Kia Nurse is a Canadian basketball player currently playing as a point guard for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). She was drafted as the 10th pick overall by the New York Liberty in the 2018 WNBA Draft.
The 28-year-old point guard has been accustomed to winning from the start of her basketball journey.
The Canadian point guard has won it all, from the WNBL championship to winning gold at the FIBA Women’s AmeriCup with the Canada Women’s National Basketball team.
Kia had to work very hard to reach the level she is now, as she started playing in competitive leagues when she was 8.
Nurse was included in the Fantasy Women’s Basketball Top 100 Players for 2023.
Therefore, we have written this article to guide you through a Nurse’s trophy-laden journey from her early years to her current WNBA days.
But first, have a look at some quick facts.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Kia Nurse |
| Birth Date | 22 February 1996 |
| Birth Place | Hamilton, Ontario, Canada |
| Nick Name | Not available |
| Religion | Christian |
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Ethnicity | African-American |
| Education | University of Connecticut |
| Horoscope | Pisces |
| Father’s Name | Richard Nurse |
| Mother’s Name | Cathy Nurse |
| Siblings | Tamika Nurse, Darnell Nurse |
| Age | 28 years old |
| Height | 6’0″/1.83 m/183 cm |
| Weight | 76.2 kg/168 lb. |
| Shoe Size | Not available |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Body Measurement | Not Available |
| Build | Athletic |
| Married | No |
| Boyfriends | Yes |
| Spouse | John Robinson IV |
| Position | Point Guard |
| Profession | Basketball Player |
| Net Worth | $200,000 |
| Current Team | Phoenix Mercury |
| Franchises | New York Liberty (WNBA), Canberra Capitals (WNBL) |
| Jersey Number | 5 (New York Liberty) |
| Social Media | Instagram, Facebook, Twitter |
| Merch | Trading Cards |
| Last Update | April 2024 |
Early Life, Family Background, And Education
Kia started playing basketball at the tender age of 4. Having been influenced by her mother, Cathy, who was also a collegiate-level basketball player, young Nurse decided very early on that she wanted to be just like her mother.
Nurse and her sister Tamika spent most of their childhood honing and practising their skill, and by the time she was 7, she was playing in a competitive league.
The Canadian point guard was already a star player before she entered high school.
During her time at St. Thomas More Catholic Secondary School, Kia won three consecutive OFSAA high school championships in 2011, 2012, and 2013.
On top of that extraordinary feat, the Ontario native also won seven successive provincial championships with the Hamilton Transway Club team, which propelled her reputation further.
Despite getting offers from different Universities, ultimately, it was the University of Connecticut that won in the end as they offered her better incentives along with a scholarship.
Basketball Career (College & WNBA)
Even before Nurse started her college career, she was already a well-known figure in the women’s basketball scene. Therefore, it should be no surprise that more than 50 colleges were interested in the Canadian point guard.
However, Kia chose to play for the University of Connecticut as she had always dreamed of playing for the Uconn Huskies Women’s team.
The Canadian native spent the next four years with the Huskies developing her god-gifted skills and making a name for herself in the US.
During her four years with the University, Nurse played 147 games averaging 11.4 points, 3.0 assists, and 2.6 rebounds.
Consequently, she led her team to four consecutive AAC Tournament Championships while also appearing in the prestigious NCAA Tournament final two times.
Overall, the WNBA player had a wonderful four years with the UConn Huskies as she won multiple trophies and sky-rocketed her burgeoning reputation. As a result, everyone expected the NCAA champion to be drafted in the first round of the 2018 WNBA Draft.
WNBA Career
To no one surprise, Kia got drafted by the New York Liberty as the tenth overall pick in the 2018 WNBA Draft.
However, she would have been picked even higher had the teams with a higher draft pick needed a point guard. But they didn’t, so Liberty got its hands on one of the top prospects coming out of college.
Subsequently, Nurse showed her class from day one as she recorded 17 points on her debut for the franchise.
The point guard had the best game of her rookie season against the Indiana Fever. To explain, Kia scored 34 points, which was a season-high amongst rookies in an 87-81 victory that went to overtime.
Following her impressive rookie season, Nurse was named a starter in the WNBA All-Star game and became only the third Canadian to play in All-Star games.
In WNBA, as of 2024, Kia played 121 games, averaging 11.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.06 assists per game.
Kia also played for the University of Canberra Capitals in the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) from 2018-2020.
Australia
Most professional WNBA players play abroad in pro leagues like the WNBL to stay fit and earn a little extra cash. And Nurse is no different, as she also played for the Canberra Capitals.
In fact, not only did the Canadian basketball player play in the WNBL, but she also won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in 2020 for her outstanding performance.
Also, Nurse’s time with the Capitals turned out to be even better as she scored the game-winning shot against Southside Flyers, which also won the Canberra-based team the league title for the second consecutive year.
International Career
Being the quality player Nurse is, it should come as no surprise that the 28-year-old has played for the youth and senior Canadian national team. To illustrate, Kia helped her team finish third at the FIBA Under-17 World Championships.
