Tamika, their elder daughter, played basketball at Bowling Green State University and the University of Oregon. Roger Nurse, a prominent lacrosse player in Canada, was Richard Nurse’s brother. Their sister Raquel, a talented basketball player for Syracuse University, is wed to former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb.
Sarah Nurse, a forward for the University of Wisconsin women’s hockey team that competed in the 2016 NCAA Women’s Frozen Four competition, is the daughter of Roger Nurse and a cousin of Kia and Darnell.
In This Article...
Are Sarah Nurse and Isaac Nurse related?
Nurse comes from a sporting household where competition is fierce. Isaac Nurse, her brother, plays forward for the Ontario Hockey League’s Hamilton Bulldogs. The twins are related to Canadian Olympians Kia Nurse of the New York Liberty basketball team and defenseman Darnell Nurse of the Edmonton Oilers, both of whom played for Canada at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
The Hockey Hall of Fame houses the jersey that Canadian forward Sarah Nurse wore and the stick that defender Brigette Lacquette used during the 2018 Winter Olympics. (Photo by Phil Pritchard/HHOF)
Who is Kia Nurse’s family?
More than ever, Canadian basketball talent is sweeping the globe. Let’s get to know the Canadian athletes who compete in the NBA, WNBA, and other leagues abroad! Let’s start with Kia Nurse of Hamilton, Ontario (who is not related to Raptors head coach Nick Nurse, in case you were wondering).
You may now recognize Kia as a player for the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA, but we in Canada have supported Kia long before she rose to the status of fan favorite and All-Star. She began her career at a young age, winning two National Championships with Team Ontario in high school, two OFSAA Championships, and contributing to Team Canada’s second-place finish in the 2013 FIBA Americas Championship. Given that Kia’s brother Darnell Nurse plays hockey for the Edmonton Oilers, it would appear that her family has a strong sense of winning.
At the University of Connecticut, where basketball stars like Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart, and Diana Taurasi got their start, Kia was courted to play for Coach Geno Auriemma. As a UConn Husky, Kia was the only player to start each game of the 201516 season and finished with more than 100 assists. He also won two NCAA Championships during that time.
Kia’s time at UConn was just the beginning; after being selected by the New York Liberty with the 10th overall pick in the 2018 WNBA Draft, she participated in all 34 of her team’s contests. She joins Natalie Achonwa and Bridget Carleton, both Minnesota Lynx players, as one of just three Canadians playing in the WNBA right now. Kia was selected to the 2019 WNBA All-Star game as a starter for Team Delle-Donne and took part in the 3-point competition. She was just in her second season AND she was the third Canadian player to ever play in the All-Star game. In addition, Kia scored a season-high 26 points three separate times during the 2019 campaign while shooting 35.3 percent from outside the arc. Kia spent two seasons playing with the Canberra Capitals in Australia, where she won two straight titles in 2019 and 2020 and was voted the league’s MVP in 2020.
On the #4-ranked Canadian Women’s National Basketball Team, Nurse is a fan favorite. Kia played a significant role in Canada’s historic gold medal victory over the United States at the 2015 Pan American Games. She finished with 33 points on 10 of 17 shooting, 11 made free throws, two 3-pointers, and was picked to carry the Canadian flag at the closing ceremony. Kia competed for Canada again in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after making her Olympic debut in the 2016 Rio Games.
Nurse was part of a three-team transaction that sent Natasha Howard from Seattle to New York and Megan Walker and Nurse to Phoenix in the offseason before the 2021 WNBA season. Kia joined Diana Taurasi, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Brittney Griner, and Brianna Turner as a regular in Phoenix’s starting lineup. Phoenix had an interesting season, winning 10 games in a row following the Olympic break and making it all the way to the WNBA championships before falling to the Chicago Sky in a four-game series. Kia’s game-winning shot on June 1st against the Sky, which she heaved from half-court to win Phoenix the game, stands out as one of the season’s most memorable moments. A shot so flawless that Chicago undoubtedly heard the shouts from my flat when it went in.
Kia is a player whose team benefits greatly from her persistent defensive vigor, according to Phoenix Mercury head coach Sandy Brondello.
Kia Nurse won’t be playing basketball again for a while, which is unfortunate for Canadian basketball fans. Kia’s right ACL in a fall in Game 4 of the WNBA semifinals against the Las Vegas Aces caused her to miss the rest of the season. Fans may rewatch any of her prior WNBA and National Team contests until she returns, or they can do what I did and watch the Euro-step buzzer-beater endlessly (seriously it is magical). We hope Kia a quick recovery and are forward to see her back on the court representing Canada.
Kia Nurse has consistently represented Canada Basketball in a way that causes us all to loudly yell, “YEAH, SHE’S CANADIAN!” at everyone who will pay attention. Her influence is felt both on and off the court, abroad and domestically.
In addition to her playing career, Kia also worked as a broadcaster on TSN over the last winter. On March 24, 2020, she participated in the historic Women-led Raptors broadcast as a color commentator. Kia also founded Kia Nurse Elite, an AAU program supported by Nike that allows young women’s basketball players to compete in the United States and catch the eye of college scouts.
Kia Nurse is the ideal first profile for Homegrown Ballers because she is a mentor on and off the court to women of all ages in sports and sports media and someone who immediately comes to mind when you think of “Canadian Basketball Excellence.” We eagerly anticipate Kia’s upcoming comeback to the court!
Who is the father of Sarah Nurse?
Every branch of Nurse’s family tree appears to have experienced great success: her father, Roger, represented Canada in lacrosse; her aunts, Cathy and Racquel, played basketball at McMaster University and Syracuse University, respectively; and her cousin Tamika (the sister of Kia and Darnell) attended the University of Oregon and Bowling Green State University.