The University of New Brunswick Reds carry the hopes of the Atlantic University Sport women’s basketball conference into this week’s USPORTS national championship.
There are eight teams gathering in Quebec City for the Final 8 at Universite de Laval.
UNB conquered the AUS field late last month in Halifax under head coach Erin McAleenan with an 84-59 win in the final over University of Prince Edward Island Panthers.
The Reds finished first overall during the regular season and will make their 19th national appearance when they play Ottawa’s Carleton University Ravens in the tournament’s lid-lifter today at 1:30 p.m. (AST).
UNB enters as the No. 2 seed.
Other opening day action has top seed Toronto Metropolitan University Bold of Toronto facing the host Rouge et Or from Laval at 9 p.m. (AST). No. 3 seed University of Calgary Dinos meet No. 6 McGill University Martlets at 3:30 p.m. (AST) and No. 4 University of British Columbia Thunderbirds tangle with No. 5 University of Saskatchewan Huskies.
McAleenan, by the way, was named AUS coach of the year this season. She guided University of British Columbia from 2021 to 2023 before moving back to her home province to take over the UNB program.
UNB, which last attended nationals in 2016, has a number of MWBA connections over the years.
Players who have played for the MWBA’s Fredericton Freeze include Kylee Speedy (Fredericton), Ann Bastien (Terrebone, QU), Maheva Ngassam (Saint Hubert, QU), Leah Travers (Calgary), Katie McAffee (Lower Knoxford, NB) and Katie Butts (Ottawa).
Addie Mombourquette is injured, but will join the Freeze as an assistant coach when the MWBA opens in May.
Zoe Olscamp of UNB played in the MWBA last season for the Lake City 56ers of Dartmouth/Cole Harbour/Preston. Clancy MacIntyre of UNB played with Port City Fog of Saint John last year.
UNB assistant coach Madeline Belding guided the Fog for three seasons.
The athletic therapist for the Reds is Caitlin Marshall, who has been with the Freeze since its 2002 inception.
Former Fog player Jessica Keripe is a fourth-year player with Toronto Metropolitan University. She has New Brunswick company with the Bold with rookie Ella McDonald, who starred at Rothesay High School for four seasons.
TMU’s last championship was captured in 2022 and featured former Port City star Rachel Farwell and former UNB point guard Mikaela Dodig.
Rothesay’s Neve Pearson is a rookie guard with Carleton.
Sandy Saunders of the MWBA’s Halifax Thunder, spent two seasons with Calgary before transferring to the AUS and playing with the Acadia University Axewomen in Wolfville, NS.
– UNB’s Maheeva Ngassam is a former member of the Fredericton Freeze. (Fran Harris Photo)
