Saskatchewan guard Gage Grassick was named recipient of the Nan Copp Trophy as national player of the year. The 5-8 guard and 4th-year kinesiology student from Prince Albert, Sask., was the Canada West player of the year and a first-team Canada West all-star. She led the country in assists, three-point field goals made and three-point field goal percentage. She started all 20 conference games, playing an average 30.1 mpg. She hit 124-294 (.422) from the floor, 58-140 (.414) from the arc and 62-88 (.705) from the line, while garnering 109 boards, including 14 on the offensive glass and a 5.5 rpg, 37 fouls, 120 assists, 49 turnovers, a 2.4 asst/to ratio, 6 blocks, 67 steals and 368 points, for an 18.4 ppg. The other nominees were: Clara Gascoigne (Saint Mary’s); Victoria Gauna (Bishop’s); and Madalyn Weinert (Brock).
U.B.C.’s Keira Daly was named recipient of the Kathy Shields Award as the national rookie of the year. The 5-10 guard and kinesiology student from Hamilton, Ont., was the Canada West rookie of the year. She started 2 of the 17 conference games she played, for an average 24.4 mpg. She hit 95-215 (.442) from the floor, 27-84 (.321) from the arc and 52-82 (.634) from the line, while garnering 72 boards, including 30 on the offensive glass, 32 fouls, 39 assists, 26 turnovers, a 1.5 asst/to ratio, 4 blocks, 45 steals and 269 points, for a 15.8 ppg. Thunderbirds coach Isabel Ormond said “it’s an incredible honour and milestone for somebody just beginning her career. I’m not surprised, she’s put in a ton of work and came in incredibly ready to go to compete at this level and you’ve seen that in her play across the year. She missed three games but she’s still sitting amongst not just first years in Canada West, but amongst the league leaders, period. I think that says a lot about who she is and who she’ll keep growing into as well.” The other nominees were: Addie Mombourquette (New Brunswick), Ahou Einah Marie-Bethel Koffi (U.Q.A.M.) and Brooke Hussey (Queen’s).
Saint Mary’s Clara Gascoigne was named national defensive player of the year. The 6-0 guard and 5th-year M.B.A. student from Dartmouth, N.S., was the AUS player of the year, defensive player of the year (for the third consecutive campaign), a first-team conference all-star, and MVP of the league’s postseason tournament. She started all 19 conference games she played, for an average 31.6 mpg. She hit 110-261 (.421) from the floor, 26-80 (.325) from the arc and 51-72 (.708) from the line, while garnering 100 boards, including 18 on the offensive glass and a 5.3 rpg, 28 fouls, 64 assists, 32 turnovers, a 2.0 asst/to ratio, 16 blocks, 45 steals and 297 points, for a 15.6 ppg. The other nominees were: Victoria Lawrence (Concordia); Nehita Oko-Oboh (Waterloo); and Claire Signatovich (Alberta).
Carleton’s Dani Sinclair was named recipient of the Peter Ennis Award as national coach of the year. She guided the Ravens to a runner-up finish in the national championships, as well as an unblemished 20-0 regular season OUA record and a runner-up finished in the conference postseason tournament. The Ravens scored 75.4 points per game, shooting 41.6 per cent from the field and 31 per cent from beyond the arc. The other nominees were: Scott Munro (Saint Mary’s); Guillaume Giroux (Laval); and Lisa Thomaidis (Saskatchewan).
Joining Grassick and Gascoigne on the all-Canadian 1st team were: Victoria Gauna (Bishop’s); Natsuki Szczokin (Ottawa); and Madalyn Weinert (Brock). …………………………………………………… Gauna, a 6-0 forward and 4th-year sports student from Mendoza, Argentina, was the RSEQ player of the year and a first-team league all-star. She started all 13 conference games she played, for an average 29.2 mpg. She hit 67-187 (.358) from the floor, 12-55 (.218) from the arc and 44-56 (.786) from the line, while garnering 113 boards, including 25 on the offensive glass and an 8.7 rpg, 25 fouls, 32 assists, 40 turnovers, 13 blocks, 22 steals and 190 points, for a 14.6 ppg. …………………………………………………… Szczokin, a 5-6 guard and 5th-year international development student from Barrie, Ont., was a first-team OUA all-star. She started all 22 conference games, playing an average 29.8 mpg. She hit 133-330 (.403) from the floor, 38-139 (.273) from the arc and 72-93 (.774) from the line, while garnering 83 boards, including 20 on the offensive glass and a 3.8 rpg, 27 fouls, 106 assists, 64 turnovers, a 1.7 asst/to ratio, 7 blocks, 89 stelas and 376 points, for a 17.1 ppg. …………………………………………………… Weinert, a 5-10 wing and 4th-year medical sciences student from St. Catharines, Ont., was the OUA player of the year and a first-team conference all-star for the second consecutive campaign. She led the country and the league in scoring, and the OUA in free throw and three-point shooting. She started all 22 conference games, playing an average 32.8 mpg. She hit 161-343 (.469) from the floor, 23-59 (.390) from the arc and 135-154 (.877) from the line, while garnering 262 boards, including 119 on the offensive glass and an 11.9 rpg, 40 fouls, 70 assists, 53 turnovers, a 1.3 asst/to ratio, 42 blocks, 57 steals and 480 points, for a 21.8 ppg.
