Laval guard Sarah-Jane Marois was named recipient of the Nan Copp Award as national player of the year as the RSEQ swept uSports national women’s basketball award. The 5th-year economics major from Quebec City finished 7th in the RSEQ in scoring (13.0 ppg), fourth in assists (3.6 apg), second in three-point percentage (.410), led the league in free-throw percentage (.946) and was seventh in field goal percentage (.448). The 5-7 guard was also seventh in blocks (0.5 bpg) and eleventh in steals (1.1 spg). Overall, Marois averaged 30.2 mpg in 30 games for the Rouge et Or. She hit 157-334 (.470) from the floor, 45-113 (.398) from the arc and 64-68 (.941) from the line, while garnering 115 boards, including 16 on the offensive glass and a 3.8 rpg, 38 fouls, 114 assists, 66 turnovers, 12 blocks, 33 steals and 423 points, for a 14.1 ppg. “It was probably her best season ever since coming to Laval. It is an individual award that celebrates the team’s season, and Sarah-Jane’s performance has been consistent throughout the whole year,” said Laval head coach Guillaume Giroux. “She is quick, she puts a lot of pressure on her opponents, she is able to find the available players and has improved a lot on her three-point shooting, which makes her a dangerous player, a very hard one to face.” The other nominees were Canada West’s Sabine Dukate (Saskatchewan); the OUA’s Leashja Grant (Lakehead) and the AUS’ Hannah Brown (Cape Breton).
Concordia’s Myriam Leclerc was named recipient of the Kathy Shields Award as national rookie of the year. The 5-10 guard and accounting major from St. Roch de Richelieu, Que., averaged 36.6 mpg and led RSEQ in scoring (18.8 ppg) and steals (2.5 apg). She averaged 4.6 apg and shot .855 from the line in conference play. She was a first-team all-conference selection. Overall, Leclerc averaged 35.4 mpg in 29 Concordia games. She hit 183-500 (.366) from the floor, 57-182 (.313) from the arc and 92-105 (.876) from the line, while garnering 133 boards, including 35 on the offensive glass and a 4.6 rpg, 36 fouls, 136 assists, 83 turnovers, 12 blocks, 70 steals and 515 points, for a 17.8 ppg. Stingers coach Tenica Gittens said “her consistent individual performance has afforded us the opportunity to be a good basketball team,” said Concordia head coach Tenicha Gittens. “To come in as a freshman and put up the numbers that she has put up on a weekly basis is pretty special and she is very deserving of the accolade. Myriam will only continue to get better as she continues to develop her game and grow as a leader.” The other nominees were Canada West’s Nicole Fransson (Trinity Western); the OUA’s Kaitlyn Overeem (Waterloo); and the AUS’s Jayda Veinot (Acadia).
Laval post Khaléann Caron-Goudreau was named the national defensive player of the year. The Gatineau, Quebec-native transferred to Laval after two years with the NCAA’s University of Texas Longhorns. The 6-3 forward led the RSEQ in blocks per game (1.7) and ranked third in rebounding (9.4 per game), and was a first-team all-conference selection. “Khaléann has had an incredible impact on our team. She always takes on the tallest player of the opposition, which is something our group has been missing for a long time,” said Giroux. “Today it is one of our strengths! We have the second best defence in the country and her presence is directly related to our success. She is very competitive and has brought us a physical presence under the net.” Overall, Caron-Goudreau played an average 28.1 mpg in 32 Laval games. She hit 91-227 (.401) from the floor, 20-64 (.312) from the arc and 40-60 (.667) from the line, while garnering 277 boards, including 70 on the offensive glass and 9.2 rpg, 72 fouls, 59 assists, 56 turnovers, 63 blocks, 33 steals and 242 points, for an 8.1 ppg. The other nominees were Canada West’s Summer Masikewich (Saskatchewan); the OUA’s Nicole Gilmore (Carleton); and the AUS’s Carolina Del Santo (UPEI).
Laval’s Guillaume Giroux was named recipient of the Fox coach of the year award. He guided the Rouge et Or to a 15-1 record and a first-place finish in the RSEQ. The Rouge et Or set a school record for points scored in a 16-game schedule by tossing in 1,187 points. “After only four years leading the Rouge et Or, Guillaume has already earned his place as one of the best coaches in the country,” said Laval Athletic Director Julie Dionne. “Results do not lie. Year after year, he has allowed his team to aspire to the greatest honours.” The other nominees were Canada West’s Damian Jennings (Calgary); the OUA’s Andy Sparks (Ottawa); and the AUS Fabian McKenzie (Cape Breton).
