There are some familiar faces patrolling the Maritime Women’s Basketball Association sidelines this season.
There are also some new coaches prepared to tackle the league’s fifth anniversary season.
Let’s start with the reigning champion Miramichi HerIcanes.
The ‘Canes won the PRO·LINE Legacy Cup title last season with an exciting overtime win over the Lake City 56ers of Dartmouth/Cole Harbour/Preston.
Veteran coach Neil Smith was at the helm of Miramichi, but is returning to his roots this season, coaching Basketball New Brunswick’s under-17 boys’ team, competing at Canada Basketball championships later in the summer.
Smith will be replaced by another BNB and interscholastic veteran in Jim Watters.
It was Watters who recruited his longtime friend Smith to guide the HerIcanes last season and now he will take the reins.
Watters will be assisted by Tristan Desroches.
The 56ers have also undergone a coaching change with Patrick Havard departing. Colter Simmonds is the new head coach. His assistants are Tara Myra, Safiya Hurst, Payton Parker and Josh MacDonald.
In Fredericton, Bram Russell is the new head coach of the Freeze, replacing Kevin Daley. Russell has Addie Mombourquette and Paul McCarthy on his coaching staff.
Port City Fog returns Dominic Laviolette to lead the coaching charge. Laviolette has named Jasmine Seeley, Ben Mowatt and Ryan Chase to his staff. Chase is a former Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association women’s coach of the year during his tenure with Mount Allison University Mounties.
In Halifax, Mark Forward will mark his second go round as head coach of the Hornets. Forward guided the Hornets their first two MWBA seasons including an inaugural PRO·LINE Legacy Cup title in 2022. Forward has former MWBA players Sophia Widmeyer, Hannah Brown and Chloe Oxner. Veteran Alyanna Empringham returns to the Hornets’ staff. Widmeyer appeared in seven games for the Hornets, averaging 9.8 points an outing. Brown is second all-time in scoring with 196 career points over 17 games and Oxner played in nine games for the Hornets, with a 6.3 points per game mark.
The expansion Truro Tidal Queens have a familiar MWBA coach to lead its maiden voyage, but he is no stranger to the league.
Veteran Lonnie States will guide Truro after spending a number of seasons with Lake City as an assistant coach. States has a veteran staff joining him with Mikayla Bianchi, Richard Hamilton and Ian David.
Halifax Thunder has brought Cape Breton University Capers’ men’s assistant coach Ben Miller to guide the team. Miller will have Gemma Bullard as an assistant coach.
Troy Mackenzie will once again guide the Moncton Mystics, entering his third campaign with the whiteboard. Mackenzie will have Jessica Hansen and Jordan Caissie on his staff.
The MWBA will open in a big way this weekend with six games over three days.
It all kicks of in Cole Harbour, NS, when the 56ers welcome Mackenzie and the Mystics for a 3 p.m. game. That outing is set for Cole Harbour High School.
At 5 p.m, States and Truro get a first-league look, facing Thunder at Halifax Grammar School.
One hour later in Miramichi, the HerIcanes greet Fredericton.
On Sunday, Port City faces Miramichi at 2:30 p.m., at Rothesay High School and at the same time, Hornets and Moncton clash at Mount St. Vincent University.
Lake City battles Thunder at 3 p.m. at Cole Harbour High School.
