Before the summer of 2023, Bree Bourget was already forging a name for herself in the Ontario girls basketball scene.
In the summer of 2019, Bourget and long-time teammate Syla Swords were named as the only two underagers to Team Ontario U14, both local products serving as alternates that year.
Still, it’s a pretty safe bet that a three-week stretch running from late July through early August will cause everything else to pale by comparison for the 17-year-old Grade 12 student at Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School.
“I definitely showed a lot of growth last year,” said Bourget, the younger sister of McMaster Marauders guard Delaney Bourget. “I just think I worked super hard this year and I gained a lot of confidence.”
In mid-July, Bourget was among a group of 98 Canadian athletes selected to attend the NextGen national team training camp, all part and parcel of the 2023 NCAA College Basketball Academy in Memphis, Tennessee. Suffice to say, Bourget is more amped than ever for her final year with the Lo-Ellen Park Prep Knights
“I am super excited for this opportunity,” she said, reached on her way to Pearson International Airport for workouts and sessions that would run from July 28-31. “To be able to work directly with the Basketball Canada staff and even just learn about the different NCAA pathways, that’s always super cool.
“I am looking forward to all of these practices and scrimmages, working super hard and taking as much as I can from this experience.”
Bourget will be well acclimatized to life south of the border, having suited up with the Kia Nurse Elite program this summer, an undertaking that would see a good number of very talented up and coming young basketball women in our country compete at tournaments in Chicago, Illinois, and Orlando, Florida.
And even as she returned from Memphis, Sudbury was not the final destination as Bourget made her way directly to Calgary, Alta, site of the 15U & 17U Women’s National Basketball Championship.
In fact, a good number of the teens who will comprise the provincial team roster will also share those same travel plans as nine teams battle it out at the Jack Simpson Gymnasium at the University of Calgary.
“Team Ontario was one of my biggest goals heading into the summer,” said Bourget, who has earned starting assignments during the bulk of her week with the squad. “I am really happy that I made the team. I think it’s a reflection of how hard I have worked.”
Despite the cross-border nature of her schedule during this very hectic time, Bourget noted she does not expect to have to adjust her game much at all, whether facing U.S.-based talent or those who share their development in the sport with her, much closer to home.
“I wouldn’t say there’s a huge difference in the style of play,” she said. “In Canada, we compete just as hard. The speed and aggressiveness is increased some times, but there’s not really a huge difference.”
Once nationals are done, Bourget will make her way home, preparing for her final season of play within the Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association (OSBA), with Lo-Ellen Prep looking to boast a much deeper roster in 2023-2024 after dealing with the late summer departure of the Swords’ sisters (Syla and Savannah) last August.
“I was really proud of our group; we showed a lot of resiliency,” Bourget said. “I had new roles and responsibilities. Last year, I played more of a shooting guard position but I could also play point guard.
“We definitely have a new team this year. We’ll be competitive and I just think it will be lots of fun. I am really looking forward to it.”
That versatility is key as the latest in a long line of young Sudbury-born female basketball talent sets her sights on a final post-secondary destination of choice.
“I haven’t really made any decisions yet,” said Bourget. “That’s going to be more of a focus after nationals. I still have options; I am trying to figure that out.”
While there is no doubt that the talented shooter will draw plenty of attention in Canada, there is sure to be some interest from American schools as well.
“It’s just whatever is best for me, that’s what I will have to decide on,” she said. “I am more focused on finding the best fit, keeping all of my options open for now. I love my family, but whatever is the best fit will do.”
It’s not as though competition throughout the United States of America is the least bit unusual to Bree Bourget.
Randy Pascal is a sportswriter in Sudbury. Pursuit is made possible by our Community Leaders Program.
