In recent years, the NCAA has seen a significant growth in the participation of international players. So it's no surprise that, as U.S. college sports have become an international phenomenon, the States’ neighbours up north are taking a piece of that pie. As of the 2025-26 season, more than 150 Canadians will have roster spots in D1 basketball alone, displaying just how much impact Canada has had on the NCAA throughout the past few years.

And of course, the same can be said of Black history. Though largely overlooked, Canada has a rich history of Black women who have made an impact on the NCAA, inspiring a generation (and those yet to come) to pursue their dreams of playing in the U.S. So, to wrap up Black History Month, 5Wins aims to give them their flowers as we present five of the most impactful Black Canadian women in the NCAA. The following women have broken barriers for Black Canadian athletes around the country, whether through their athletic accomplishments, social justice pursuits, or inspiring stories. Every woman on this list is just as impactful as the last; thus, the following list will be in no particular order.

Camryn Rogers — Richmond, BC | University of California, Berkeley | Hammer Throw

UC Berkeley alumna and Richmond, BC native, Camryn Rogers blazed trails as she became the first ever Canadian to win gold in hammer throw during the Paris 2024 Olympics. Now ranked #1 in the world, Rogers entered the world of hammer throwing in June 2012 and—while attending R.A. McMath Secondary School—won the 2016 Canadian U20 titles in shot put and hammer throw. She followed with a gold medal as Canada's representative for the U20 Pan American Championships before she committed to the University of California, Berkeley soon after in 2018.

From the cold winters of British Columbia to the palm trees of the Golden State, Camryn became somewhat of a golden goose herself—or perhaps rather a Golden Bear. As a freshman, Rogers boasted the impressive accomplishment of placing podium in every single event of the season while double-majoring in society and environment and political economy. She particularly excelled in outdoor events, taking first place in the World Athletics U20 championship and placing third in hammer throw at the Pac-12’s Track & Field Championships. Rogers also broke the Golden Bears’ all-time freshman hammer throw record. And then, as the cherry on top, she ended her freshman season by breaking another Canadian U20 record.

In her freshman year alone, Camryn Rogers became one of the best hammer throwers in the nation, and there was clearly no stopping her. Throughout her time at UC, she steamrolled through competition earning accolade after accolade. In fact, she earned too many to list in one article alone. Camryn lives by her motto: “never train to settle.” At 26, she is setting an example for Black Canadian girls across the country to do the same.

Kia Nurse — Hamilton, ON | University of Connecticut | Basketball

Kia Nurse is, deservedly, one of the WNBA’s premier Canadian players, considering her long list of career achievements. Nurse was raised in Hamilton as part of a big sports family, which is no stranger to fostering professional talent. She started early, picking up basketball at the age of 4, and playing competitively at only 7. She got her first taste of gold during her stints on Team Ontario U15 teams, winning two golds for the province and clinching tournament MVPs. It only made sense that she committed to an NCAA school with the same winning pedigree: the University of Connecticut.

She wasted no time, becoming a starting frontcourt staple for the Huskies in only her rookie season. AAC Freshman of the Year was no question—and her greatness only continued into her following years. 2015 seemed to be her year, as her 33-point performance at the Pan American Games earned Canada's women's basketball program its first-ever gold in the event. Her contribution to Canada's 81-72 victory against the U.S. team earned her a spot in Canadian basketball history. During her tenure with UConn, she made significant contributions in their 2015 and 2016 NCAA Women's Basketball Championship wins. Then, in the 2016-17 season, she tied the NCAA Women’s DI record for most three-pointers in a tournament with nine in one game.

Excellence defined Nurse's career all the way up to her graduation from UConn when she declared for the WNBA draft and, in 2018, was drafted 10th overall to the New York Liberty. She has since become an all-star and Olympic athlete, never missing the chance to represent Canada on the international stage.

In an interview with 5Wins, her Olympic and Pan Am teammate Tamara Tatham had this to say about the young star during their playing time: “We were on the team together that really changed the face of women’s basketball in Canada.”

Despite Kia’s success across the border, she never forgot her Canadian roots. Many Canadians now see her as they tune into The Sports Network, thanks to her partnership with the media company during her offseason. In 2021, she also participated in the Toronto Raptors first all-female broadcast for International Women’s Day, inspiring young women and girls all across the country.

Sarah Nurse — Burlington, ON | University of Wisconsin-Madison | Ice Hockey

Perhaps winning is in the Nurse family's blood. Not only is an accomplished Canadian basketball icon attending family gatherings, but also a future PWHL legend in Kia’s cousin, Sarah Nurse. In the PWHL (Professional Women’s Hockey League), there is a total of four Black players. So, when someone like Sarah Nurse steps into the spotlight and represents Black Canadians, she makes a big splash. Burlington native Sarah Nurse fell in love with hockey at the ripe age of five and now, years later, she is considered one of the best Black Canadian female hockey players of all time. However, this is no wonder to anyone who followed her tenure at the University of Wisconsin.

