Just days away from Team Canada’s first game at the Paris Olympics, Kayla Alexander cannot wait to get things started.

“I’m looking forward to it,” the 33-year-old Milton, Ontario native said. “When you’re in the Olympic Village, to me, I love walking and seeing all the different athletes in the different countries. I love walking to the cafeteria and seeing someone who just won a medal, and people are so cool.”

Canada will begin its 2024 Olympics campaign against host-team France. Though she will be the visitor, playing in France will be a bit like a basketball homecoming for Alexander who won the Coupe de France this past April with Tango Bourges alongside Team Canada teammate Shay Colley. Alexander was named the Finals MVP as she led the way with a 22-point, 15-rebound double-double as Bourges defeated the defending champion Basket Landes.

“I keep saying it would be so nice to recreate those [winning] moments that we had [with Bourges] together with this team,” Alexander said. “That would be like a dream come true.”

This will be the second Olympics for Alexander, who shone in a 77-74 pre-Olympics exhibition victory on Tuesday over No. 3 ranked Australia with a team-best 21 points. This past February, Alexander led Canada with averages of 16 points and 13.7 rebounds per game in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament as she continues to be one of Canada’s most consistent and effective players on court. Alexander will serve alongside Natalie Achonwa as a co-captain of this year’s Olympics squad.

Alexander’s calm temperament belies a steadfast determination, competitive drive and work ethic. Juggling a professional basketball career now in its 12th season, entrepreneurship with Tall Size – the first-ever online shopping platform for tall women – authoring a children's book, and giving back to youth in sports, Alexander rarely has a spare moment. Still, she manages to squeeze the absolute most out of every practice session and game day, setting the example for every teammate who shares the court with her.

Despite all of her successes on and off court, Alexander says she wasn't immune to a bout of imposter syndrome when first being named co-captain.

“I'm going to be vulnerable here," Alexander said. "There are moments where I [was] like, ‘Why do you want me to be a co-captain?' A ‘do I really qualify?’ kind of thing.

“I admire the way [Natalie Achonwa] leads," Alexander continued. "How vocal she is. The way she can read the game. I admire her so much. I admire a lot of my teammates. There are times where I’m just in awe and I love learning from them. I'm constantly trying to be a sponge. I know I'm not always like, the most outspoken person or most vocal. I've always tried to be where my actions lead by example.”

That constant desire to learn, improve and do whatever she can to help her team succeed makes Alexander one of the players that everyone on the team naturally follows.

Getting to spend the past month with her national team teammates as they prepared for Paris has been a gift.

“If you think about it, we don’t have that much time together,” Alexander said. “It’s little pockets here and there, a pocket in November, a pocket in February, and then [some] time during the summer to get together to work on our chemistry and build on how we want to play basketball.”

From morning coffee runs to solving evening puzzles together, Alexander says all of the little moments together off court add up to a stronger connection on court.

“I think those moments where you get to learn new things about your teammates and see different aspects of their personality, that’s where you build that chemistry, support and bond," she said.

Alexander will also be sharing her latest Olympics experience with her parents who “made the decision in the 11th hour” to make the trip so they can cheer her on in person.

“I'll be able to experience this with them and share these moments with them,” she said. “I also want it to be like what Natalie [Achonwa] says: to be where my feet are. I’m just trying to soak it all in, be present and enjoy every moment of it because it’s something that you work towards your entire life."

Alexander says it is a privilege to represent Canada on the biggest stage in sports. Though this is her second time as an Olympian, it means just as much as her first appearance in Tokyo.

“It took me a minute to get here,” Alexander said. “I’m so grateful for this experience and this opportunity. It’s a dream come true. Something that people dream of and only hope to achieve one day. What a blessing it is, to play a sport that I love alongside some of the most incredible women I’ve ever met. I love learning from and being coached by some of the most incredible people as well.

“Knowing it’s bigger than us, the young girls and boys that we’re going to influence and inspire who might decide that they want to pick up a basketball in the future, it’s so much bigger than basketball,” she continued. “Yes, we put an orange ball in a hoop, but people see so much more than just that. They see us as human beings, they see the things that we do off the court, how we live, our passion, the things that we care about, the ways we try to give back and be involved in our communities.”

As this year’s Olympics tip off, Alexander wants all of those watching to know she will be leaving everything on the court each time that she steps onto it.

“We don't take it for granted,” she said. “We're going to play our hearts out. We're going to give it our best, and we're just thankful for everybody back home supporting us along this journey.”