By Sean Nyilassy and Lee Bogle
Talent
Sure, you’ve got your Canada West First-Team All-Star Tanya Hautala, who drained 41 points in one game against the University of Saskatchewan Huskies. But there’s also rookies Michelle Willson and Courtney Coyle, who led the team in scoring and rebounds on multiple occasions. Their presence will ensure there’s no lack of talent on this team for years to come.
Effort
After a successful pre-season, the team hit a slump, losing their first four conference games. However, they were persistent and trained hard to go on a great run, losing just three more games for the remainder of the regular season.
Coaching
Head coach Shawnee Harle took a young team and made them great. When the team wasn’t finding their groove at the start of the year, she proved her versatility, changing the team’s whole game to put them on the winning path. It’s just a matter of time before she guides a team right to a national title.
Achievement
The ladies came out and battled every game, winning enough times to secure a home-advantage for the first round of playoffs. They handed the University of Alberta Pandas a plate of defeat and went on to put up a great fight against the Huskies in the CW central division final, stretching the best-of-three series to three games.
Overall: B+
Animal: Opossum. This marsupial, when in danger, pretends to be dead. However, if provoked, it has razor-sharp teeth to put some holes in its attacker.