Canada's Kia Nurse hopes to inspire with WNBA exhibition in Edmonton

When Kia Nurse was growing up in Hamilton, the nearest professional basketball that she could see in person was the Toronto Raptors. Although superstar Vince Carter was her favourite player, she couldn't see herself in him.

She's hoping to change that feeling for young Canadian girls.

Nurse will lead the Los Angeles Sparks against the Seattle Storm at Edmonton's Rogers Place in a WNBA exhibition game on May 4. She said on Tuesday that the pre-season event is a real opportunity to inspire the next generation of Canadian talent.

"It might not be me they resonate with, there's 20 other people in the gym that do what I do and they might resonate with one of them and that's still growing the game, right?" said Nurse from her home in Los Angeles. "That's when you have the opportunity as a young kid to say 'that's my new favourite player.'

The exhibition in Edmonton will be the second WNBA Canada Game after a sold-out crowd at Toronto's Scotiabank Arena saw the Chicago Sky defeat the Minnesota Lynx 82-74 on May 13.

Nurse said she was eager to have a direct impact on young fans through the upcoming game.

"If somebody follows in my footsteps and make it to professional sports, great. If they don't and they play in college, great. If they don't and they play just in high school, great," said Nurse. "All the things that I've learned about basketball are the same things that they're going to learn, no matter whatever level they get to.

"I'm grateful to have the opportunity to introduce some newbies to our sport and have them pick up a ball."

Nurse was traded from Seattle to the Sparks on Jan. 31, but she said there's no ill will toward her former Storm teammates.

"Whatever team I'm playing on is an opportunity to play in the WNBA,"