You can sometimes get a stereotype in sports that rookies coming in don't have much of a voice within the team and that the leadership is often left to the veterans. For Molly Adams joining the Laurentian Voyageurs, that was instantly made not the case. The close-knit team environment and activities like mindfulness sessions brought Molly and the team closer in ways she hadn't experienced with a basketball team before. Right away, they made her feel like she had her voice.
From playing with family to climbing the levels of basketball in Ontario, Molly has worked her way towards being a instrumental piece in the growing Laurentian Voyageurs program, landing as a starting guard entering her third season in the OUA.
From Brantford to JUEL
Molly played basketball in second grade alongside her older sister on the Brantford Briers novice team. She soon moved to Brantford CYO basketball in third grade and stayed there until high school when she decided to pursue basketball at the highest level she could.
When Molly entered the JUEL league, she entered at a time when OSBA teams could still play against JUEL teams. As she moved to Tri-County in high school, she got experience playing against elite OSBA competition like current Michigan Wolverine Syla Swords, as well as some of the top competition in the province that JUEL had brought in at that time.
Adams credits her time in JUEL with helping her prepare for university basketball, noting that several of her Tri-County Soldiers coaches also worked as U SPORTS assistants and structured the team’s play and program to mirror the university level.
With film sessions, individual workouts, and two-hour practices four times a week, the Soldiers prepped their players for what life at the next level would be like, and Molly took full advantage. While she admits “nothing can really prepare you” for the jump to U SPORTS, those university-like experiences smoothed her transition.
Making the jump to the OUA
"Playing in the OUA is something I wanted to do for sure," said Adams. "After I was done high school I didn't want to be done playing basketball."
Adams had eyes for OUA basketball from a young, age growing up going to watch teams like Laurier, Guelph, Waterloo, and Brock play.
"I didn't think it was something I could do in grade 11 going into grade 12," Adams admits. "I didn't think it was an option. As the grade 12 season was going on coach [Jason] Hurley from Laurentian talked to me, and a few other coaches showed interest, so that was like 'wow, I could play at the next level.'"
Being from Brantford and living in southern Ontario, Molly's path to Laurentian started out with applications to southern Ontario schools like Laurier, Guelph and the University of Toronto. A discussion with coach Hurley led to Molly looking into Laurentian and what Sudbury had to offer.
"I looked into the school and I came for a visit and I loved it," said Adams. "It's kind of near my cottage that I've grown up going to, so I'm a fan of the nature aspect."
From there, a trip to the school and meeting the team made her fall in love. The Laurentian Voyageurs were her next stop in her journey.
Given her voice
The culture that is set at Laurentian made Adams feel like she had real input and power within the team right away. For a rookie coming in who'd end up playing 19 minutes a game in her first year, that feeling helped the transition.
"The vets I had in my first and second year were leaders I really look up to, and so they have paved the way for a really positive culture here. They made it really easy for everyone to be a leader, I think that was a really important thing coming in... I was given a voice in my first and second year and told I could be a leader and could bring things to the team."
Adams played 19 minutes per game in her first year, something she said the coaches like to do to give rookies a taste to see if they're ready.
"I'm very grateful for the exposure I got in my first year," says Adams. "I think my second, and [now] going into my third year it has made me more confident in my ability for sure."
Going into her second year she became a full time starter, averaging almost 28 minutes per game. That exposure she got in her first year made that transition easier.
Adams increased her points, rebounds and assists in her second year, taking a step forward as the program improved one win over the year before. As she enters her third year, not only is her game improving, her mindset is developing as she becomes more and more of a leader and a veteran on a team with a lot of turnover.
Be it answering questions for first year players, getting to the gym early, giving that extra effort on the court through rebounding or through extra hustle plays, Adams has continuously taken steps forward towards being a better leader and veteran for the rookies who look up to her.
Coming into a year with veterans leaving and a larger rookie class coming in, that veteran leadership is only growing for Molly. She will have to be that person who answers rookies questions, understands everything better than others, does the extra work, and that's something she recognizes and accepts as she tries to lead the Voyageurs squad as they prepare for their 2025 campaign.