Joining Marois on the All-Canadian first team were: Hannah Brown (Cape Breton); Sabine Dukate (Saskatchewan); Leashja Grant (Lakehead); and Kyanna Giles (Regina). …………………………………………………… Brown, a fifth-year business administration major from North Sydney, was the AUS player of the year. The 6-1 forward led the country and the conference in scoring with 26.4 ppg. She finished second in the conference and third in the nation in rebounds per game with 12.6. She led the conference in offensive rebounds with 70. She also finished with a field goal percentage of 47.8, the highest in the league. Brown led the Capers to an 18-2 record and a regular season title, while being name to the AUS first all-star team for the second consecutive campaign. Overall, Brown averaged 30.5 mpg in 29 Caper games. She hit 270-565 (.478) from the floor, 15-42 (.305) from the arc and 150-212 (.708) from the line, while garnering 330 boards, including 89 on the offensive glass and an 11.4 rpg, 85 fouls, 32 assists, 73 turnovers, 20 blocks, 39 steals and 705 points, for a 24.3 ppg. …………………………………………………… Dukate, a fourth-year arts & science major from Ventspils, Latvia, was the Canada West player of the year after helping the Huskies to a 16-4 record and then leading them to the postseason title. The 5-9 guard led the conference in three-pointers with 67, while finishing second in three-point percentage (.430). Her 23.2 ppg average was seventh in the conference, while her 117 field goals was ninth best. Overall, Dukate played an average 28.4 mpg in 33 Saskatchewan games. She hit 191-468 (.408) from the floor, 110-273 (.403) from the arc and 24-27 (.889) from the line, while garnering 100 boards, including 16 on the offensive glass and a 3.0 rpg, 44 fouls, 88 assists, 75 turnovers, 1 block, 37 steals and 516 points, for a 15.6 ppg. Huskies coach Lisa Thomaidis said “I’m thrilled to see Sabine being honoured for her performance on the court this year. From the day Sabine arrived on campus, we knew she would be a special player for us. Her unbelievable shooting ability with unlimited range, combined with her speed and athleticism, provides our team with a dimension that is truly unique.” …………………………………………………… Grant, a fifth-year psychology major from Nassau, Bahamas, was the OUA player of the year for the second consecutive season. Grant led the league in both scoring (20.6 ppg) and rebounding (12.5 rpg) – including a league-high 4.4 per game on the offensive glass – for a second straight season. She led the Thunderwolves to a 20-4 record and second place in the OUA West division regular season standings. She notched 18 double-doubles during the campaign. Overall, Grant averaged 25.5 mpg playing in 36 of Lakehead’s 37 games. She hit 303-626 (.484) from the floor, 1-5 (.200) from the arc and 147-215 (.684) from the line, while garnering 448 boards, including 156 on the offensive glass and a 12.4 rpg, 93 fouls, 70 assists, 94 turnovers, 27 blocks, 91 steals and 754 points, for a 20.9 ppg. …………………………………………………… Giles, a third-year education major from Winnipeg, was a first-team Canada West all-star. The 5-7 guard averaged 18.4 ppg and 8.3 rpg in conference play. Overall, Giles averaged 27.4 mpg in 35 Regina games. She hit 204-524 (.389) from the floor, 27-121 (.223) from the arc and 148-227 (.652) from the line, while garnering 305 boards, including 110 on the offensive glass and an 8.7 rpg, 75 fouls, 110 assists, 84 turnovers, 7 blocks, 85 steals and 583 points, for a 16.7 ppg.
Joining Leclerc on the All-Canadian 2nd-team featured were: Hilary Hanaka (McMaster); Haley McDonald (Acadia); Nicole Gilmore (Carleton); and Keylyn Filewich (U.B.C.). …………………………………………………… Hanaka, a fifth-year geography major from Hamilton, was also the recipient of the Sylvia Sweeney Award for student-athletic community service. She was among the conference leaders in points per game (14.6; 6th in OUA), assists per game (3.9; 4th in OUA), and shooting percentage (5th in 3PT%; 6th in FG%). Overall, Hanaka averaged 30.8 mpg while toiling in 35 of McMaster’s 36 games. She hit 181-446 (.406) from the floor, 69-183 (.377) from the arc and 76-92 (.826) from the line, while garnering 109 boards, including 27 on the offensive glass and a 3.1 rpg, 64 fouls, 132 assists, 73 turnovers, 12 blocks, 66 steals and 507 points, for a 14.5 ppg. “Hilary is an outstanding student who generously gives back to both the McMaster and Hamilton communities,” said McMaster coach Theresa Burns. “She particularly likes working with kids, and is so kind, patient and positive with them. She is a tremendous role model and great ambassador for our program.” …………………………………………………… McDonald, a third-year kinesiology