There may not be a lot of hope out there for the MacEwan Griffins women's basketball team this year.
Coming off their eighth season posting a record under .500 does not scream championship contender, but with a team gaining more experience, what could be in store for them in 2025-26?
Here's what you need to know ahead of the season.
Coaching Staff
Katherine Adams returns for her 10th season as head coach of the program. She holds a 27-129 record through the regular season and a 1-3 record in the postseason. Adams also led the team to their last playoff berth in 2021-22.
Roster Breakdown
1st Years: 4
2nd Years: 3
3rd Years: 5
4th Years: 3
5th Years: 1
Guards: 10
Forwards: 5
Strengths & Weaknesses of 2024-25
Scoring: The Griffins were second-last in average points scored last season with 47.4 points per game. MacEwan's scoring came mainly from Unity Obasuyi, leaving little production from anyone else. Obasuyi's team-leading 299 points were followed by Toni Gordon's 149 points for second and Allie Spenrath's 85 points for third.
Shooting: Their shooting percentage also ranked in the bottom 10 in the country, with the team shooting a combined 31 per cent from the field. It got worse when it came to beyond the arc, too. MacEwan was the worst three-point shooting team in U SPORTS last season with 21 per cent.
Defence: The Griffins also allowed 73.3 points per game to opposing offences last season, the sixth-most in the country. A slight positive, though, was that the team held opposing defences to a combined 38.8 per cent shooting percentage, which ranked 37th in U SPORTS.
New Additions
1st Year, Forward, Sadie Aalders: The 6'3" forward from Spruce Grove, Alta., joins MacEwan from Spruce Grove Composite. Aalders helped lead her school to a 4A provincial silver medal and was named Female Athlete of the Year at the school in Grade 10.
1st Year, Forward, Ellie Mae Goerzen: The 6'2" forward from Lindale, Alta., joins as a second recruit from Spruce Grove Composite. Goerzen helped lead the school to a 4A provincial silver medal with Aalders, and has only been playing basketball since November 2023.
1st Year, Guard, Bella Kurz: The 5'9" guard from Regina graduated from Balfour Collegiate in her hometown to join the Griffins. Kurz was named MVP four years in a row for her high school team and was a member of Team Saskatchewan in Grade 10.
1st Year, Guard, Anita Tavaszi: The 5'7" guard from Coquitlam, B.C, graduated from Heritage Woods Secondary before moving to MacEwan. Tavaszi was named MVP of her high school team in 2024-25.
Roster Analysis
The good news for this MacEwan team is that they are fielding an almost identical lineup to last year. Having continuity on their roster should help curb the time it takes for young players to adjust to the university level.
Obasuyi, Gordon, and Spenrath returning are significant pluses for this team. The team does need to find more scoring options through their lineup, but all three are in their third or fourth year now, which could mean they have a better campaign this year.
The same can be said for most of the roster. Most of the team has stuck around for the past two or three years and are now more experienced. They will need to use that to their advantage to improve on 2024-25's record.
Position Battles
There might not be a significant position battle on the Griffins before opening night. Spenrath, Gordon and Obasuyi all should be locks at their positions, and Samantha Hickey is one of the team's better forwards from last season.
If there is a player who might break into the lineup, it could be Sofia Makinen. She has gotten some significant minutes in the preseason and could push for a guard spot or slot in as a wing on the bench.
My Projected Starting Lineup
G - Paige Massier
G - Allie Spenrath
F - Toni Gordon
F - Unity Obasuyi
F - Samantha Hickey
Schedule Overview
October: 1 Home Games (HG), 2 Away Games (AG)
November: 3 HG, 4 AG
December: 0 HG, 1 AG
January: 2 HG, 6 AG
February: 2 HG, 0 AG
Oct. 24 - @ Saskatchewan
Oct. 25 - @ Saskatchewan
Oct. 31 - vs. Winnipeg
Nov. 1 - vs. Winnipeg
Nov. 7 - vs. Thompson Rivers
Nov. 8 - vs. Thompson Rivers
Nov. 14 - @ Mount Royal
Nov. 15 - @ Mount Royal
Nov. 21 - @ Alberta
Nov. 22 - @ Alberta
Jan. 9 - @ Lethbridge
Jan. 10 - @ Lethbridge
Jan. 16 - vs. Calgary
Jan. 17 - vs. Calgary
Jan. 23 - @ Manitoba
Jan. 24 - @ Manitoba
Jan. 29 - @ Brandon
Jan. 31 - @ Brandon
Feb. 6 - vs. Regina
Feb. 7 - vs. Regina
Closing Thoughts
Another year of experience should help this team, which has struggled to find consistent wins.
If the team finds a way to generate more scoring through an actual second or third option, there is no reason why this team can't improve from last season.
For now, though, MacEwan remains a team focused on building for the future. If they manage to squeeze into a playoff spot, it would be a shocking surprise, but it will require a drastic turnaround.