Syd and the comeback kid mentality

Sydney Nunley has been playing basketball since the fourth grade. The “taller than everyone else” and now six-footer was a multi-sport athlete in high school. She did everything from competitive swimming to softball and volleyball, but really found her stride on the hardwood after an injury kept her out of the pool one year.
When it came time for her to “choose” a sport to focus on, Sydney’s developed love for the game of basketball made the choice relatively easy. She continued to play for her high school team and an AAU squad. A move from Tennessee to West Virginia in her sophomore year put her on the radar of a lot of schools. Her heightened abilities on both ends of the court garnered her quite a bit of exposure, and Radford University head coach Mike McGuire was among those who noticed.
“I started getting letters my sophomore year. That’s when people really started to know who I was.” Nunley said. “When I moved to West Virginia, I started to get more and more attention and that’s when Coach McGuire reached out to me and came to a few games. He came on a home visit, and I committed very early on in the process because of the family feel and the fact that we clicked very well.”
“I was immediately drawn to Sydney the first time I saw her play with her travel team in Washington, D.C.” said McGuire. “I saw a young player who had great size, had really good hands, and made her teammates better. At the time, we were working hard to build our roster to compete for Big South championships, and I knew Sydney was the type of post player that we needed to take the next step. As soon as we got off the road from recruiting that summer, we offered and recruited her aggressively.”

Her freshman season Nunley played in 28 games for the Highlanders and led the team in blocks during seven of those contests. Her season-high eight points came on two occasions, as she corralled a season high nine boards versus Charleston Southern. She concluded her debut season shooting 50 percent from the floor and 52.6 percent from the charity stripe.
In her sophomore season of 2016-17 season, Nunley appeared in all 33 games for Radford, started six, and was the first player off the bench 15 times. In her first career start at Appalachian State, she totaled nine points and 13 rebounds. Known now for her double-doubles, the origin of this part of Nunley’s game can be traced back to Radford’s tilt versus Longwood when she notched 12 points and 10 rebounds.
An injury derailed Nunley’s 2017-18 season as she was sidelined with a medical redshirt
“This was the hardest year mentally and physically for me,” she said. “I had never worn a cast before, and not only did I have to be in one, but I had to have crutches as well. I was given a scooter, so I could get around and had to take sit-down showers, but that wasn’t even the worst part about this injury. It was the mental aspect. It felt like everything I worked so hard for the summer before had been taken away from me in a split second. I felt like I was in the best shape physically of my life at that point. I felt robbed. I’ve never been through an injury like that.”
“What Sydney has had to constantly work through with injuries has been extremely challenging to say the least,” said McGuire. “For quite some time, she really couldn’t get in a groove because of a setback.  I felt for her in a lot of ways, but she constantly battled mentally and physically to return to help the team in any way she could.  I am so proud of her determination and fight throughout her career.”
The 2018-19 season was a dream realized for many in the Radford women’s basketball program, including Nunley. “Last year we had a Cinderella story, to win every game but one in conference play was a different kind of feeling. (Radford guard) Khiana (Johnson) would always tell us, ‘We don’t lose’, so that was the saying and the motivation for the wins. I’ll never forget the feeling of winning all those games in a row. The last couple of seconds of our championship game, I looked up at the clock and just started crying. We had finally done it. Katherine (Moreno) our athletic trainer at the time, walked up to me afterwards and told me, ‘Now that’s one comeback’. And it stuck with me because I had really worked so hard to make it back on the court.”
For the season, Nunley increased her starts to 21 and appeared in a total of 28 games. She averaged just shy of a double-double at 10.3 points and 9.5 rebounds, playing 24.5 minutes per game. She became a household name in the Big South, ranking second in rebounds per game, second in blocked shots per game, third in offensive rebounds per game, and third in defensive rebounds per game. She finished the season 267 rebounds, 47 blocks, 28 assists, 13 steals, and 292 points.
“Katherine, my family, and my teammates really helped me through a lot – from my rehab to just moral support,” Nunley said. “In the beginning I was terrified to do little things like jump, but they all helped me through that to work my way back. I rehabbed every day and it wasn’t easy, but it pushed me to work hard to get back on the court.”
The league took notice of Nunley’s comeback season and she was recognized several times as Player of the Week and received Second Team All-Big South honors.
“I felt like it came down to just having something to prove. I’ve always been taught to never quit, even when times get hard,” Nunley said. “Freshman year was very emotional for me, and at one point I even questioned if basketball was worth it. I didn’t have the first two years that I wanted so I worked extremely hard to come back my junior year, just to get hurt. After that, I needed to prove to myself that I was capable. I needed to keep pushing. I am not someone who is going to sit on the bench and not help my team win if I can help it. When I came back that preseason after dealing with a minor injury, I told myself it was go time.”
The 2019-20 season has seen Nunley in peak form. “My confidence level, my change in mindset, self-talk, my teammates pushing me every day, it’s just something special about being able to give back to your team on the court. This year we have a young and dynamic team,” Nunley said. “As the season progressed, I think the three of us [Nunley, Khiana Johnson, [guard] Jen [Falconer] have been able to become better leaders because our team dynamic is great right now. On the court, Khiana is the most spirited one we have. She brings a lot of energy, and she’ll push you for sure. Jen is the moral support and facilitator of the team. Off the court, we lived together last year and there wasn’t a day that we weren’t together. I think that has really helped us come together to be leaders this season. We’re always there for one another and have grown so close. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
“Sydney had an impactful season last year,” said head coach McGuire. “She really came on strong in conference play and was an important part of us winning a regular season and tournament championship.  Last year taught her that she could be a consistent presence and dominant force on both ends of the floor.  I believe the experience last year has helped her to understand how good she can be when she puts her mind to it and is committed to her growth.  It has been a journey with Sydney, but I cannot thank her enough for believing in me and our program over five years ago.”
Nunley aspires to play basketball professionally and has a path to do so. She has been invited to a combine taking place later this year in New Orleans.. “I’m excited for it . . . for the experience and the exposure. This would be an opportunity I could tell my kids about that not a lot of people have. My mindset is to just try to play as long as my body allows me. If I don’t try, I’ll never know.”
Nunley was among the team’s seniors recognized on Senior Day on Saturday, March 7. The senior center is currently fifth in program history for career blocks and close to cracking the top-10 for games played as well as rebounds. However, the accolades don’t really mean much to Nunley.
“I want people to remember the fight I had and the fact that I never gave up – no matter the circumstance,” she said. “Sure, there were some rough patches, but I never gave up. I stuck it out and some really great things have come from that. I want people to remember to smile and laugh; that’s what I try to help my teammates do every day.”

–RU Athletics