Women’s Basketball
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Throughout the 2017-18 season, U SPORTS sits down with one key athlete, coach, and staff member of each U SPORTS athletic program in our new interview series “Getting to know…”
Name: Alexandria Kiss-Rusk
School: McGill University
Sport: Women’s basketball
Position: Centre/Forward
Year of eligibility: Fifth
Program: Social work
Hometown: Beaconsfield, Que.
1. What attracted you to McGill University?
I am originally from Montreal, so coming back home to attend McGill was a no brainer. Both of my parents attended McGill so I grew up knowing a lot about it. The head coach, Ryan Thorne, had also coached me before. It was the best decision I’ve ever made.
2. What’s your favourite memory, and your greatest athletic achievement as a U SPORTS student-athlete?
Hands-down winning a national championship last year for the first time in program history. It had been our goal since the day I stepped onto the McGill campus and we always came so close, so finally achieving that was surreal.
3. Where are you hoping your path will take you after university?
I am hoping to continue to play basketball after university, overseas probably. Maybe getting my masters eventually after my basketball career.
4. Who’s had the greatest influence on your athletic career?
Definitely my parents. They have always supported us in every way imaginable and made it possible for us to succeed in whatever sport we chose. Head coach Ryan Thorne definitely helped me achieve my potential in university basketball. Been a great influence and a great coach.
5. Who is someone in the sports world, past or present, with whom you’d love to have dinner with? Why?
Shaquille O’Neil, just because I think he’d be an entertaining person.
6. What is your pre-game ritual? Do you have any superstitions/idiosyncrasies around preparing yourself for a game?
I try to stay away from pre-game rituals and superstitions. You never know what circumstances are going to fall on you on the day of a game and I would hate for something silly like that to take me out it.
7. What’s your go-to song to get pumped up for practice or a game?
It changes all the time. We play a lot of different kinds of music, we change up who is in charge of the music so we get something different each game.
8. What’s your favourite social media account to follow?
“I can’t even” on Instagram. That’s the account. It’s just full of dogs being good boys. I also follow many basketball accounts like House of Highlights and the NBA.
9. If you could try another sport, what would it be and why?
I played most sports growing up, so probably something pretty different like pole vaulting or like bobsledding. I played just about everything growing up including soccer, swimming, diving, football, water polo, hockey, so I’d want to do something not many people usually do.
10. What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s happened to you as an athlete?
I’m not easily embarrassed…but I’m sure there’s footage out there of something.