A new season of basketball is mere days away for the UBC Okanagan Heat women's basketball program, as they look to improve upon last year, which was their most successful in program history.
In 2023-24, the team finished 11-9, and gamely battled the eventual Canada West (CW) champion 91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ“ and U Sports silver medallist 91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ“ Saskatchewan Huskies, 60-74 in the CW quarterfinals.
For head coach Bobby Mitchell, prior season success means a lot, but in terms of expectations, it is now "the floor."
"Our mindset over the last three years has changed from getting a few wins to not losing by 20 plus points and to now, we want to be a playoff team," he told Black Press Media, as he took over a Heat program in 2018 that was floundering, punctuated with a winless, 0-20 season in 2017-18. "We want to be a consistent playoff team, we want to compete with everybody, and so we want to build off last season and take that next step."
A familiar face, and perennial Canada West All-Star, Jaeli Ibbetson will no longer be on the floor for the Heat, as the 1,000 points scorer graduated at the culmination of the 2024 season.
Mitchell chuckled that just one player won't replace her 18 points and 12 rebounds per game averages.
"It is a different dynamic this year; we are more balanced," Mitchell said, also acknowledging the loss of two other starters, point guard Sofia Ainsa Lluch and Rachel Hettinga. "One of my assistants did the math, and it showed that 67 per cent of everything we did last year was from Hettinga, Lluch, and Ibbetson."
"We are probably looking at six players to replace them."
Among the fresh faces is a trio of talented first-years: Kamloops' Kiana Kaczur, Calgary's Tsuki Tsuzuki and Okotoks' Ella Watkins.
"Kiana and Tsuki both had very strong camps, as they look to slide into the lead point guard role," Mitchell remarked. "They are poised for a big season."
From the returning core, fifth-year senior Kelsey Falk is primed for another impressive season.
"She only knows one speed. Fast," Mitchell explained. "We had to hold her back a bit in the regular season, as she was dealing with a bit of an injury, but every time she gets on the floor, the tone changes and the intensity ratchets up. She is one of our big leaders and sets the tone for our program."
Falk, a Vernon native, is a do-it-all rangy wing player capable of scoring from all levels. Having 95 career games under her belt, Mitchell is excited for the final piece in her offensive arsenal, the three-point shot, to become more of a priority.
"She really worked hard on it over the off season," Mitchell said. "Last year, she didn't have to score as much, but this year, we want her to take more of a scoring role, and shooting from beyond the arc is the way to do it."
Second-year centre Tennyson McCarthy is another returnee looking to make the leap. The Lake Country product played her way onto the floor last season with her shot-blocking ability, as she led the team with 27.
"We want to build off the great season last year, and obviously, we've got some new players, so we are just trying to have an even better season," McCarthy said. "I think we have a lot of good talent coming in, and we have a different dynamic as a team than last year. So, very excited to see where this team takes us."
Other key players to watch out for is fifth-year guard Lauren Foullong, who tied a Canada West record for most threes in a game (nine) last year, and second-year defensive bulldog Temi Aina.
"Temi had a really strong end to last year," Mitchell said. "We have big expectations for her this year."
The Heat's 20-game regular season kicks off on Thursday, Oct. 31 in Kamloops to face the WolfPack. The home opener is a day later, Friday, against the UNBC Timberwolves. Mitchell is excited to see a big crowd pack the gym known as 'The Furnace' as he mentioned getting "chills" thinking about the atmosphere in many of the games last season.
"You can expect an exciting brand of basketball, as we like to play fast, and we have a fun style and fun brand that people can hopefully cheer us on."
