The votes are in.
And a member of the Maritime Women’s Basketball Association’s newest team has been named the league’s Most Valuable Player.
Lauren Rainford of the expansion Miramichi Hericanes was named MVP following a vote by league teams.
Teams were not able to vote for a player from their own team.
Rainford led all scorers this season, averaging a shade over 23 points per game. Her fingerprints were all over league statistical leaders as the point guard was a dominating player for Miramichi.
She joins 2023 winner Kaylee Kilpatrick of Saint John’s Port City Fog and 2022 winner Karissa Kajorinne of the then Windsor Edge (now Lake City 56ers) as MWBA MVPs.
Meanwhile, for the first time in its three-year history, the MWBA is rewarding players for earning spots on first and second all-star teams.
The announcements are made on the eve of the Pro*Line Stadium Legacy Cup championship unfolding this weekend at Dalhousie University in Halifax.
Seven of the players selected are expected to be on the court this weekend pursuing a title.
The first-team all-star squad consists of Rainford, Alaina McMillan of regular season champion Halifax Thunder, Elizabeth Iseyemi and Courtney Donaldson of Lake City of Dartmouth/Cole Harbour and Allie McCarthy of the Fredericton Freeze.
Second-team members are Thunder’s Justine Colley-Leger, Kilpatrick and Courtney Thompson of Saint John’s Port City Fog, Leonie Elbert and Allie Berry of Moncton Mystics.
All stars were also voted on by team representatives. Teams could not vote for players from their own organization.
Thunder and Fog will open Saturday’s semifinals at 5:30 p.m. followed by Lake City and Fredericton at 7:30 p.m.
The championship is Sunday at 2:30 p.m.
The third-place game is set for 12:30 p.m.
– Miramich’s Lauren Rainford is the MWBA’s MVP for 2024. (DWinston Photo)