Shyla Heal on her growth in European basketball, and looking ahead to the Paris Olympics

Heal has taken on a new challenge in Europe and proved herself against some of the best in the world. Is a spot with the Opals in Paris next?

Credit: EuroLeague Women

It takes a lot of confidence and self-awareness to realise when it’s time to make a change.

For Shyla Heal, that time was at the end of the 2022-23 WNBL season, after helping the Townsville Fire cap off their fourth championship and first in five years. Heal, who had already played in six WNBL seasons by the age of 21, felt like it was time to test herself against better competition to allow her game to grow even more and fulfill her immense potential.

She was taking a risk, but one that she felt was right.

“I knew going to Europe, I’d be the youngest import in the EuroLeague going there, but I knew that the competition was a lot better over there and more of a challenge,” Heal told The Pick and Roll last week.

“So, I took the leap, got out of my comfort zone and went over.”

Heal, who is now back in Australia, originally signed with AZS UMCS Lublin, a EuroLeague club based in Poland. Heal spent two months with Lublin, averaging 13.7 points, 2.3 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.6 steals in 7 EuroLeague games. She was Lublin’s leading scorer during those games.

She also played six games in the Polish domestic league (OBLK), where she averaged 12.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists and a steal per game, helping Lublin win the Polish Super Cup. Heal hit 38.9% from deep in the OBLK, but struggled a little in EuroLeague play, making nine of 36 from deep.

However, she had a few really big games in the EuroLeague - 20 points, four assists and three steals against Fenerbahçe, 19 points, three rebounds and two assists against Lyon ASVEL, and 25 points (4-7 3FG) and two steals against Sepsi SIC.

That kind of production for any player is not to be sneezed at, let alone a first-time import who had just turned 22 years old. For context, Caitlin Clark who has just started her professional career, is just four months younger than Heal.

For imports in Europe, experiences can vary depending on the location, the league and the club you’re with. Heal had a mixed experience with Lublin. She played well, but off the court was not a particularly good fit.