CBU star guard playing on International stage

CBU star guard playing on international stage

Chermensa van la Parra representing Netherlands in 3-on-3 competition

By Corey LeBlanc

ROTTERDAM – Before she returns to the line-up and dons the familiar orange of her beloved Cape Breton University (CBU) CAPERS women's basketball team, Chermensa van la Parra has been wearing that colour proudly as she represents her country on the international stage.

The point guard has been taking the court in recent months with her native Netherland's U23 3-on-3 women's basketball program.

"It has been an amazing experience," van la Parra said in a recent Zoom conversation from her home in Rotterdam, a major port city in the Dutch province of South Holland, regarding having another opportunity to represent her country.

In FIBA 3X3 U23 Nations League 2024 action earlier this summer in Lithuania, as part of the European zone, van la Parra and the Netherlands posted an unblemished 3-0 mark. She and her teammates will return to action – from August 2-4 – in the final league tournament in Bucharest, Romania.

Nations League results serve as a qualification route to the FIBA 3x3 U23 World Cup 2024, which is scheduled for Sept. 11-15 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

"It would be incredible," van la Parra said of the potential to participate.

The Netherlands has already punched its ticket to that prestigious tournament as defending champions in the U23 women's classification.

van la Parra, a dynamic 5'3" athlete, is competing against her four U23 teammates – along with five players from the country's U21 squad – for a spot on the world championship roster.

"We will see what happens," she offered, noting the selections will likely be made after the Nations League tournament in August.

The 3-on-3 experience has helped her keep sharp for a return to the CAPERS for the 2024-25 Atlantic University Sport (AUS) season. Last year, while putting up all-star-calibre numbers – averaging 16.3 points, 2.8 assists and two rebounds per game, van la Parra's campaign ended abruptly after 14 games because of a family emergency. She returned to Rotterdam to be with her mother, Cherryl van la Parra, who suffered a pair of strokes and had to undergo surgery.

"I felt badly about leaving my team… It was a hard decision – I cried every day," van la Parra remembered, "but I knew I had to go home."

She cheered on her team from afar – never missing a CBU game, describing how "my heart broke," when the CAPERS did not make the AUS playoffs.

"I am looking forward to that moment so much, and I am glad that it is coming soon," van la Parra said of getting back on the floor at the Sullivan Fieldhouse – CBU's home court on the University's Sydney campus.

She added, "I am really looking forward to finish, I didn't feel good not to finish what I started."

Back in action

As for her 3-on-3 experience, van la Parra – who played in a European championship at the U18 level – said, "It has always been a big part of me." She added of her selection to the U23 squad in January, particularly after having to cut short her AUS season, "It was nice, it was amazing."

Noting it is "a lot of fun," van la Parra explained that 3-on-3 is "very different" from the 'conventional' 5-on-5 game, including playing half court and shooting at one basket. Each team has four players. "It is also more physical," she noted.

Also, coaches cannot provide instruction during play, which means having to adjust to not getting instant feedback from the bench. "Your coach is there, but they cannot coach," van la Parra explained. She added, "We are really aware of the things that we are doing on the court, and we have to give each other feedback really quickly."

The winning team is the first one to reach 21 points or is leading when 10 minutes of playing time expires. "It is really fast paced," van la Parra agreed.

Asked if this national team opportunity has benefitted her game, she said, "One hundred per cent." van la Parra noted her improvement in getting the ball to the "bigs" in pick-and-roll situations, which are crucial in the 3-on-3 game. She also pointed to gains in her speed and "reading the game."

"It really helped me," she said of understanding situations and decision-making at certain times.

Like mother, like daughter

The Bachelor of Arts in Community Studies (BACS) student took her first dribbles as a young girl growing up in Rotterdam. "It began with my mother; she always played basketball, and she took me to all of her games," she recalled.

It wasn't long before she was playing mini basketball. "I liked it a lot, right from the beginning," van la Parra said of her first time taking the court as a four or five-year-old.

Growing up, the multi-sport athlete also excelled on another court – as a tennis player. "At some point, I had to make a decision – to play basketball or tennis," she explained. Noting, with a laugh, that tennis was "pretty expensive," van la Parra opted for the hardwood, rather than the hard court. "And, I loved it. So, from there, I never stopped playing basketball," she said.

Along with the passion for the sport she shared with her mother, van la Parra said she embraced the teamwork aspect. "It was a big factor for me because I played tennis, as I said, and tennis is an individual sport, and I love to play with others," she explained. "I love playing with teammates; so, I think, that was the biggest thing for me." Putting the ball in the hoop also captured her heart. "It is amazing. It was great for me. I will always love the game," van la Parra added.

Growing sport

When it comes to the popularity of basketball in the Netherlands, she offered, "It is becoming bigger and bigger," while noting that the men's game is "more advanced" in terms of exposure – such as broadcasts on TV – but the women's side is catching up. van la Parra added, "It's pretty big; soccer is probably bigger, but basketball is coming."

As for when she started to believe she could 'go places' in the sport, the CBU student-athlete pointed to her first experience playing with Netherlands' U16 national team in 2017. That year, she had the chance to take the court in her first European championship tournament. "I always knew that I was a good player – somewhere in the back of my head – but to play for your country was a moment for me that I realized I was a good player," she said, with her signature bright smile.

Heading down under?

Her path to CBU included a bit of a geographical twist, one could say, as the recruiting process unfolded. "First of all, I thought that I was going to Australia," van la Parra offered, with a laugh, noting that she didn't know at the time that there was a Sydney in Canada.

While exchanging emails with CBU head coach Fabian McKenzie, who touted what the University and its women's basketball program could offer, the mother-daughter duo also carried out a fact-finding mission. "We did our research, had conversations with Coach [McKenzie] and then we came for a visit," van la Parra explained of their recruiting trip to Cape Breton in 2019.

She remembered wanting to do "something different" than other college-aged players in the Netherlands; most were heading to the United States. "I decided to come to Cape Breton and Canada," van la Parra said proudly.

Although she embraced her home-away-from-home right away, there were challenges, particularly during the first couple of years. "It was a big adjustment for me, coming from a bigger city [Rotterdam]," van la Parra explained. During those early "struggles," she focused on her athletic and academic pursuits. "It was a whole different lifestyle – that was the biggest change for me," she said, noting how much she did with her mother at home.

van la Parra noted that CAPER fans were one of the keys to combatting her homesickness. "I love them – other than my teammates and my coaches, they really helped me feel at home, to feel like this is my second home. It was really great for me," she said.

Stepping up

Reflecting on her time with the CAPERS, van la Parra reflected on her growth as a leader. Even though she hasn't been a team captain, she said that McKenzie has explained to her how, as the point guard, she is a key leader on the floor. "Everyone will follow you," van la Parra remembered him once telling her, along with how showing her energy on the court becomes "contagious." She offered, "You don't always have to be the captain to be important, to be a leader on the team."

van la Parra added that "every aspect of my game" has improved at CBU. Although the 3-on-3 opportunity is at the forefront, her return to the CAPERS – her coaches and teammates – is not far from mind. She has been in regular contact with many of them. "I am very excited to play with the new girls, as well. It is going to be something new, and I am really looking forward to that," she explained.

van la Parra also shared a message with her friends and fans in Cape Breton. "I love you all, and I miss you. I felt the support when I was here in the Netherlands, so thank you. I will see you all soon."

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