As 23-year-old Aly Bush prepares to begin her professional basketball career this fall in Germany, she recalls preparing to play for the Carleton Ravens five years ago.
Bush, who completed her undergraduate degree this year, said she is both nervous and excited about joining a new basketball team, meeting new people, and learning new skills.
Bush said she felt much the same way as she was graduating high school and was recruited to play for the Ravens.
“It kind of happened the same way twice,” Bush said with a laugh. “I was lucky enough to be contacted with the opportunity.”
She was scouted by her future Carleton coach Taffe Charles while she was attending St. Patrick’s High School five years ago.
“I saw her play once and I knew she had a chance to be very, very good,” Charles said.
But he said he could not have predicted just how good she would become.
“She’s ended up being one of the best players in Canada,” Charles said. “She’s shown great dedication and leadership as captain for the last three years.”
As Bush was finishing her fifth year at Carleton, she said she thought it was the end of her basketball career.
Although basketball is a passion of hers, she said she accepted it was time to do other things with her life.
When a European professional team recruited Bush to join their team this fall, she and Charles were thrilled.
“She’s got a lot of game left in her,” Charles said.
Neither Bush nor Charles said they could have predicted the coaching staff of BBZ Opladen, a team located in Leverkusen, Germany, would offer Bush a one-year contract to play in the second division of the Bundesliga, the women’s professional basketball league in Germany.
“Five years ago I would have been surprised. She worked very hard on her game and improved each and every year as a player,” Charles said.
Bush said she credits much of her athletic success to the Carleton coaching staff.
“Taffe taught me self-discipline and motivation. I think everything that I learned at Carleton will definitely be useful down in Germany,” Bush said.
As Bush worked to improve throughout her Carleton basketball career, she had to make many sacrifices. Her time was divided between training and school, leaving little time for much else in her life.
“There’s times when it’s tough and you think ‘I can’t take it anymore,’ but it was worth it,” she said.
However, it is not just joining a professional European league after graduating that made her Ravens experience worthwhile, Bush said.
“I have so many memories and all the great friends that I’ve made. That’s what made it worth it,” she said.
She also said she hopes that maybe one day some of her Ravens teammates will join her in Germany to play professionally.
“I will always be very closely linked to Carleton basketball,” she said. “I’m so excited to see what these girls will do.”
