Courtside with Shomyra Francis: Rising Star of Virgin Islands Basketball

Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of profiles of the athletes on the VI Women’s Basketball team, who will be celebrated this weekend for their gold medal win at the 2023 CAC Games

Some may say basketball runs in 20-year-old Shomyra Francis’s veins. The Christiansted native did not have to go far for inspiration, as growing up, she looked up to her older brother Shomari Francis who played with the V.I. Men’s National Team. Her own introduction to the court came at just 4 years old by way of her father, Deron “Coach Moto” Francis. No stranger to the sport himself, Mr. Francis served as his daughter’s coach until his passing.

Growing up, Shomyra tried her hand at every sport at her school. However, she told Consortium journalists that none of the others could compete with the passion and thrill of basketball. According to Ms. Francis, whereas other sports were just "fun," basketball provided an avenue for her to learn and grow both as an athlete and an individual. She recalls that playing the sport gave her a feeling of purpose and the realization that she was someone special — on and off the court.

Her avid involvement in basketball eventually earned her a spot on the Virgin Islands Women’s Basketball Team, an achievement which she describes as a dream come true. Playing for the team and being able to represent her homeland means everything to the basketball enthusiast, she told the Consortium during an interview.

“It’s a different feeling than playing in college because I get to put that VI on my chest and ball out with these women that watched me grow up," she said. Having observed some of these same women play the sport as a child, Ms. Francis now considers it a blessing to share the court with them.