Kia Watt said it's a bittersweet feeling playing in her final season before she leaves Humber Polytechnic, but she's glad she picked the school as her educational path.
Watt graduated from the Criminal Justice Program this past year and is currently enrolled in the Wellness Coaching program.
The shooting guard averaged 19 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, and her team made it to the postseason.
Watt is a two-time Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) champion who won medals in back-to-back years in 2022 and 2023.
Watt grew up in the Jane Street and Finch Avenue community her whole life in Toronto's northwest. She said she was undecided about what sport she wanted to play because she did not speak to anybody about it.
“When I was younger, I played every sport of which you can think. But once I hit Grade 6, I really wanted to lock in and focus on only one sport and it happened to be basketball,” she said.
With all the success that came her way playing basketball in college, Watt said it was not easy getting to the point she is at right now in her career.
“In Grade 11, I went to a prep school that I thought would give me the opportunity to put my name out there and potentially go D1, but it didn’t pan out,” she said.
A lot played into why Watt was not able to accomplish what she wanted to do in prep school and could not make it to the big leagues.
“Games were cancelled, players and coaches started leaving, and overall, it was a bust and the school shut down essentially. After that, my love for the game was gone and I was just playing to play,” she said.
The Humber Hawks played to a 14-2 regular season and launched its playoff run with a crushing 92-39 win over the George Brown Huskies.
But Watt's college career is coming to an end and she just wants to enjoy the ride until the wheels fall off.
“Emotions have not really set in just yet because our season has not ended. We are still playing games and trying not to stop anytime soon,” she said.
Watt became the eighth player in program history to be named to the OCAA All-Rookie squad in 2020. She became only the third player in program history to record 1,000 career points during a game against the Redeemer Royals on Nov. 13, 2024,
Never in a million years did Watt think she would succeed so fast in the five years she has been on the team.
“I’ve accomplished many things, such as being an all-Canadian, scoring 300 points in a regular season, also scoring 1,207 points in my career here which makes me the second in Humber history,” she said.
Watt said she has no clue what the future holds because she is focused on bringing the next championship to the Humber Hawks before she leaves.
“I want to start my career in policing but have been recommended by those around me to go to pro and try it out because they believe I’m good enough to be there.”
“But who knows what the future holds for me," Watt said. "Currently, I am just trying to finish off the season strong."
She had some advice for anyone who wants to play sports at an elevated level: practice and be confident.
“Being consistent with something you're passionate about will take you a long way. Working on your craft consistently is something that not everyone does because they are either tired, lazy, or some people may not have resources,” she said.
“A lot of people do not understand that confidence can really take you far in your sport and life, but a lack of confidence will hinder you as well,” she said.
Watt said believing in oneself is tremendously important because if others believe in you, but you doubt yourself, you will be prone to making mistakes and second-guessing decisions.
