Basketball has brought Shay Colley a multitude of experiences across the globe.

From the moment she picked up a ball in the gym in Nova Scotia, Colley would accrue said experiences, including:

• Moving to Brampton, Ontario, to play in high school
• Playing NCAA Division l basketball at Michigan State
• Playing professionally overseas

And, of course, to wear the red and white across her chest for Canada, Colley’s career has flourished for over a decade.

“[All these] different phases of my life, whether in Nova Scotia, Toronto, Michigan or the NCAA, shaped me to be the resilient person that I am because I had to overcome some injuries to get to this point,” Colley said.  “Getting up, day-by-day, the rehab, the strengthening, and the mentally just telling myself, I can do it.”

Colley says that her belief in herself has helped her get to where she is now, sitting in the office of the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) in downtown Toronto, where she was seconds away from being announced to her second Olympic team with Canada.

“I’m a little overwhelmed, you know,” she said. “It’s my second Olympics, so I am very honoured and blessed to have been a part of the 12 that Canada Basketball has selected. It’s really sunk in today; it’s officially official.”

Colley's friends and family attended the announcement and cheered her on as she received her jacket from David Shoemaker, Chief Executive Officer and Secretary General of the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC).

Colley was joined by fellow teammates Kayla Alexander, Sami Hill, and Nirra Fields at the announcement. However, Colley and Alexander have an extra special connection, as they played overseas in France with Tango Bourges Basket this past season.

“My connection with Kayla is beyond basketball, she's my sister,” said Colley. 

“[Kayla] is more than just a teammate. She helps me more mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and I think that's important too.”

Colley is typically very hard on herself, and being around Alexander as they played together in France helped strengthen their relationship.

“I call [Shay] my soul sister,” said Alexander with a smile. “Our birthdays are one day apart; she gets my personality, and I feel like I can be completely myself around her.”

Colley echoed the same sentiments, calling it a blessing to say that Kayla Alexander is her sister. She really values their relationship, saying that it is close to her heart.

Colley has grown a lot in her ability to be herself throughout her journey in life and basketball, particularly as the point guard on her team.

“I'm not very vocal or talkative, so you know, being a point guard, you have to be that leader on the floor,” she said. “You are the coach, and I think that's the area I’ve grown the most in my point guard position, over my years, just to be a more vocal leader, directing people on the court, and I feel like that has also helped me transition off the court, with speaking as well.” 

Colley doesn’t have the full picture of her future just yet, but she does know that she wants to be a teacher down the road, potentially maybe even coaching her own high school team.

Does she think about legacy?

“I don’t really think about the word legacy, but if I were to say what I would want to leave behind, not so much as a basketball player, it would mean being a good person and teammate off the court,” says Colley. 

Colley values treating people with kindness regardless of who they are and where they come from. This shines through in her personality, as you will often see Colley smiling, leading the younger players on the team as the seasoned vet, helping out with Junior Academy, running her own basketball camps for school kids, and more.

Shay Colley is many things: a basketball player, a great teammate, kind, ambitious, family-oriented, a country music fan, and so much more.

The many layers of her experiences make her the player she is. As she steps out onto the court at the 2024 Olympic Games, her second appearance, she is as motivated as ever.