Ah, the start of something new.
New team. New playoff championship structure.
New players, new faces across the board.
New season.
Here we go.
The Maritime Women’s Basketball Association kicks off its third season of highly-competitive action this weekend with five games on tap across two provinces.
‘All the planning and preparation for 2024 truly started last fall and everyone involved has been gearing up for what we anticipate will be another outstanding season,’ said MWBA commissioner, Jen McKenzie of Dartmouth, NS. ‘There have been some excellent reports of deep rosters and our pre-season games were all close. It’s a two-month sprint and we’re at the starting line.’
McKenzie is in her first season as commission of the league, taking over from Tasia McKenna, who spent two years at the helm, three if you count 2021 when the MWBA was actually in its formation infancy.
For the first time in league history, there will be seven teams with the addition of the Miramichi Her-icanes.
There are now four teams in New Brunswick and three in Nova Scotia.
The Bluenose Province has boasted both Legacy Cup champions including reigning title holders, Halifax Thunder and 2022 winners, Halifax Hornets.
Other teams in the circuit are Lake City 56ers of Dartmouth/Cole Harbour/North Preston region along with Fredericton Freeze, Moncton Mystics and Port City Fog of Saint John.
Lake City spent its first two seasons as the Windsor Edge before re-locating to the Dartmouth region.
‘We have had plenty of stability amongst our teams and there is a common goal to ensure sustainability within the MWBA,’ said McKenzie. ‘We are excited to grow with Miramichi, but we are not in a race at this point to add more teams. Yes, we want to be on Prince Edward Island to create a true Maritime identify, but we are also approaching this with caution to ensure we have our ducks in a row.’
The MWBA has had over just under 250 women play at least one game in the league.
‘We continue to capture the attention of women looking to continue playing at a high level or looking to get back into a competitive environment,’ said McKenzie. ‘The bar keeps getting higher. That’s good for our competitive factor, for fans and for our corporate partners.’
League founding partners Medavie and Royale Tissue are back on board for a third straight season. Cushman Wakefield plays a large role with the league and Atlantic Lottery Corporation is on board this year.
All teams have their own partners as well.
Action all kicks off Saturday with three games and there are two more Sunday to ensure a busy weekend.
The first jump ball of the season unfolds at 3 p.m. at Cole Harbour High School when Lake City entertains Thunder.
At 6 p.m., in Fredericton, the Freeze open at the Richard J. Currie Center against Moncton.
The last game of the day is a 7 p.m. start at Saint John’s TD Station when Port City welcomes Miramichi.
On Sunday, there are two 3 p.m. starts.
Her-icane fans will be buzzing when the Freeze come town to play at Miramichi Valley High School while Lake City crosses the water to face the Hornets at Mount St. Vincent University.
Teams will battle for overall standings this season, but keep an eye on intra-provincial standings.
For the first time in league history, there is a revamped playoff format.
New Brunswick’s first and second place teams will host a single post-season elimination game on June 18. First place will play fourth in the regular season and second and third go head-to-head.
In Nova Scotia, the top seed plays third seed on June 18 and the loser of that game faces third seed.
The Legacy Cup will become a four-team affair and will be played in Dartmouth, June 22 to 23.
The previous two years saw all six teams automatically advance to a three-day championship weekend.
Plenty of excitement awaits.
All games are livestreamed.
Checked the website under Schedule for links to the games or visit the league’s YouTube page.