As a fifth grader growing up in Los Angeles, Sophia Lima decided to take a try at lacrosse since her father’s friend was a coach looking for players to field a team. That decision not only introduced Sophia to the game but also helped set her on a path where her talent and determination would take her on a global journey — including a stint on the Mexican national team, where she played in tournaments in Europe and Asia. Now, Lima’s bringing her skills to the Mecca and looking to make an impact. 

Lima, a freshman health management major, is one of the newest members of the Howard University women’s lacrosse team. And, according to Head Coach Karen Healy-Silcott, she is one to watch as the team continues to build a successful program.

“This is the first [year] I’ve head real confidence in what our team can do because of the growth we’ve had in recent years, the bonds the players have made, and the talent of our players, especially players like Sophia,” said Healy-Silcott, who is beginning her fifth year leading the program.

Lima caught Healy-Silcott's eye a few years ago while playing for LA Select, a highly competitive club team in her hometown. After powering through programs as an elementary and junior high school student, Lima became one of the most-watched lacrosse players in southern California, helping her high school team, Crescenta Valley, win the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section championship in 2023 as a sophomore.

Now, Lima finds herself in a similar situation — joining a team as a young member with great expectations. The team will have a series of exhibition games this fall, including hosting Keio University from Japan Oct. 5, with the 2026 campaign beginning in January.

“It will be exciting to see where we are and what we need to work on,” said Lima, who joined fellow newcomers this summer in the Committed Games, a tournament designed for elite committed players who are rising college freshmen. During the tournament, Lima and other Bison newbies played against freshmen phenoms from some of the game’s top institutions, such as Northwestern, Boston College, North Carolina, and Maryland. The experience was much like what Lima has grown accustomed to in her young career, having competed against high-caliber players as a member of the Mexican national team the last three years. Lima — whose father, Guillermo Lima, is from El Salvador, and mother, Arianna Garcia, is from Mexico — chose to play for the Mexican team because of its emergence as a women’s lacrosse contender. She credits her parents' commitment to supporting her dreams for being a major factor in her success.

“With my club play, I was often traveling to Santa Barbara or even San Diego for practices, and we did a lot of travel around the country and even internationally,” Lima said. “My parents did a lot to make this happen for me and I’m very grateful.”

The elder Lima said the long hours getting Sophia to practices and games — and even hours he has spent as her personal trainer — are now paying off with his daughter having earned a scholarship to play lacrosse for a Division I program, even if it means that his only child will be attending college across the country. 

“I’m sad to see her go far away, but very grateful for the opportunity that she has here,” said Guillermo, who made the trip out with Sophia to help her get settled this month. “She’s excited and so am I. She’s using her wings to continue flying high.”

As a child, Sophia had two goals when it came to playing lacrosse: playing for a Division I program and competing in the Olympics. With her standing as a Bison now confirmed, Sophia has one more goal left and is hopeful to be playing in the 2028 Summer Olympics in her hometown of Los Angeles. It will be even more meaningful considering the origin of the game.

“The sport definitely comes with a history having been created by Native Americans before colonization made it something communities of color weren’t too involved with,” Lima said, stressing that the finesse with which women players play and the aggressiveness of the men’s game are major reasons people can become fans of the game.

“The way the game is played is just so interesting to watch. It’s really entertaining, but strategic,” Lima added. “And I think it’s growing [in] popularity and taking the time to learn its history, students here could really start to become fans of the game, especially since Howard is a school that greatly respects history.”