During tense moments on the basketball court, players often shout to be heard with no second thought. Yet, Durham Lords guard Sarah-Jane Laplante often struggles to find her voice.
Until early 2025, Laplante, 23, lived in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec where she spoke primarily French before moving to attend Durham College (DC).
Laplante played basketball for years while attending secondary school in Quebec but took a break during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It wasn’t until she joined a house league team in Montreal, where she played against former Durham Lords women’s basketball coach, Sherlon Chance, that she was first introduced to the idea of joining the Lords and coming to DC on a basketball scholarship.
The Police Foundations student is now enjoying her second season with the team. However, things haven’t always been easy when communicating and connecting with her teammates.
When she first joined the Lords in January 2025, Laplante faced a language barrier.
“My English is not as good as it is today, and it was pretty hard to make connection with the girls,” she said. “I couldn’t really talk because I had to think about what I was saying. So, I was kind of keeping to myself, which made it hard to fit in.”
She said being a five-hour drive away from home also played a big role in her initially isolating herself from others.
Back home, Laplante had a strong support system led by her mother, which wasn’t easy leave behind.
“She was there at every single game,” she said. “She drove me down to and from my practices for my whole career.”
Although leaving behind her support system made it hard for Laplante to make new connections, she said her first team didn’t always make the effort to reach out to her either.
“I would say [they were] not as friendly. They were not trying to go out of their way to include me,” she said. “I feel like people were seeing me kind of like a foreigner.”
While she still struggles to understand what is being said in high-intensity moments, Laplante said “this year, it’s much better” and it all has to do with the women on her team.
“If I don’t understand [something], I can go to them and they just explain it for me,” she said.
Team captain, Telia Campbell, echoed this sentiment at a February press conference, describing the team dynamic as being familial.
“It’s like having a bunch of sisters all in one big house,” said Campbell. “It does get hectic sometimes, but honestly, we just talk and communicate.”
With this team, Laplante has become a top scorer in multiple games this season.
During a game against the Georgian Grizzlies on Feb. 11, Laplante scored 27 points, nearly half of the final 67 points awarded to the team.
Laplante expressed gratitude to her teammates for supporting her on the court whenever she needs it.
“I’m grateful for the team that I have. I really love those guys,” said Laplante.
Although the Durham Lords women’s basketball season came to an end at the Ontario College Athletics Association (OCAA) championship qualifier in February, Laplante will return to the court next season.