By Tucker Paquette
@tpaquette17
Sierra Canyon senior Emilia Krstevski stands out amongst her peers as a strong six-foot-four center, one whose presence in the paint serves as an engine of the team’s offense. However, this dominant, take-charge persona on the court is balanced out by a family-first, reflective approach off of it.
Krstevski, an Oregon commit and the No. 41 recruit on the espnW rankings for the class of 2026, prides herself on her inside scoring abilities, something that is one of the hallmarks of her skillset. However, she has worked diligently to expand her game beyond the arc, and she has seen positive results in that department.
“I think I’ve done better most games throughout the years and throughout high school [at finishing inside],” Krstevski said. “Also, expanding my game to the three-point line is definitely where I’m [improving], and being confident with the three-point [shot].”
Krstevski’s coach at Sierra Canyon, Alicia Komaki, certainly recognizes where her star center’s strengths reside, and along with that she appreciates the advantage that this gives her team on a consistent basis.
“EK is a dominant post player, one of the best post players in the country,” Komaki said. “And not a lot of teams have somebody in that position on their team. So for us, we always go into a game with a leg up, because we have somebody like Emilia.”
In a sense, Krstevski’s unique skillset opens up other possibilities for Sierra Canyon, too. With so much attention paid to Krstevski in the post, there is the chance for her teammates to step up. This dynamic unfolded in real time Friday at the Panini Hoophall Classic, when Krstevski’s star teammate Jerzy Robinson went off for 33 points in Sierra Canyon’s 70-60 defeat at the hands of Long Island Lutheran.
To Komaki, this is something that her group can build off of and look to exploit as they move forward with their season.
“It’s just tough, because she is so good, a lot of times people will game plan against her,” Komaki said. “So we have to just be a well-rounded team and [make sure] everybody gets a chance to score.”
A defining part of Krstevski’s development, and her life overall, has been her family. They have been by her side as she’s progressed through the basketball ranks, while offering ample guidance in the process.
“Just my family, they’re a great support system,” Krstevski said. “They push me to go every day, so I’m just doing it for them at the end of the day. I’m just thinking of them while I do it.”
In particular, Krstevski’s mother stands out as a powerful influence, and one who has played a key role in the trajectory of her daughter’s career. Krstevski’s mom is Canadian, having grown up in Toronto.
Krstevski has also placed an emphasis on exploring her Canadian roots, as she recently applied for Canadian citizenship and was a member of the country’s 2024 FIBA U17 squad won silver at the World Cup in Mexico. This experience is one that Krstevski doesn’t seem likely to forget anytime soon.
“It was pretty cool,” Krstevski said. “My mom’s Canadian, so I wanted to play for her country. She wanted me to do it, and I also wanted to play at the national level. Meeting new girls, just becoming really close to them. The Canadian experience was amazing, and I hope to do it this upcoming summer.”
Fittingly, a sense of family is what led Krstevski to commit to Oregon. Just as she has throughout her life, Krstevski paid close attention to the feelings of her peers and environment, and used those instincts to make her decision. She chose the Ducks over a number of other prominent programs, including USC, Iowa and Oklahoma.
“The coaches, the facility and all the people around there [were all impressive],” Krstevski said. “I had six more visits after that, but I committed right after my home visit. The coaches were great, they really made it [feel like] the next home.”
(Photo by Shane Baran/The Student)