Shooting for Success, Fueled by Family

Shyanne Sellers’ dad, Brad Sellers (right) played on the Chicago Bulls with Michael Jordan (left). (Photo by AP)

The phrase “living strong, fighting long, ’til MS is gone” is inked on Shyanne’s—and her three sisters’— skin, honoring their mom, Kym Sellers, who’s battled multiple sclerosis for decades. The senior guard hopes the support and lessons learned from family can help her end her Terps tenure with a title.

“It just made me and my siblings work really hard, just knowing that anything’s possible if you put your mind to it,” she said of her mom’s fight. “People are like, ‘Oh, that’s so sad,’ but she doesn’t make you feel like it’s sad. She’s just grateful for everything she can do.”

Growing up in Aurora, Ohio, as the youngest of four—all of whom played basketball—Shyanne could dribble nearly before she could walk, Kym says, and the family had to hold her back from dashing onto the court at her sisters’ games. And while Shyanne doesn’t remember a time when her mom, a popular Cleveland radio host, could walk, she does recall her efforts to get her started in the sport.

“I told a few fibs. It’s me, I’m the one, I’m that mom,” said Kym, who signed Shyanne up for a 5-year-old rec league when she was 4. “She was just so into it.”

“It just made me and my siblings work really hard, just knowing that anything’s possible if you put your mind to it,” Shyanne Sellers (left) said of the perseverance of her mom, Kym Sellers (right), who is battling MS. (Photo courtesy of Kym Sellers)

The early introduction, as well as Kym’s encouragement to play in the Amateur Athletic Union, led Shyanne to become ESPN’s No. 22 recruit in the class of 2021. “Everybody in Ohio thought that she was going to be headed to Ohio State,” said Brad, who played as a Buckeye for two seasons.

But UMD, whose coaches had been following Shyanne since she was an eighth grader, stood out for its program, academics and family atmosphere—and the latter feeling was mutual. Head coach Brenda Frese still thinks back to the Sellers’ unofficial campus visit right after Kym had undergone throat surgery, and how Shyanne helped her use a straw at lunch.

“A lot of kids in high school would be embarrassed by that,” Frese said. “That selflessness, that giver (mentality) … being able to have that healthy, competitive balance I think is an important piece for Shy.”

A passionate player known for bold moves—she might inbound the ball off the back of an opponent who’s not looking—she’s earned All-Big Ten First Team, Defensive Team, Academic and Sixth Player of the Year honors as she helped UMD reach the NCAA Tournament three times. Last year, Under Armour also selected her as a representative for its pride campaign, spotlighting LGBTQ+ student-athletes.

Her family has been there throughout her journey, traveling to most games, home and away.

“What I love about her parents is they allow me to coach her hard, and through that, you can see that growth with Shyanne,” Frese said. “It’s huge when you have those culture players within your program that want to leave their own mark and leave their legacy.”

Before this season, Shyanne said she’d be “blessed to be drafted” into the WNBA. An early ESPN mock draft suggests she’s a lock, projecting she’ll be the sixth overall pick.

“Now is the time for her to show up and show out,” Kym said.