Former MSU Denver star doubles down on Paralympic Games

For the second time, Courtney Ryan will compete on the U.S. Women’s Wheelchair Basketball Team for a shot at the gold.

Rob White

July 22, 2024

Former MSU Denver star doubles down on Paralympic Games — Courtney Ryan looks to the bench during the women's wheelchair basketball game against the Netherlands team during the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

Courtney Ryan, a former women’s soccer All-American at Metropolitan State University of Denver, was part of the United States’ bronze-medal Paralympic Games team in Tokyo in 2021. The Women’s Wheelchair Basketball National Team will be looking for more in Paris, with their first game Aug. 30.

“The biggest difference between those (2021) and these Games is that there were a lot of first-timers, myself included, who were part of that Paralympic team,” Ryan said. “We know and understand what those high stakes are like now. We’re looking forward to showcasing what this team has got.”

Ryan’s career as an MSU Denver soccer defender came to an end in 2010 during her junior season, when she was tackled in a game against Colorado Mesa. A blood clot burst, causing some nerves to detach from her spinal cord. She was paralyzed from the waist down.

She soon took up wheelchair basketball and became one of the country’s top players in short order. Her collegiate soccer and international basketball success contributed to her enshrinement in the MSU Denver Athletics Hall of Fame in 2022.

Ryan is part of two documentaries: the recently released miniseries “Ballin’ Out” and the upcoming project “Adaptive.” She’s an assistant coach for the University of Arizona women’s wheelchair basketball team. And she trains relentlessly to hone her game for Team USA.

“Sometimes, I work out in my ballchair, shooting, doing conditioning workouts, weightlifting, interval training in the pool, plus yoga and meditation,” Ryan said.

Courtney Ryan of Team USA controls the ball during the Women's Wheelchair Basketball game — Courtney Ryan of the U.S. Women’s Wheelchair Basketball Team controls the ball during a match with the Netherlands team during the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

The USA Women’s Wheelchair Basketball National Team is decentralized but comes together once or twice a month at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs for four days of grueling workouts and practices. The last one before the Paralympics is this weekend.

Next stop, Paris.

The U.S. team earned a bronze medal at the 2022 World Championships in Dubai (Ryan was named to the tournament’s all-star team), then won gold at the 2023 Para Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile.

Recently, the team traveled to China to play four games. The U.S. won them all, including beating the host country and the Netherlands, which won Paralympic gold in Tokyo.

“That was a really good confidence-booster for our team,” Ryan said. “It gave us the perspective to know that we can do this if we play it right, come out with that confidence and composure. We’re looking forward to getting them in Paris.”

In Pool B of the Paralympic event, Team USA opens against Germany — the team it defeated in the bronze-medal game in 2021 — and will also play the Netherlands.

“The top three or four teams are pretty much the same (as 2021),” Ryan said.

After the Paralympics, Ryan plans to spend a little extra time in France to relax and enjoy the sights.

Then, she’ll chart her next course.

“I love being part of Team USA,” she said. “It was a goal since I was younger, growing up watching the U.S. Women’s National Team. Obviously, I got diverted and it turned out being in a different sport than I had anticipated.

“What’s in the future, I don’t know. I’m getting older, and there are a lot of injuries in our sport. Once we get through the Paris Games, we’ll see what happens. I would love to keep going.”