The second team featured: Jade Belmore (Regina); Kiyara Letlow (Cape Breton); Sabrine Khelifi (Laval); Jacqueline Urban (Carleton); and Mona Berlitz (U.B.C.). …………………………………………………… Belmore, a 5-10 wing and 4th-year kinesiology & health studies student from Regina, Sask., was a first-team conference Canada West all star and led the league in scoring for the second consecutive campaign. She started all 20 conference games, playing an average 32.5 mpg. She hit 140-318 (.440) from the floor, 35-98 (.357) from the arc and 72-98 (.735) from the line, while garnering 186 boards, including 43 on the offensive glass and a 9.3 rpg, 71 assists, 60 turnovers, a 1.2 asst/to ration, 17 blocks, 56 steals and 387 points, for a 19.4 ppg. She was also the recipient of the league’s student-athlete community service award for her work with youth basketball camps in Iqaluit, as well as with a low-income school in Regina. She was also an apprentice coach for the U15 provincial team. Cougars coach Dave Taylor said “Jade excels on-and-off the court and exemplifies what it means to be a student-athlete. She is one of the top players in Canada while about to become a five-time Academic All-Canadian. Jade is very aware of the responsibility to give back to her community and she truly sets the example for what we want our program to be about. Players like Jade come along rarely in a coach’s career and I feel so fortunate to have had a chance to coach her. She’s special in every way.” …………………………………………………… Letlow, a 6-1 forward and 4th-year arts student from Toronto, Ont., was a first-team AUS all-star. She started all 19 conference games she played, for an average 37.5 mpg. She hit 138-283 (.488) from the floor, 8-29 (.276) from the arc and 111-158 (.703) from the line, while garnering 285 boards, including 92 on the offensive glass and a 15.0 rpg, 47 fouls (fouling out once), 46 assists, 63 turnovers, a 0.7 asst/to ratio, 16 blocks, 18 steals and 395 points, for a 20.8 ppg. …………………………………………………… Khelifi, a 5-8 guard and 4th-year pharmacy student from Quebec City, Que, was a first-team RSEQ all-star. She started all 16 conference games, playing an average 26.0 mpg. She hit 52-138 (.377) from the floor, 5-23 (.217) from the arc and 50-64 (.781) from the line, while garnering 68 boards, including 17 on the offensive glass and a 4.3 rpg, 33 fouls, 72 assists, 52 turnovers, 7 blocks, 25 steals and 159 points, for a 9.9 ppg. …………………………………………………… Urban, a 5-11 forward and 3rd-year psychology student from Ancaster, Ont., was a first-team OUA all-star. She started all 20 conference games she played, for an average 26.3 mpg. She hit 111-227 (.489) from the floor, 16-45 (.356) from the arc and 39-62 (.629) from the line, while garnering 189 boards, including 53 on the offensive glass and a 9.4 rpg, 49 fouls, 21 assists, 46 turnovers, a 0.5 asst/to ratio, 9 blocks, 36 steals and 277 points, for a 13.8 ppg. …………………………………………………… Berlitz, a 6-0 forward and 3rd-year food, nutrition & health student from Schrobenhausen, Germany, was a first-team Canada West all-star. She started all 18 conference games she played, for an average 22.7 mpg. She hit 110-224 (.491) from the floor, 7-19 (.368) from the arc and 71-95 (.747) from the line, while garnering 119 boards, including 36 on the offensive glass and a 6.6 rpg, 30 fouls, 37 assists, 59 turnovers, a 0.6 asst/to ration, 4 blocks, 38 steals and 298 points, for a 16.6 ppg.
Joining Daly on the all-rookie team were: Addie Mombourquette (New Brunswick); Ahou Einah Marie Bethel-Koffi (U.Q.A.M); Brooke Hussey (Queen’s); and Izzi Fust (Regina). …………………………………………………… Mombourquette, a 6-0 wing and science student from Fredericton, N.B., was the AUS rookie of the year. She led the nation in free throw shooting. She started 18 of 20 conference games, playing an average 28.0 mpg. She hit 66-206 (.320) from the floor, 33-116 (.284) from the arc and 50-57 (.877) from the line, while garnering 74 boards, including 20 on the offensive glass and a 3.7 rpg, 27 fouls, 30 assists, 55 turnovers, a 0.5 asst/to ratio, 13 blocks, 15 steals and 215 points, for a 10.8 ppg. …………………………………………………… Bethel-Koffi, a 5-9 wing and software engineering student from St-Jérôme, Que., was the RSEQ rookie of the year. She started all 12 conference games, playing an average 32.3 mpg. She hit 77-161 (.478) from the floor, 4-19 (.211) from the arc and 50-66 (.758) from the line, while garnering 47 boards, including 7 on the offensive glass and a 3.9 rpg, 30 fouls, 20 assists, 12 turnovers, 1 block, 24 steals and 208 points, for a 17.3 ppg. …………………………………………………… Hussey, a 5-9 guard and kinesiology student from Etobicoke, Ont., was the OUA rookie of the year. She started 11 of the 21 conference games she played, for an average 27.3 mpg. She hit 97-258 (.376) from the floor, 17-76 (.224) from the arc and 26-35 (.743) from the line, while garnering 106 boards, including 29 on the offensive glass and a 5.0 rpg, 35 fouls (fouling out once), 53 assists, 60 turnovers, a 0.9 asst/to ratio, 6 blocks, 53 steals and 237 points, for an 11.3 ppg. …………………………………………………… Fust, a 6-1 forward and kinesiology & health studies student from Winnipeg, Man. She started all 20 Canada West games, playing an average 28.4 mpg. She hit 62-182 (.341) from the floor, 19-67 (.284) from the arc and 50-72 (.694) from the line, while garnering 123 boards, including 50 on the offensive glass, 42 fouls (fouling out once), 34 assists, 33 turnovers, a 1.0 asst/to ratio, 26 blocks, 31 steals and 193 points, for a 9.7 ppg.