From the moment she joined the team, Nurse began making her impact. In her rookie season, she led the team to the NCAA Frozen Four for four consecutive years from 2014 to 2017. Though even sooner than that, Nurse had already been called up to play for Team Canada in the International Ice Hockey Federation’s U18 Women’s World Championship, bringing back gold. And since being a trailblazer seems to run through her blood, it was only a matter of time before she won her first Olympic gold in the 2022 Olympic Games, becoming the first ever Black woman to win a gold medal in ice hockey.

Following her graduation from the University of Wisconsin in 2018, Nurse headed straight to the big leagues. She was drafted second overall into the CWHL before its collapse the following season. But Nurse didn’t let this setback deter her. In fact, she was one of the first players to advocate for the formation of the PWHPA (Professional Women’s Hockey Players’ Association) to advocate for the proper funding and payment of women’s hockey players in Canada. Her hard work paid off when the PWHL was officially formed in 2023, and Nurse became one of the first players ever to sign to the newly formed women’s pro hockey hub. From forming unions, to starring on video game covers, to even having a Barbie doll made in her likeness—there is no denying that Sarah Nurse is a trailblazer for young Black girls going into ice hockey.

Tamara Tatham — Brampton, ON | University of Massachusetts | Basketball

Tamaara Tatham is not only an iconic Canadian women's basketball player, but also a well-respected coach and mentor to many young Black women and girls across Canada. Tamara recounted in an interview with 5Wins how she first started playing basketball at 13 “on a whim.” Her hobby soon became her path to success as she was already being scouted at 14 for NCAA schools all across the U.S. It was no surprise when she averaged 23 points and 10 rebounds in her senior year at Chinguacousy High School, leading them to a 26-5 record and racking up all-star and defensive awards in the process.

She eventually committed to the University of Massachusetts on scholarship, excelling in the program as she averaged 30.5 MPG over her four years in university as a defensive specialist. She was named team captain in her junior and senior years, becoming the 11th player in the program’s history to surpass 1,000 career points with the Minutewomen. Upon her graduation in 2007 with a bachelor of science in sports management, she began participating in the Canadian senior women’s national basketball team all the way until 2016, appearing in the Olympics, Pan American Games, FIBA Americas, and FIBA World Championships.

“There's 12 people in the country picked to represent the sport on a global level,” Tatham remarked about her time as an Olympian. “That’s something not a lot of people get the opportunity to do, so you’re humbled by it, and you're proud of it.”

Tatham drives down the left side, turning the corner on her defender

Following an extensive overseas and national team career, Tatham eventually pivoted to coaching, becoming the head coach for the University of Toronto's Varsity Blues from 2020 to 2024 and inspiring the next generation.

“It was nice to finally be home,” said Tamara about why she decided to coach in Canada specifically. When asked why she began coaching, she stated that her main reason was to give back and become that same type of mentor she had as a young Black woman in sports.

“To continue to develop the next generation of athletes, especially on the women's side,” she said. “There's something about helping develop young women into professionals… on the court and off the court.”

Jean Lowe Butler — Toronto, ON | Tuskegee University | Track and Field

Toronto native Jean Lowe Butler is an often overlooked figure in Black Canadian sport history, but is typically regarded as one of Canada's most accomplished amateur athletes of all-time—male or female. But unfortunately, as is the case for many Black and female historical figures throughout history, she is rarely acknowledged, and her achievements scarcely archived despite just how much she dominated.

Born in 1922, Alice Maud Eugenia Lowe Butler had an upbringing that many Torontonians even today can relate to: being a second-generation immigrant of Caribbean parents who came to the country to build a better life. Butler participated in many sports, and somehow shone in all of them. This was exemplified in high school, where she won championships in not only track and field, but also played on championship volleyball, basketball, softball, and badminton teams. A born leader, she was the captain of her school’s track, basketball, volleyball, softball, and tennis teams—on many of which she was the only Black girl.

From 1947-1950, Butler served as the star track and field player at the HBCU Tuskegee University. She placed on the podium and won medals in every single meet she attended, no matter if she competed in the 100m, 200m, relay, long jump, or high jump. It was only fitting that she was eventually inducted into the university's athletic hall of fame in 1985. She graduated not only with a legendary status, but with a bachelor of science degree to boot. Now a U.S. citizen, Butler devoted her life to teaching rather than professional sports, working to set up the first Black physical education program during her 29-year career as an educator. She also became a coach, leading championship teams in track and field, along with basketball.

Following her passing in September of 2017, she still served to further learning and discovery, selflessly donating her body to the University of South Alabama for research and education.