Alumna Soars to New Heights

A living legend? In Boston College standards, yes. Carolyn Swords is the only athlete in the Boston College women's basketball program to have broken the 2,000-point mark and the 1,000-rebound mark on top of a magnitude of other athletic honors during her time at BC.

During her illustrious career as an Eagle, Swords was a five-time ACC Player of the Week, a member of the All-ACC Rookie team, a three-time member of All-ACC Conference Teams, led the squad in blocks for all four years, led the NCAA with the highest field goal percentage for three seasons and was named Eagle of the Year following her senior season in 2011 – just to name a few examples.

"My time at BC was special, and those numbers point to the team I had with me during my career," said Swords when asked about her accomplishments. "As a post player, you need someone to pass you the ball in order to score, so I am thankful to all of my guards and fellow post players who threw those passes and trusted me to finish the play. Those numbers are also the result of being available to play in every game of my career - that's insane!"

Though she made her time in Maroon and Gold special, Swords was destined to move on to bigger and better things. In this case, that was the Women's National Basketball Association, in which Swords was picked in the second round of the draft by the Chicago Sky.

"The draft was incredibly exciting! After a few days of intensive orientation, we traveled to the ESPN campus in Connecticut for the draft," recalled Swords. "I was thrilled to have my family with me that day. The day is filled with anticipation. It was a very unique experience to be in studio with the broadcasters and the cameras. Once my name was called, I hugged my mom, went to take a quick photo and then wandered through a long maze of press and phone calls to speak with people who were equally excited for my selection. I remember going to sleep that night filled with joy, knowing that from then on, my life was on an exciting path."

Following two seasons of playing with the Sky, Swords signed then with the New York Liberty. During the 2017 season, she played for the Seattle Storm – a squad that made it to the WNBA finals before falling to the Phoenix Mercury. Swords described the opportunity to play with different teams as an "adventure."

"From a basketball perspective, the game has continued to grow more interesting and exciting for me," said Swords. "The game continues to be fun and that's really the most important thing."

Going around the world is another aspect to her basketball conquests for Swords. She currently plays in Poland with AZS Gorzow Wielkopolski while the WNBA is out of season, which helps her experience many different aspects of both basketball and the world. The high level of competition with every team that Swords has played with has been similar, but the travel schedules between the WNBA and every overseas league in differ vastly.

"In general, the differences have to do with the schedule and the style of play," Swords said. "The WNBA season is compressed into a few months, so we travel and play games frequently…The overseas season is usually spread out over 5-7 months. Games are generally once a week, unless a team also plays Euro Cup or Euro League during the week. Post play is usually less physical than in the WNBA."

A New England native, Swords had spent very little time outside of the area before her professional career, so she appreciates getting the opportunity to explore the world.

"I try to soak up my current city whether I live in a very small town or in a world-famous city," said Swords. "The opportunity to live in these places also gives me a unique opportunity to experience a culture over a long period of time."

Though she's unsure of what her basketball future has in store, Swords can utilize the skills she's honed from playing with the Eagles in the ACC to help her succeed in whatever next step is to come.

"My time as an Eagle prepared me for the professional level in a few different ways," shared Swords. "The ACC is a very competitive conference. Each game I was playing with and against some of the best competition in the nation. Regular exposure to Top 10 teams required that I play at the highest level at all times, and prepared me for the expectation that every game at the pro-level is difficult and important."

In the years since graduation, Swords has "… lived all over the world, connected with different people, seen some amazing landscapes and stretched the limits of [her] comfort zone. It has truly changed [her] life in such a positive way."

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