For most young athletes, a professional career in the sport they love is something beyond their wildest dreams.
But for Cassandre Prosper, it was a dream she never doubted.
She believed it long before she was drafted by the Washington Mystics back in April. She also believed it before she starred at the University of Notre Dame, and before she spent three years playing basketball in Ottawa.
Prosper and her older brother, Memphis Grizzlies forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper, both believed it, and made a little Canadian basketball history along the way. They’re the first Canadian-born brother and sister to be drafted into the NBA and WNBA.
Reaching this level never seemed like some far-fetched idea for the Prosper kids.
“For us, that was always the plan,” Cassandre said. “We always believed that he was going to be in the NBA and I was going to be in the WNBA.”
After so many years of hard work, practicing and training, her draft night provided a moment of release.
“When my name was called, it was just a feeling of being able to breathe,” Prosper said. “Honestly, it was probably the best night of my life.”
As Prosper settles into the next stage of her career, Faces connected with the 21-year-old to ask about her time in Ottawa, her family, draft night, adjusting to the WNBA, and a few thoughts about life outside the game she loves.
You grew up in Montreal, but what brought you to Ottawa as a teenager?
I decided to go to a prep school there called Capital Courts Academy.
I really loved Fabienne Blizzard, who was my coach, and Merrick Palmer, who was the director of the program and was also involved in development. They were great people, and they recruited me to come to Capital Courts.
The main reason I decided to go to Ottawa was because I didn’t feel like I was being challenged enough in Montreal. I spent grades 10 through 12 there, and I went to Cairine Wilson High School.
What were those early basketball battles with Olivier-Maxence like? Has he been a support to you in your career?
Earlier on, I feel like it was a lot of me looking up to him. He’s still my role model and someone I’ve always looked to as an example.
He’s always been super supportive. Now that we’re both adults and both at the professional level, we have a really strong relationship built on mutual respect.
He’s just a great older brother who really wants his younger sister to be successful.
You and Olivier-Maxence became the first Canadian-born brother and sister to be drafted into the NBA and WNBA. Has that sunk in yet?
For us, that was always the plan. We always believed that he was going to be in the NBA and I was going to be in the WNBA.
But being the first brother and sister born and raised in Canada (to both be drafted) and also being of Haitian descent, it comes with a lot of pride and history.
I feel like it’s also a responsibility, but it’s an amazing opportunity to put Canada on the map, and put Haiti on the map.
Who were some of the people in Ottawa who had the biggest impact on you?
The two biggest ones would have to be Fabienne Blizzard and Merrick Palmer.
They were the two people who really took me in and helped develop me.
I lived with Coach Fabs and two other teammates, so she really took care of me. She came to my draft, she came to see me play at Notre Dame, and she’s always been a big part of my life, bigger than just a coach.
If you could go back and talk to the teenaged version of yourself, walking the halls at Cairine Wilson, what would you tell her?
I would tell her to keep trusting her intuition and to enjoy the moment.
But I would also tell her to be present and recognize that those moments go by really fast.
Take us inside WNBA Draft night. What went through your mind when you heard your name called by Washington?
For me, it was a big decision because I still had a year of college eligibility left.
But the WNBA had always been a dream of mine, and I felt like it was time for me to continue growing.
My family was there with me. My brother was next to me, along with my mom and my dad.
When my name was called, it was just a feeling of being able to breathe. Then being able to celebrate with everybody was amazing.
Honestly, it was probably the best night of my life.
What have the first few months of being a professional basketball player been like?
I feel like the Mystics are the best team I could have been on because we have a lot of young players. We’re all kind of figuring it out together.
The first few months have been about giving myself grace and allowing myself to learn.
Are you loving it?
I really am. I’m loving all the traveling and the experience.
It’s tiring, don’t get me wrong. I don’t think I’ve ever been this tired in my life. But I’m enjoying it.
This is a dream. This is what I’ve always wanted to do.
You represented Canada at the last Summer Olympics. What does putting on a Canadian jersey mean to you?
Playing for Canada always makes me proud.
When I played in the Olympics in Paris and heard the national anthem… there’s just this deep recognition of what it means to represent your country.
Being Canadian is a big part of who I am.
Getting to represent Canada the right way is always a privilege and something I take with a lot of responsibility.
If you come back to Ottawa to visit, what’s the first place you’d want to go?
I’d probably go either to Capital Courts, the training center, or Cairine Wilson to see some of my teachers.
But there’s also a really good cheese pie place nearby that I loved, so I would probably have to go there too.
Away from basketball, what are some of your hobbies or passions?
I love being outside. I feel like that’s my biggest thing.
I love reading. I love cooking. Oh my gosh, I love cooking.
I also love getting flowers and doing things that make me slow down. Things that are completely different from basketball.
Twenty years from now, when people in Ottawa mention Cassandre Prosper, what do you hope they’ll say?
I think they’ll say that I was someone who inspired them to love themselves.
That’s something that really matters to me.
I want the people I interact with to leave feeling like they love themselves more, and I hope everyone who knows me loves themselves a little bit more.
