Canadian Football League). Her mother, Cathy Nurse, was a basketball player at McMaster University.

Kia has older siblings who are also athletes. Her sister, Tamika Nurse, played college basketball. Her brother, Darnell Nurse, is a professional hockey player. Kia is also related to former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb. He is married to her aunt, Raquel Nurse McNabb. Her cousin, Sarah Nurse, is also a professional hockey player. Sarah plays for the Toronto Sceptres and has competed for Team Canada in the Olympics.

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