The Maritime Women’s Basketball Association hit the holiday pause button.
After roaring out of the gates May 4, the MWBA has played before record crowds in a number of cities, showed that parity has arrived and is producing top notch basketball.
The MWBA traditionally – three years in – takes Victoria Day Weekend off to recognize the importance of family and friends time on the unofficial kickoff to summer in the Maritimes.
‘We have been running at a high level since we opened our third season and it’s incredibly exciting looking forward to what will be a wild second half,’ said MWBA commissioner, Jen McKenzie of Dartmouth. ‘We have had a number of games come down to the last minute and we’re not expecting that to change. Our new playoff system is going to be incredible.’
Indeed, it should be.
The league, for its first two seasons, had a six-team Legacy Cup championship weekend over three days.
With the inclusion of a seventh team – the well-received Miramichi Her-Icanes – the MWBA will go toward provincial playdowns to decide two teams each from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick that will advance to the Pro*Line Stadium Legacy Cup weekend in Dartmouth at the Zatzman Sportsplex from June 22 to 23.
Last year’s championship game drew an MWBA record 1,209 to TD Station in Saint John.
New Brunswick teams will play a single game showdown on Tuesday, June 18, for the right to advance to Dartmouth.
The top seed plays the fourth seed and second meets third seed in the elimination games.
In Nova Scotia, the top seed with play third seed on a date to be determined. The winner of that game goes directly to the Legacy Cup. The second seed and whichever team loses the opener will play for the final entry into the final weekend.
‘Our new schedule truly puts a huge emphasis on the regular season because teams are going to want that home court advantage to start the playoffs,’ McKenzie said. ‘It’s going to be amazing push to the finish.’
MWBA commission Jen McKenzie of Dartmouth is excited about this year’s early MWBA success.
