By Jim Fenton
BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- Her introduction to Bridgewater State University women's basketball took place while in sixth grade more than a decade ago.
Sydney Bradbury (East Bridgewater, Mass.) would visit the Tinsley Center to watch the Bears while her sister, Kelsey Bradbury, was a BSU student working as the team manager and statistician from 2012-16.
So after graduating from East Bridgewater Junior-Senior High School in 2019, Bridgewater State was the place Bradbury zeroed in on.
"Bridgewater was the place," she said. "It felt like home to me."
Bradbury felt a connection after attending nearly two dozen women's basketball games as a youngster, watching the Bears during a run that included five straight trips to the NCAA Division 3 tournament.
She saw players like Jenna Williamson, the program's all-time leading scorer, and 1,000-point scorers Megan Boutilette, Michaela Cosby, Elisha Homich and current assistant coach Chanelle Melton.
Now, Bradbury, in her first semester as a graduate student after graduating in December, has joined them on the list of players who reached the 1,000-point milestone at BSU.
On Senior Day last Saturday afternoon, playing her final regular-season home game at the Tinsley Center, Bradbury reached 1,000 points in her 95th career game.
The 3-point specialist became the 21st player in program history to accomplish the feat and stands at No. 19 on the all-time list with 1,009 points heading into Wednesday night's regular-season finale at Westfield State University.
Bradbury ranks second to Williamson with 187 made 3-pointers, and with 65 3-pointers this season, trails only Hannah Dziadyk (75 in 2019-20) for the single-season record.
Going from a youngster sitting in the stands more than a decade ago to the 1,000-point list has been a dream come true, but it has hardly been a smooth ride for Bradbury.
The start of her BSU career was delayed in 2019 as she recovered from a torn anterior cruciate ligament, then COVID wiped out one season and another knee injury that would require surgery slowed her a year ago.
Through it all, Bradbury persevered and has helped the Bears go 54-25 over the past three seasons with one trip to the NCAAs.
"Sometimes I'm like, thank God for how I am and how I think," said Bradbury of the way she dealt with obstacles. "Then I'm like, I could have done this and I could have done that if everything was normal. But honestly, I wouldn't have changed anything. It's a better story to tell people."
Bradbury tore the ACL in her right knee during a practice in the opening month of her senior season in high school.
She played only four games that year, underwent surgery, then was held out of the first nine games of her freshman season at BSU in 2019-20.
"It was so difficult," said Bradbury. "It took so much to trust the process and so much work. Two or three days a week, I would go to the Tinsley Center at 6 in the morning and train with the team manager at the time before my classes.
"Even when I was not playing, just keeping that consistent work, it was so hard to sacrifice that time and know that maybe in the future it would pay off."
Bradbury's collegiate debut finally came in the third quarter of a Dec. 29, 2019 game against Hamilton College at the Music City Classic in Nashville, Tenn. She played seven minutes in a 74-68 loss, scoring five points in the span of 34 seconds with a 3-pointer and a layup.
"It was tough," said Bradbury. "I was extremely nervous. I don't remember anything from that first game. The game was a lot faster and I noticed coach (Bridgett) Casey put more emphasis on defense than any team I've ever been on."
Bradbury played 18 games as a freshman, averaging 3.8 points in 10.5 minutes, and was ready to increase the workload in the 2020-21 season.
But the COVID pandemic forced the cancellation of that season. So two years into her career, Bradbury had yet to experience a full season.
"Pretty much a nightmare," said Bradbury. "But nothing lasts forever, better days are ahead. This is going to pay off. That's what I told myself every single day."
When BSU returned for the 2021-22 season, Bradbury was the team's leading scorer (12.2 points, hitting 46 3-pointers) as the Bears went 20-8.
"Absolutely amazing," said Bradbury of the successful return for the Bears. "I was ready for anything. We felt all the bad days were behind us and this was our time."
Last season, with teammate Kylie Grassi (Plymouth, Mass.) emerging as the MASCAC Player of the Year and the team's top scorer, Bradbury was smoothly adjusting to a different role in the offense.
But in the seventh game of the season, a Dec. 2 loss to Babson College at a Williams College tournament, Bradbury tore the meniscus in her knee.
The injury happened in a game in which she scored 18 points in 19 minutes, hitting four 3-pointers.
"I felt it," she said. "I tried to run back on defense, but I couldn't. It was awful.
"I needed surgery, but they gave me the option to finish the season knowing that I wouldn't be performing as well as I had been. I took that. But I did miss a lot of playing time. Some games I only played five or 10 minutes because I couldn't take the pain."
Bradbury played all 28 games, averaging 11.5 points, and hit 63 shots from 3-point range. She helped BSU rally to win the MASCAC tourney championship and make it to the NCAAs.
Surgery was performed last May, and Bradbury did not start playing basketball again until the Bears began practicing for this season on Oct. 15.
"I just rehabbed all summer focused on keeping strength in my quad and hamstring so that I could get back to playing basketball," she said. "I had physical therapy twice a week and went to the gym every day.
"I told myself I wasn't going to play in any summer leagues. I usually play in two or three leagues. But I focused on Oct. 15, make sure you're ready, and that's what I did. It was very tough."
Bradbury is averaging a career-best 13.1 points this season, second to Grassi's 21.1, and is 65-for-188 on 3-pointers. On Saturday, Bradbury hit three 3-pointers in the first quarter against Fitchburg State to reach 1,000 points.
"In my head, it was like, this is my last year, I don't want any regrets," said Bradbury. "Just go and play. I feel like I'm playing with less restriction in my head."
The only hurdle this season came in early January when Bradbury missed three games with COVID and strep throat.
"I feel like I've been put through the ringer," she said.
But Bradbury overcame everything to enter the 1,000-point club.
"I thought she had the potential to do it," said Casey, thinking back to her freshman year. "I'm super happy for her. She put in a lot of work the last five years.
"She puts a lot of work in during the offseason, before practice, after practice. She's locked in when it comes to that."
Bradbury credits Brittany Engle, who helped Oliver Ames win a state championship and played at Marist, with her 3-point shooting. Bradbury worked with Engle at Evolution Sports in Easton starting as an eighth-grader.
Bradbury has more 3-pointers made (187) than 2-pointers (165) in her career.
The long-distance shooting was the path that took Bradbury from a player who had 69 points as a freshman to the 1,000-point club.
"I knew that it was possible this year, but after missing so many games and coming off another knee injury, I didn't know if I'd be able to perform this season," said Bradbury. "I'm thankful I was able to get it done and I owe a lot of it to the girls on the team for encouraging me and feeding me, and to Coach.
"I've got really great teammates. They're amazing, my best friends."
After earning a degree in health studies, Bradbury began a one-year Master's program in coaching education. She would like to become a coach at the high school or college level and has been coaching with her father for the Mass Attack teams in a non-profit organization.