Retirement a new beginning for Ayim

Miranda Ayim will retire this year — but not before representing Canada at the Olympics (for a third time) in Tokyo this summer.

Ayim, 32, has been playing for France’s Basket Landes of the EuroLeague since 2015. Through her first 17 games this season, she’s averaged 11.3 points (on 48.2% shooting) with 5.6 rebounds per game. (Photo courtesy Miranda Ayim).

Miranda Ayim is at peace with her decision – even though a lot of work remains.

“Your sport is such a huge part of an athlete’s identity that you have to craft a new one when you’re done. Who exactly are you when you’re not on the court, when there aren’t crowds cheering for you, when you’re not bouncing a ball?” Ayim says. “Who are you outside of all that?

“That’s something I’ve always kept in mind throughout my career. I knew this was not something that would last forever, and that you never know when it’s going to end. At the end of the day, it is just a game.”

This week, the Canadian hoops standout announced that she’ll be retiring from the court following her appearance in the 2021 Tokyo Games this summer. It was a decision that, she admits, carries its share of emotion in the moment, but also signals a lot of hope for the future.

“I still feel good, still feel like I can perform and that I’m bringing something to my team,” Ayim said. I didn’t want to go out falling apart, not on top of my game, or in a situation out of my control.

“I wanted to make the decision intentionally. In my heart, I knew it was time to shift into a new chapter of my life. I still love basketball. But I’m excited for projects outside of the game, and that’s what’s really drawing my attention now. I think I can be of service to the world in ways beyond the basketball court, and I really want to explore that.”

Chatham-born and London-raised, Ayim started her journey as a basketball and volleyball star (and class valedictorian) at Saunders Secondary School. An all-conference and all-academic player at Pepperdine University, she played professionally for three years in Turkey (and had a stint in the WNBA), before making her French LFB debut with Toulouse in 2013. In 2015, she joined the Basket Landes of the EuroLeague.

The 32-year-old decided to retire at the start of this season – at the time only informing her club’s president and coaches, saving the public announcement for this week.

“Knowing that ahead of time enabled me to really enjoy each moment during the season and throughout this year,” Ayim said. “It has definitely been a different year. It has been bittersweet and beautiful. The response has been incredible and overwhelming.

“But there’s still so much left to do.”

After only a handful of games in her last regular season with Basket Landes, followed by the league’s playoffs, she will be off to Edmonton in mid-May to join her Team Canada teammates in tuning up for the Tokyo Olympics.

Ayim, shown here in an Olympic pre-qualifier game against Puerto Rico in 2019, has been a staple on Canada’s senior women’s basketball team for more than a decade. (Photo courtesy Canada Basketball).

Ayim has been a Canadian national team staple for more than a decade, including soon-to-be three Olympic appearances. She was just a kid on the 2012 squad that finished eighth in the London Games, then returned with the team that finished seventh in 2016 in Rio.

Now, as a veteran on the squad, she sees the game – and herself – in new ways in 2021 heading into the Tokyo Games.

“As your role changes on the team, you have to reinvent yourself a bit and integrate new skills. I’ve gone through that process. I had to develop my leadership skills and give to the team in more multifaceted ways,” she said. “That has been super interesting to me and has deepened my relationship with the team and the program. It has made me a much better person and player.”

Expectations are much higher this year for a talent-packed Team Canada women’s basketball team. Despite not being together in person since qualifying for the Tokyo Games last February, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the team looks to end Canada’s eight-decade medal drought in basketball, starting with its first matchup against No. 8 Serbia on July 26.

The elevated internal and external expectations are no surprise to Ayim, who has watched the woman’s program “grow and flourish” during her 12 years – or “three quads,” as the players think of time between Games.

“When I started with the team, we were not ranked at the same level as we are now (No. 4 in the world). People were not paying attention to us. We would be blown out at international tournaments. But we had something then that is still here now that has enabled us to reach this point,” she explained.

“We have always had this culture of grit, loyalty, and dedication that has allowed our program to flourish. That has really been our identity and part of the Canadian identity, as well. That’s why when people watch us play, they really buy into it and feel what we’re feeling, and that’s why they really want to support us.”

A spot on the podium would be a fitting end to a career that rose alongside a Golden Age of Canadian basketball.

Ayim prepares for a game with the national team. (Photo courtesy Canada Basketball).

“It’s amazing to see, but to be honest, I feel like it’s only the beginning,” Ayim said. “There are some incredibly talented players coming up in Canada. Now I get to sit back in and watch as that continues. It’s going to be really exciting for the program for basketball in Canada, for sports in general, but also the young girls and boys coming up and seeing that we can dominate as a nation.”

When she packs up to return to London after eight years in France, it will be with a heavy heart for the friends and community she’ll leave behind in France.

“This is my second home here. I made a life here, so it’s not just a goodbye to my sport, but it’s a goodbye to a whole community that I’ve made over here. That has made the process really emotional.”

Once the Olympics conclude, however, her new life begins. And she’s already off to a running start. She has already been shaping a career as a motivational speaker, a wellness coach, and even as a podcast host who gets to “connect with some awesome people and have some great conversations on subjects that I like to nerd out on.”

And to think, she is not even retired yet.

“I want to explore bringing a level of excellence to people’s lives,” Ayim said. “That’s not only been what my entire career has been about, but also who I am as a person. I’m always trying to become the best version of myself that I can be.”

In the end, Ayim will hang up the high tops with a level of appreciation for the game and those who joined her every step, shot, and pass along the way.

“Sometimes you look back and like, ‘Wow, how did I end up here? How am I so lucky to have so many things work out in my favour?’ Because, yeah, I worked hard, but a lot of it has to do with like good timing, luck, people who pushed me, believed in me. This is not all my doing; this is like a community effort,” she said.

“I am really cognizant of how fortunate I am to be where I am. That’s why I feel the responsibility to do the most with it. It’s a pretty incredible experience and definitely sometimes surreal, but what an awesome ride.”