The 18-year-old point guard had made Hunters division one representative teams every year since the age of 10, played for NSW at national championships for the past five years, and earned selection to all-Australian training camps in four of those years.

Among other achievements, she has captained Hunter and NSW schools teams, toured the USA with an Australian all-schools team, played in Australia's successful under 17s at an Oceania tournament in New Zealand, held a NSW Institute of Sport scholarship, been a member of the Basketball NSW intensive training centre (ITC) program for four years and was ITC athlete of the year for 2007.

The 162-centimetre sharpshooter is also a member of the Australian under-19 Gems squad of 20, which will be cut to 12 for the world championships next year.

An Australian Institute of Sport scholarship seemed a natural progression, especially when she was invited to trial after the national under-18 championships in Launceston last year.

When she was not offered a start in Canberra, Sophie was disappointed and even became disillusioned with a sport she has lived and loved since being introduced to it by parents Rod and Janet and older sister Emma.

Though she did not impress the AIS scrutineers, Sophie caught the eye of a scout from Troy University in Alabama and has since signed a scholarship, which she will begin in August.

"Growing up, that was always my big dream, to play college basketball in America, but I never thought I'd be going over," Sophie said.

"Playing for Australia, the Olympic Games, that's a massive goal too, but I really don't think I'll be doing that."

A division one NCAA school that plays in the Sun Belt Conference, Troy already has four Australian women on their roster including Central Coast pair Larelle Roper and Danielle Realph and three others will join Sophie next year.

"One of the girls, Sarah McAppion, I know really well because I've been to Australian junior camps with her," she said.