WITH the year progressing, the men’s and women’s National Collegiate Athlete Association (NCAA) basketball tournaments are edging closer and closer by the day.

Plenty of players will be looking to make their mark, with the league well-known as one of the biggest platforms for showcasing talent in the world. Typically, the league is made up of players who have been born and bred in the system and in the United States, but there are some international imports who have impressed scouts enough to make the move overseas. With the Australian basketball system as strong as ever, the number of Aussies in the NCAA system is growing on a yearly basis, and taking full advantage of this is Chyra Evans.

Evans was born and bred in the city of Newcastle in New South Wales, which is not a particularly basketball focused town, with much of the city and area consumed by the sport of rugby. However, Evans followed her mother’s passion and pursued the sport of basketball.

With the guidance of her mother, who played in the WNBL, Evans began putting all her time and effort into pursing the sport as a profession. This resulted in participation in the Newcastle Basketball Association, which has produced quality talent in the past.

Evans was able to excel at this level, proving a class above throughout her time competing in the league. Suddenly, her journey was progressing extremely fast, receiving a call up from the Centre of Excellence (CoE), which is run by Basketball Australia. This is a key step for any young basketball player to take, so her career was on an upwards trajectory from here.

Taking full advantage of the elite training facilities and staff offered by the CoE, Evans was able to develop her game as her basketball path continued. While this was an excellent gateway to competing against quality opponents, her biggest career moment was yet to come, in what proved a sliding doors moment that led to Evans taking her journey to the next level.

Evans was named to represent New South Wales in the Under 20 Australian Junior Championships in 2021, which ended up paying dividends. Evans was dominant throughout the series, with the best young talents in the country unable to contain her as she led her side to the title in Mackay.

It was this competition that saw her profile go through the roof in overnight fashion, with plenty of attention coming both domestically and internationally. The most impressive offer came from a number of college teams in the United States, which is not something every young basketball talent can say. Evans accepted an offer to play for Michigan in the NCAA, as her career begins to blossom in fast fashion.

To keep herself fresh in the meantime, Evans has joined the Sydney Uni Flames in the WNBL for the upcoming season, where she will compete against the best basketball talent Australia has to offer. At 188cm, she is able to use her height to score on the inside and pull down plenty of rebounds. Her time in the WNBL will prove the biggest test, as she plays against some of the best female basketball players in the world.

At just 18 years of age, Evans’ basketball journey is just beginning, with a commitment to two of the world’s best leagues. With plenty of potential, expect Evans to begin to make her way towards becoming one of Australia’s premier basketball talents.

Picture credit: FIBA