Kyla Oldacre's goals go beyond all-stars and championships: She wants to grow the women's game

By Owen Racer | Photos by Ben Jackson

Despite being one of the top-ranked senior post players in the nation, Mason's Kyla Oldacre was surprised to be picked as a McDonald's All-American. 

Oldacre is no stranger to the pressures of being a successful athlete at a young age, but she says she’ll just continue to ride the wave until it crashes. 

“My main motto is just to stay humble,” Oldacre said. 

Being chosen as one of only 24 McDonald’s All-Americans is an honor she says motivates her to achieve even more.

At 6-foot-5, Oldacre has developed into a dominant threat in the paint who's also become comfortable guarding and passing around the arc. 

Getting to where she is today has been a long process that started gaining seriousness in ninth grade playing AAU ball, when she realized she could do so much more on the court.

Oldacre’s transfer from Princeton High School to Mason as a junior found her under the tutelage of head coach Rob Matula, who knew about her on-court skills but not her basketball IQ. 

“What I never realized was how intelligent she was when it came to the game of basketball and practices,” Matula said, adding that she's the most dominant post player he's ever coached. 

He also lauded her leadership skills, pointing out that she's very demanding of her teammates, making sure everyone up and down the bench is bought in and involved.

Not only does Oldacre credit the welcoming arms of Mason High School to her success, but all the talented players in Ohio she's competed against throughout her high school career. 

“Ohio has some top-dog hoopers, and with real competition,” Oldacre said. 

Matula said Oldacre is an “untapped” player with a seemingly infinite ceiling, making practices a challenge for her to be tested because she’s so far ahead of the pack. 

College choice

It didn't take long for the attention on Oldacre to span beyond Ohio. Holding a slew of college offers, Oldacre earned a spot last summer at the Nike Nationals, where she was named MVP and top rebounder after scoring 23 points and grabbing 12 boards. 

Soon after that performance, Oldacre had a decision to make — where to take her talents in college. During what she called a smooth process, Oldacre chose Miami (Florida) because it "felt like home."

“I want to be the woman. I don’t want to be under the woman,” Oldacre said. “I want to be a program changer.” 

Oldacre added that she wanted a program that needed her, saying that unlike some schools that seemed to be focused on wanting her, Miami fit the mold of needing a program changer. 

“The thing that makes Kyla the No. 1 low-post player in the country is her basketball IQ," said Katie Meier, Miami’s head coach. "She is an all-around basketball player and is going to be a star at the University of Miami.”

An ambassador for women's sports

Oldacre has her eyes on an additional movement on and off the court as she wraps up her high school career.

Saying that women in sports deserve more recognition than they’re getting, Oldacre wants to be a part of the change for equality so women following in her footsteps feel more represented. 

“You're not truly a basketball fan if you don't also, you know, support the woman,” Oldacre said. 

In the meantime, Oldacre and her teammates — to whom she refers as her sisters — entered their first-round playoff game against Anderson with the mindset to dominate in what she views as a “battleground.” 

Oldacre scored her 1,000th career point as the Comets cruised to a 59-29 win. Up next are the Northwest Knights at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. 

After Mason's tournament run, Oldacre’s wave will carry her to Chicago where she will play in the 45th McDonald’s All-American game at 6:30 p.m. March 29 (ESPN2).

Not long after that, she'll take her talents and ambassadorship to South Florida.