The Maritime Women’s Basketball Association is preparing for its third season of action in the spring of 2024.
Until that magical time arrives, fans of the MWBA can certainly follow a plethora of players as they play at the university, collegiate and professional levels during the 2023-24 season.
Let’s take a spin around various conferences to see who’s where:
Atlantic University Sport
There are a number of MWBAers pulling double duty as student-athletes in the AUS this season.
Three players from the Fredericton Freeze are with the University of New Brunswick Reds including Katie Butts, Jenny Nkuah and Kylee Speedy. They are UNB teammates with Reese Baxendale and Erin Ingalls from Saint John’s Port City Fog.
St. Francis Xavier University X-Women has Alisha McNeil of the Halifax Hornets and Katie Upham of the reigning MWBA champion Halifax Thunder. Dalhousie University Tigers have Eva Widmeyer of the Hornets and Thunder’s Sydney Guker-Wickie. Nestled with the Cape Breton University Capers is Hailey Macleod of Port City while reigning AUS champion Saint Mary’s University Huskies of Halifax have Courtney Donaldson of the Hornets. Grace Lancaster of Thunder is with University of Prince Edward Island Panthers.
Thunder head coach Parker Regan is an assistant coach with the Tigers and one of his players, Karla Yepez, is also on the Dalhousie coaching staff.
Fog head coach Madeline Belding is an assistant with UNB.
Freeze assistant coaches Colleen Daly and Anthony Ashe have similar roles with UNB.
Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association
Players and coaches from the MWBA abound in the ACAA this season.
Grace Tilley and Amelia Mitchell of Port City are teammates with Sackville’s Mount Allison University Mounties while Bailey Henderson and Abby Ring Dineen of the Fog are with University of New Brunswick at Saint John Seawolves. Lauren Ford of Windsor Edge is with University of King’s College Blue Devils of Halifax.
Mount St. Vincent University Mystics of Halifax, the four-time reigning ACAA champions, have Nalini Maharaj of the Edge and Hornets’ head coach Mark Forward leading the way. Maia Timmons is an assistant coach with the Hornets and also an assistant with the Mystics.
Allie Berry of the Moncton Mystics is head coach of Moncton’s Crandall University Chargers. Her assistant coaches are Mystics’ teammate Elonie Elbert and Moncton head coach, Jill Smith.
Ontario University Athletics
Allie McCarthy of the Freeze is with the University of Ottawa Gee Gees after two seasons at the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I level with University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks. Jessice Keripe of Port City is with Toronto Metropolitan University Bold.
RSEQ
There are two MWBAers playing in the Reseau de sport edudiant du Quebec (RSEQ) this season.
Windsor’s Sydney Foran is with McGill University Martlets of Montreal and Emily McNeil is with Bishop’s University Gaiters of Lennoxville.
Ontario Collegiate Athletic Association
Katherine Khorovets of the Hornets is playing with Toronto’s Humber College Hawks in the OCAA after a four-year career with Mount St. Vincent University.
Professional Leagues
The MWBA has three players playing at the professional level across the pond this year.
Karissa Kajorinne of the Thunder is with Olivais in Portugal, her Halifax teammate Tiffany Reynolds is in Nicaragua and Sophia Widmeyer of the Hornets plays in Ireland with Dublin Lions.