By John “Woods” Armwood III
Pressure is a Privilege
The face of Michigan women’s basketball is finally returning home. The Michigan native and most exciting sophomore guard ranks among the top 20 players in the 2027 class, Sydney Savoury, who will be joining the Nike EYBL circuit for the first time in her career. Savoury’s hunger for competition and respect amongst the masses for being recognized as one of the best players in the country, ultimately led to her departure from Legends U. Despite separating from Legends, she explains she’s grateful for the opportunity they’ve presented her and grateful for all she’s accomplished. While at Legends, Savoury has received over 20 Division I (Power Five) offers.
“I think the best talent is on the EYBL circuit and I think that’s where the most exposure is,” Savoury stated. “... To be the best you have to play against the best, so putting myself in those positions each game will be super important for me!”
The Michigan native’s return home will help elevate her game to the heights she believes possible. Naturally, this will add an extra intensity that’s additional to her ravenous competitive spirit. Savoury having the opportunity to play at home in front of her family and close friends makes this opportunity mean that much more to her.
“As a Michigan kid, it makes me feel great to come home and represent Michigan,” she continued. “I hope to help put [Michigan] Crossover back on the map. … I feel the Midwest gets overlooked a lot, so being able to put on for the Midwest will be super fun and exciting.”
Where it All Began for Sydney Savoury?
At the age of five, Savoury began playing basketball, however before basketball, she played soccer. Eventually, she began to dedicate her time fully to basketball. A large part of her older brother, Jayden Savoury, always competing and pushing one another. She emphasized since she was young, her mentality has always been to be the best.
“My internal motor wants me to be the best, it’s been a mentality since I was young to prove myself right in a way,” Savoury stated.
Despite her extremely polished play style currently, when she began playing she was forced to develop specific aspects of her game. That said, Savoury admits instinctively her offensive knack has always come naturally to her. Growing up, she claimed she never found issues scoring the ball, in fact the trick was being creative in doing so. Now, she prides herself in being crafty and innovative when it comes to scoring the ball on three levels. She often references Kevin Durant and JuJu Watkins to help improve her offensive scoring.
“Throughout my time playing, I’ve always found ways to score,” she emphasized. “As the game has progressed, I developed trying to be a three-level scorer. I enjoy utilizing my midrange shot because it opens up the floor. Being a three-level scorer is important because you can blow by the first defender but in the paint, 6’3 and 6’4s are waiting for you. … Even though it’s a lost art, I’m still committed to it.”
Sydney’s Savoury “Sh3GotGame Moment”
While being respected amongst the best talent in the country, each elite player tends to have a specific turning point in their career. Savoury’s turning point came when she was forced to step up in one of the biggest games of her career. She played in the 15U Championships against a very formidable opponent. Intense moments often reflect the player's character and competitive spirit, but Savoury refuses to shy away. In that game, she recorded 28 points and made a key shot late in the game to help seal the victory. This moment proved to be pivotal for her mindset and confidence because it was a period where she was able to witness her hard work be fruitful.
“In this game, I recorded 28 points in the championship to win it,” she explained. “That game was super pivotal for me, especially in my growth and development. It solidified everything that I thought I knew, and that was the turning point in my game.”
She suggested this moment taught her a lot as a player but more importantly about herself. Naturally, persevering through anxiety and pressure during demanding and amplifying times will help their growth and development as a player. Oftentimes, when Savoury is placed in a difficult situation she relies on the Bible verse: John 13:7. The verse, “You may not understand now, but someday you will”, reminds her to continue to stay the course and trust God’s divine plan.
“Just staying the course and trusting his plan is unlike anything, so being able to trust in his plan between the good and the bad,” Savoury explained. “I think to grow I need to be challenged to be the best version of myself is what I’ve learned through this process.”
Closing Words from Savoury
In conclusion, as amazing as Savoury has proven to be as a player there are tons to still learn and she believes she’s far from finished. As the game continues to progress, the young women are beginning to get the recognition they truly deserve. Savoury is one of those fragments that will help the game continue to move forward and elevate beyond heights. She’s one of the faces of the new wave of women that many from her legion will strive to become. When asked, if there was any advice she’d like to offer to anyone who may resonate or be following her story, she responded:
"My biggest advice would be to stay disciplined and understand that consistency is important. Keep being consistent and continue to stack days, you can pass a lot of people just by being consistent in your craft. So I’d say the two biggest factors are discipline and consistency."
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Blessings