From Brampton to Morgantown: Why Chance Berry’s Commitment to West Virginia is Pure Destiny
Inside the storied walls of Toronto’s Falstaff Community Centre—a battleground where the country’s sharpest ballers cut their teeth and where the grassroots powerhouse Sisterskeeper was born—a crowded gym suddenly went silent.
Surrounded by family, lifelong mentors, and the coaches who watched her dribble before she could run, 5-foot-11 combo guard Chance Berry looked across a room holding its collective breath. Her final four was elite: NC State, Texas Tech, Arizona State, and West Virginia.
Then she broke the silence, pledging her loyalty to the West Virginia Mountaineers.
The gym erupted. The decision marked a full-circle milestone not just for high school hoops in Canada, but for a tight-knit basketball family whose roots run deep through the heart of the Canadian basketball pipeline.
A Champion’s Pedigree
To call Chance Berry a winning player almost feels like an understatement. Originally from Brampton, Ontario, Berry is arguably one of the most decorated high school athletes Canada has seen in a generation.
During her tenure at Toronto’s Royal Crown Academic School, Berry turned trophy hunting into an art form. Alongside her former prep teammate Divine Tumba Tshibuabua, Berry swept hardware at every level: a Junior OSBA Championship, a Senior OSBA Championship, back-to-back WNPA titles and Grind Session World Championships, and an Overtime Select title. Along the way, individual accolades naturally followed—earning 2026 OSBA MVP, WNPA MVP, and Grind Session MVP honors.
On the international stage, her pedigree is just as sparkling. In 2023, she made waves as the youngest player on the Canadian roster at the FIBA U16 Women’s Americas Championship in Mexico before putting in shifts at the 2024 FIBA U17 Women’s Basketball World Cup. On the AAU circuit, Berry starred for Sisterskeeper on the independent scene under program director Patrick Shaw, before bringing her shot-making skills to Kia Nurse Elite for the 2026 Nike EYBL National Championships.
Yet, despite owning the No. 1 overall ranking in Canada on the NPH High School board, Berry entered her commitment ranked No. 50 in ESPN’s Class of 2027 rankings. For anyone who has actually watched her play, that number feels detached from reality.
Berry isn’t fazed by the noise. She’s fueled by it.
“I’m not ranked very high in America and I feel like I’m better than a lot of people ranked above me, so I’m just trying to prove that this year.”
The Next Level: From Royal Crown to DME
Seeking bigger tests after conquering the Canadian high school circuit, Berry took her talents south to Daytona Beach, Florida, suiting up for national powerhouse DME Academy.
Her mother, Shana Watson, recalled the conversations that preceded that massive cross-border leap:
"The conversations, number one, is what she's accomplished thus far. Especially last year. She's accomplished everything across the board that she set her mind to. She wanted to accomplish a championship for Royal Crown in every league—she's done that. She wanted to show everyone, that she is the number one 2027 prospect in Canada. I think she's done that. So we just spoke about competition. She's a very competitive person, and she just wanted more competition. And that's when we talked about exploring our options and where she sees herself."
The transition to DME was seamless. In an 81-38 rout against Albuquerque Prep, Berry gave fans a clinic in pace and floor generalship, tallying 15 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, a steal, and a block. She sprinted in transition, set up shooters, and attacked the paint to draw contact at will. With DME, her eyes are set on adding another Grind Session crown and chasing a Chipotle National Championship.
The Blueprint and the Matriarch
Excellence is not an anomaly in the Berry-Watson household; it’s practically standard procedure. Chance’s older sister, Jadaia “Dai Dai” Reid, laid the groundwork years earlier. Reid starred on Crestwood Prep’s historic back-to-back OSBA championship teams alongside future collegiate and pro stars like Shayanne Day-Wilson, Latasha Lattimore, and Aaliyah Edwards, before securing an NCAA Division I scholarship to the University of Delaware in 2020.
For Watson, steering two daughters into the upper echelon of women’s basketball took relentless sacrifice.
“It means a lot. It shows me that the goal that I had for both of them came true—with God’s guidance, of course. I’m extremely proud of both of them. But it wasn’t easy. It took a lot of sacrifice, a lot of very late nights, a lot of very early mornings. But they are where they are now, and that’s because of God, and we are extremely happy and blessed.”
Looking toward the horizon in Morgantown, Watson’s prayers remain grounded:
“I just hope and pray that she continues to trust God. I hope and pray that she continues to speak to God and allow God to guide her. And just follow her dream. That’s it. Be herself at all times and follow her dreams.”
Built on Family: The Sisterskeeper Connection
Few people know Chance Berry better than Patrick Shaw, the Director of Basketball Operations at Royal Crown School and the founder of Sisters Keeper. For Shaw, celebrating Chance’s announcement at Falstaff wasn’t a recruiting photo op; it was family business.
"Chance’s commitment to West Virginia means so much more to me than basketball. It’s personal. It’s family. It’s a journey that started long before she was even thinking about playing college basketball. I’ve known Chance since she was a little baby. Her mother and her older sister, Day Day, have been part of my basketball family for years. I had the privilege of helping Day Day get to the University of Delaware, and now she’s on her way to becoming a lawyer. So when Chance came along, it was a natural transition. She practically grew up in Falstaff gym. She was always around me, always in the gym, and eventually became another one of my daughters."
At West Virginia, Berry won’t be navigating the Big 12 alone. She will be reunited with Divine Tumba Tshibuabua and join Chanté Murray, forging an authentic north-of-the-border pipeline in Morgantown.
"What makes this even more special is the Canadian connection we’re building at West Virginia. To have three young women I’ve helped along their journeys—Chanté Murray, Chance Berry, and Divine Tumba Tshibuabua—all connected through the West Virginia Mountaineers Women’s Basketball program is something I’m extremely proud of. That sisterhood, that Canadian connection, and that level of talent are going to be instrumental in helping build something special at West Virginia for years to come."
Why Morgantown?
Fresh off filling the stat sheet in another dominant 40-minute display for DME, Berry sat down to explain the exact moment she knew where her future lay.
"I knew when I went on the visit," she said with a grin.
Beyond gut instinct and campus energy, her decision came down to one critical priority: real, uncompromising development that can translate to the WNBA and the Canadian Senior Women’s National Team.
"A non-negotiable that helped me pick my decision was definitely player development. I want to go to the league, so I need to go somewhere that's going to help me develop on and off the court, and I want to play. I don't want to just become a role player."
With the endless calls, recruiting visits, and speculation officially behind her, Berry turns all of her focus back to the hardwood. She’s already won everywhere she has laced up her sneakers, and she has no intentions of changing the script once she arrives in West Virginia.
Her message to Mountaineer Nation is straightforward:
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