Former UIC women's basketball standout Brittany Byrd has kept herself busy since graduating and departing UIC last May, playing for several teams and organizations and even competing overseas, all for the game she loves.

After retiring her Flames jersey, Byrd played in the Women's American Basketball Association with the Chicago Legends. While playing with the Legends, Byrd broke a single-game points record across the entire WABA, tallying a whopping 69 points in a single game. Byrd ended her season with the Legends averaging 38.5 minutes per game, 33.9 points per game, 11.3 rebounds per game 2.0 assists per game, and 2.7 steals per game.

Byrd most recently participated in the Arab Women Sports Tournament in Dubai, where she competed on the Al Sahel team, a squad out of Tartus, Syria. Byrd was very appreciative of all the support from the fans back in Syria, despite Al Sahel coming up short in the tournament. 

"Playing ball in a different country felt great because it's like you're famous," Byrd said. "Everybody loves you and you have all the attention on you. My time in Dubai was wonderful, it is so beautiful there. The weather is nice, and the views were great."

The former UIC guard is currently playing for the Chicago Lady Range, a semi pro team in the Women's Basketball Development Association. The WBDA was in its preseason prior to the onset of COVID-19 concerns, with its season scheduled to start on May 2.

When asked about the differences between college ball and playing overseas, Byrd cited the talent as the biggest difference. "The difference between playing at the collegiate level and playing overseas is the talent," Byrd said. "The talent is different on both sides, but both are still really competitive."

The Chicago native is grateful for her time at UIC, as well as the coaches that helped mold her into the player and person she is today. "Being at UIC gave me the opportunity to be under some good coaches who helped me on and off of the court," Byrd said. "My coaches taught me so much, I appreciate every coach that I had at UIC."

Byrd's advises players looking to extend their careers beyond college to be aggressive and confident in their knowledge of the game. "It is your job to really score the ball for your team," Byrd said. "You are the one the team depends on. You will likely know more than some of the players around you."

As a Flame, Byrd left her mark on the program, racking up over 1,100 career points to rank 14th all-time in UIC history. Byrd led the team in scoring in her sophomore, junior and senior seasons, averaging 11.2 points per game in over 100 career appearances for the Flames. The Chicago native recorded nearly 450 career rebounds, over 110 assists and 130 steals while wearing a UIC jersey, reaching double figures an incredible 56 times with five double-doubles to her name.

Byrd's upcoming plans include taking a step back from her professional career to return to UIC as a graduate assistant to obtain a Master's in Education. "I am happy with my decision," Byrd said. "This was a long decision to make, but I believe I made the right one!"