The reigning Maritime Women’s Basketball Association champion Halifax Hornets are buzzing already.
The Hornets are the first team to announce its roster for 2023, the second season for the six-team MWBA.
And although Halifax has a number of changes to its personnel, that doesn’t mean the roster has been weakened, paced by a number of veteran players and former professionals under the direction of head coach Mark Forward.
Forward replaces John Tramble, who guided the Hornets to their title last June in a thriller over the Halifax Thunder.
The Hornets have announced Tony Bianchini, Hannah Brown, Courtney Donaldson, Miriam Franchetto, Sarah Gordon, Katherine Khorovets, Leah Martin, Alisha McNeil, Jasmine Parent, Jalynn Skier, Michelle Tchiakoua, Jayla Verney, Sophia Widmeyer and Eva Widmeyer.
Bianchini, Brown and Skier both played for Cape Breton University Capers in Atlantic University Sport. Brown played professionally in Germany. Donaldson is a former Saint Mary’s University Huskies’ guard, Franchetto was with Acadia University Axewomen, Gordon played for the Lakehead University Thunderwolves in Thunder Bay in Ontario University Athletics. Khorovets and McNeil are present-day teammates with Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association’s Mount St. Vincent University Mystics and Martin played with Dalhousie University Tigers before playing professionally in Slovakia. Parent played at Acadia.
Tchiakoua is a former Tiger, Verney played with ACAA’s Holland College Hurricanes of Charlottetown, Sophia Widmeyer played with Saint Mary’s and Eva with Acadia.
Halifax opens the season on the road, visiting the Windsor Edge, at Avon View High School.
The time will be finalized next week.
Hornets, Edge and Thunder join Fredericton Freeze, Moncton Mystics and Port City Fog of Saint John in the MWBA.