The Ontario native won gold at Pan American Games, beating the United States in 2015. Kia was the best player in the final against the US, as she scored an incredible 33 points.
Consequently, the point guard was chosen as the flag bearer at the closing ceremony of the 2015 Pan Am games.
Besides, Nurse also won gold at the 2015 FIBA America’s Women’s Championship, which propelled the Canadian national team to the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. But the team only managed to finish in a disappointing seventh place.
In the 2020 Summer Olympics, the Canadian team were not able to perform as expected.
WNBA Stats
| Year | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PPG |
| Career | 121 | 91 | 26.3 | .361 | .316 | .856 | 2.8 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 1.5 | 11.0 |
Age, Height & Body Measurements
Having been born in the year 1996, makes Kia’s age 28 years as of 2024.
Furthermore, Nurse stands tall at 6 feet (1.83 meters), which is an acceptable height for a point guard, and weighs 76.2 kg (168 pounds).
However, most other positions in basketball require tall players but not point guards. The reason is that point guards are the team’s playmakers, which means that not only have they got to score, but they also have to assist their teammates.
Therefore, any player who wishes to play in this position needs to be quick and agile, which Kia certainly is.
Accomplishments And Highlights
- WNBA All-Star in 2019
- Two-time WNBL Champion in 2019 and 2020
- 2020 WNBL Most Valuable Player
- Two-time NCAA champion in 2015 and 2016
- 2018 WBCA Defensive Player of the Year
- AAC Freshmen of the Year in 2015
- 2018 AAC Defensive Player of the Year
- Two-time Gold Medalist in 2015 and 2017 FIBA Women’s AmeriCup
- Gold Medalist At The 2015 Pan American Games
- One-time Silver Medalist at the 2013 FIBA Women’s AmeriCup
Net Worth & Contract
As of 2024, Kia has a net worth of $200,000 accrued mainly through her basketball activities.
The pay difference between male and female counterparts is massive in the sporting world, including basketball. Therefore, Kia’s net worth stands extremely low compared to male NBA players.
WNBA Salary
Nevertheless, the point guard earns a yearly salary of $73,542 after signing with the Phoenix Mercury.
Previously with the New York Liberty, Nurse earned $191,720 in four years. Not to mention, she has also signed a Jordan contract.
In conclusion, no matter how much the world seems to have progressed in terms of gender equality, there is still a massive difference in terms of pay, not just in sports but also in other activities.
And until we rectify those problems, female sports athletes will have to live on scraps compared to male athletes.
Family & Boyfriend
Nurse was born to her parents, Richard Nurse and Cathy Nurse. Both of her parents were professional athletes, which tells us where Kia got her sporting genes from.
In fact, Richard played football in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for Hamilton Tiger-Cats, while Cathy played basketball at McMaster University.
Likewise, the Nurse family’s sporting prowess doesn’t just end there because Kia’s sister, Tamika Nurse, played collegiate basketball for Oregon Ducks and her brother, Darnell Nurse, plays as a defenseman for NHL’s Edmonton Oilers.
All in all, the Nurse family seems to live and breathe sports, as all of the family members have been professional athletes at some point in their life.
Also, the family is a highly well-knitted group as they often visit each other’s games.
Boyfriend
At the time of writing, Kia is not married as she is quite young and just starting her professional career.
However, unfortunately for all the bachelors out there, Kia is in a relationship with her boyfriend, John Robinson IV, who runs a podcast show called Ball Talk With JRob, where they analyse American sports, especially football.
Analyst
Yes, besides being the finest female basketball player, she is carving out space in sports broadcasting.
Nurse got her start when she was asked to join the broadcast team for March Madness in 2019. She became a regular on TSN’s Raptors broadcasts before she left for the 2022 WNBA season.
She drew plenty of praise from spectators and also from her brother for her broadcasting. Nurse is not sure whether full-time broadcasting is in her long-term future.
Social Media Presence
The Canadian basketball player is quite popular on her socials. She posts pictures of herself during games with her teammates and some snippets with her boyfriends, friends and family.
You can find her on Instagram under the handle @kianurse, Twitter @KayNurse11, and Facebook @Kia Nurse.
Instagram: 100k followers
View this post on Instagram
Twitter: 34.7k followers
Facebook: 5.6k followers
Popularity
Playing in the WNBA and on top of that, having represented the senior Canada Women’s National Basketball team, Kia has gained a lot of basketball fans worldwide.
The above graph gives brief information about the popularity of Kia Nurse based on Google searches in the United States over a year.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Kia Nurse a color commentator?
Yes, the WNBA player is also a color commentator and analyst for TSN broadcasts of the Toronto Raptors and NCAA March Madness. She received a lot of positive reactions and was very well-liked by fans as a broadcaster.
Does Kia Nurse own Kia Motors or receive special discounts?
No, the point guard does not own the multinational automobile manufacturer Kia Motors' vehicle, and she probably does not receive a special discount just because her name matches the company's name.
Has Kia Nurse sustained an injury?
Kia was injured with torn ACL during a 93-76 loss against Las Vegas and missed the remaining 2022 season.
