Since 2022
Our story
What began as a question on a pandemic-era coaches’ Zoom call became a competitive, not-for-profit league for women’s basketball in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
How it started
Spawned during the pandemic
The idea came along innocently enough. In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, Saint John’s Paul Hickey, a long-time Basketball New Brunswick coach, kept the game together with a popular Zoom call featuring guest coaches from across the basketball world.
One guest was Lisa Thomaidis, head coach of Canada’s women’s national team. She said Canada was the only high-end FIBA nation without a professional women’s league. Former Basketball NB president Brad Janes was on the call. He followed up with Thomaidis, with Mike MacKay of Canada Basketball’s women’s high-performance program and with former CEBL commissioner Mike Morreale.
A pro league would have been a costly start. More talks with coaches pointed somewhere else: a competitive amateur league for current university players, pros home for the summer and former players, kept in the Maritimes to hold down travel costs and build local rivalries. The first season tipped off in 2022, with large crowds and a 10-game schedule.
“This is about promoting female basketball players, female coaches, officials, minor officials and team executives and marketing.”
Five seasons, eight teams
2022 to 2026 · Year VI tips off in spring 2027
2022
Year I · 6 teams
First season: a 10-game schedule with weekend tournament-style events and large crowds. Karissa Kajorinne becomes the first MWBA player to sign a pro contract.
2023
Year II · 6 teams
The PRO•LINE Legacy Cup final at TD Station in Saint John draws a league-record crowd of 1,079.
2024
Year III · 7 teams
The Miramichi Her-icanes join as the first expansion team, and a balanced schedule replaces weekend events. The Hoops Our Way podcast launches May 9.
2025
Year IV · 7 teams
In only their second season, the Her-icanes win the Cup at the Richard J. Currie Center in Fredericton. That fall, the Truro Tidal Queens are announced.
2026
Year V · 8 teams
Elizabeth Beals-Iseyemi is regular-season MVP and Justine Colley-Leger is Cup MVP. The league joins Canadian Women & Sport’s Gender Equity Playbook.
2027
Year VI · Up next
Target opening Sun April 25, with the PRO•LINE Legacy Cup targeted for June 12–13, which would be the earliest ever. Schedule to be announced.
What we stand for
From the league’s vision and mission
Player development
“Provide a competitive brand of play for players” and “promote interest, involvement and development in women’s basketball in the Maritimes.”
League vision
Not-for-profit
“The MWBA has been established exclusively for not-for-profit purposes, and will at all times be operated exclusively for not-for-profit purposes.”
League mission
Diversity, equity and inclusion
“The MWBA and its member teams recognize Canada’s long history of systemic racism and bias, especially as it impacts women. Through a competitive women’s basketball league, the MWBA will champion equity and inclusion, stand up against racism and be allies with the MMIWG2SLGBTQQIA+ community.”
League mission
Gender equity
“Foster and encourage high-quality women’s basketball through a competitive environment while increasing women in coaching, management, public relations, business and other pursuits.”
League mission
From six teams to eight
Two expansions since 2022 · Four teams in each province
2022 · Year I
teams
Fredericton Freeze, Port City Fog, Moncton Mystics, Halifax Hornets, Halifax Thunder and Windsor Edge, now the Lake City 56ers.
2024 · Year III
teams
The Miramichi Her-icanes join as the league’s first expansion team. One year later, they win the Legacy Cup.
2025–26 · Year V
teams
Announced in fall 2025, the Truro Tidal Queens bring the MWBA to Colchester County, NS, for the 2026 season. The league stays at eight for 2027.
Pro pathways
MWBA players who have gone on to sign professional contracts abroad
Karissa Kajorinne
Portugal · Académica de Coimbra
First MWBA player to go pro, 2022–23 · Former Windsor Edge and Halifax Thunder
Tiffany Reynolds
Nicaragua, then Portugal
Former Halifax Thunder and Lake City
Abby Miller
Portugal · Académica de Coimbra
Former Moncton Mystics and Miramichi Her-icanes
Allie McCarthy
Portugal · Académica de Coimbra
First pro contract, 2026–27 · Fredericton Freeze
Alaina McMillan
France
Turned pro after the 2024 season · Former Halifax Thunder and Halifax Hornets
Elizabeth Beals-Iseyemi
Germany
Turned pro after the 2024 season · Former Lake City, 2026 regular-season MVP with the Thunder
Sophia Widmeyer
Ireland · Dublin
2023–24 · Former Halifax Hornets
Hailey MacLeod
Malta · Hibernians, then Romania
2025–26 and 2026–27 · Former Port City Fog
MacKenzie Smith
Greece, Australia, then Scotland
Caledonia Gladiators, 2026–27 · Former Lake City 56ers
Leadership and gender equity
The people who run the league, and its Gender Equity Playbook commitments
League office and franchise representatives
Leadership and governance
Meet the league office, led by Commissioner Jen McKenzie and founder Brad Janes, and the franchise representatives in both divisions.
Gender Equity Playbook · Accepted 2026
Gender equity
The MWBA is part of Canadian Women & Sport’s Gender Equity Playbook. After the Same Game Challenge, the league wrote an Action Toolkit with four commitments.
Still have a question?
General and franchise inquiries go to the league office. Partnership inquiries go to Anna Lee LeBlanc, Director of Brand and Partnerships.