major from Port Williams, N.S., was a 1st-team AUS all-star. The 5-5 guard averaged 23.2 ppg and 3.9 rpg in conference games. Overall, McDonald played an average 33.0 mpg in Acadia’s 32 games. She hit 256-643 (.398) from the floor, 66-204 (.324) from the arc and 166-201 (.826) from the line, while garnering 147 boards, including 23 on the offensive glass and a 4.6 rpg, 79 fouls, 115 assists, 109 turnovers, 1 block, 49 steals and 744 points, for a 23.2 ppg. …………………………………………………… Gilmore, a fifth-year criminology major from Hamilton, was the OUA defensive player of the year and a first-team OUA all-star. The 5-10 guard led the Ravens with 14.3 ppg, 7.7 rpg and 2.7 apg in conference play. Overall, Gilmore played an average 27.9 mpg in 34 Carleton games. She hit 154-426 (.362) from the floor, 41-148 (.277) from the arc and 68-100 from the line, while garnering 261 boards, including 79 on the offensive glass and a 7.7 rpg, 87 fouls, 83 assists, 110 turnovers, 16 blocks, 69 steals and 417 points, for a 12.3 ppg. …………………………………………………… Filewich, a third-year science major from Winnipeg, was a first-team Canada West all-star. The 6-1 forward averaged 18.4 ppg and 9.9 rpg in conference play. Overall, Filewich played an average 29.9 mpg in 27 U.B.C. games. She hit 206-349 (.590) from the floor and 85-120 (.708) from the line, while garnering 282 boards, including 113 on the offensive glass and a 10.4 rpg, 66 fouls, 59 assists, 66 turnovers, 31 blocks, 27 steals and 497 points, for an 18.4 ppg.
Joining Leclerc on the All-Canadian rookie team were: Jayda Veinot (Acadia); Kaitlyn Overeem (Waterloo); Nicole Fransson (Trinity Western); and Amaiquen Siciliano (Bishop’s). …………………………………………………… Veinot, a science major from Port Williams, N.S., was the AUS rookie of the year. The 5-10 forward led all AUS rookies in points and finished eighth in the conference, averaging 15.0 per game. She also notched 4.5 rpg, finished third in the league in free-throw percentage with 83.0, and had 91 rebounds, 59 assists, and 11 blocks on the season. Veinot was also named a 2nd-team AUS all-star. Overall, Veinot played an average 30.6 mpg in Acadia’s 32 games. She hit 169-394 (.429) from the floor, 66-157 (.420) from the arc and 66-84 (.786) from the line, while garnering 135 boards, including 31 on the offensive glass and a 4.2 rpg, 65 fouls, 86 assists, 82 turnovers, 15 blocks, 30 steals and 470 points, for a 14.7 ppg. …………………………………………………… Overeem, a kinesiology major from Brantford, was the OUA rookie of the year. The 5-7 guard ranked first among conference rookie scorers with a 13.2 ppg, while averaging 5.2 rpg in conference play. Overall, she played an average 32.2 mpg while toiling in 30 of Waterloo’s 32 games. She hit 126-411 (.307) from the floor, 32-134 (.239) from the arc and 116-156 (.744) from the line, while garnering 146 boards, including 31 on the offensive glass and a 4.9 rpg, 62 fouls, 97 assists, 145 turnovers, 14 blocks, 67 steals and 400 points, for a 13.3 ppg. …………………………………………………… Fransson, a science major from Edmonton, was the Canada West freshman of the year. The 6-1 forward finished fourth on the Spartans in scoring, averaging 11.6 ppg, while notching a double-double in 7 of her first 10 conference games. She averaged 7.2 rpg in conference play. Overall, Fransson averaged 22.1 mpg in 26 Spartans games. She hit 118-249 (.474) from the floor, 0-3 from the arc and 47-74 (.635) from the line, while garnering 175 boards, including 67 on the offensive glass and a 6.7 rpg, 46 fouls, 26 assists, 69 turnovers, 13 blocks, 14 steals and 283 points, for a 10.9 ppg. Spartans coach Cheryl Jean-Paul said “from the beginning of pre-season all the way through to playoffs, she continued to demonstrate a willingness to learn, to improve and to compete, becoming not only one of the top scoring and rebounding rookies in our conference and country, but doing so in a league of dominant forwards that are years ahead of her. She was able to step up when others were out with injury and displayed a game readiness beyond her years. She didn’t back down from tough match-ups, always wanted to know how she could become more competitive, and came back better every time she stepped into the gym.” …………………………………………………… Siciliano, a 5-5 guard and business major from Buenos Aires, Argentina, averaged 13.7 ppg and 3.2 rpg in RSEQ regular season play. Overall, Siciliano averaged 35.5 mpg in 16 Bishop’s games. She hit 93-248 (.375) from the floor, 21-94 (.223) from the arc and 24-39 (.615) from the line, while garnering 53 boards, including 10 on the offensive glass and a 3.3 rpg, 34 fouls, 42 assists, 37 turnovers, 1 block, 30 steals and 231 points, for a 14.4 ppg.