Second-year center Albina Syla has been a standout for the University of Rhode Island women’s basketball team this season, sitting inside the top five in points, rebounds and blocks per game.
Syla began her basketball career back home in Vantaa, Finland, where she started playing at a very young age.
“It was really good [in Finland],” Syla said. “I started on a really small team. The competition there is very different from here; the basketball is very different.”
Syla was a four-year varsity player for her high school team, Mäkelänrinteen Lukio, where she was able to face off against professional competition.
“I was able to play against pros,” Syla said. “The league was not that crazy; we had a few games that were really hard, but we also got to play pros that were just for film. I think that gave me a little taste of what I could have here [at URI], because a lot of the pros usually came straight from college.”
Syla said that the transition from the European play style to the format of the NCAA has been a difficult one.
“My experience has been really different,” Syla said. “I played with [a] pro league and won a few championships at under-16 and under-19. Every year has been something different, which I like; it is something that pushes me. I had to learn so many different things, from physicality to having the competitive edge. That is a part of the game I really like.”
Last season, Syla didn’t see a lot of action, appearing in 19 games and having a season-high of 12 minutes played against the University of Massachusetts Lowell. However, she said she was able to learn from great veteran players, such as Harsimran Kaur ’25.
“They taught me a lot,” Syla said. “They taught me about having that competitive mindset. It was interesting to see when they had bad days, and the way their work ethic was really inspiring to see. Their work ethic never changed, no matter the day.”
In the offseason, Syla made the effort to put herself in the best possible position to help her team win.
“We did a lot of different stuff,” Syla said. “Last summer I was with the [Finland] National Team. I got to be a starter there, so whatever I was doing there, I was always focused on bringing that back here. Everybody was having individual workouts, but I was having team workouts, working toward the tournament. Everything I did, I was trying to translate to here.”
This season, Syla has carved out a role as the team’s starting center. She has made an immediate impact, averaging 8.8 points per game as well as 8.2 rebounds per game in six starts this season. She had two 12-point performances against Merrimack College and Emmanuel College, along with 10+ rebounds against Manhattan University, Rutgers University and the College of the Holy Cross.
“It has been really different,” Syla said. “It is something new that, of course, at the start I was really excited about having this role. I worked toward that, and it was always my dream. At the same time, of course, there’s the nerves that come with it, but I hope I can continue to be that person for the team, and I can have their back throughout the game.”
Syla’s impact has been felt during the Rams’ 5-1 start to the season, especially through the eyes of URI Head Coach Tammi Reiss.
“This is the first time she has got meaningful minutes,” Reiss said following Saturday’s win over the University at Albany. “I was happy overall with her rebounding. I think Albina made a concerted effort in the second half to go to the board and make a difference. If she didn’t get it, she was tipping it.”
Syla looks to continue her strong start to the season as the Rams take on North Carolina State University at 2 p.m. on Sunday. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+ and available on the radio on The Varsity Network.
