The University of Saskatchewan Huskies women's basketball team will look to defend their national championship Photo By Josh Schaefer/Huskie Athletics/GetMyPhoto.ca

By Katie Brickman-Young

Season starts Friday in Brandon

WBB: Huskies look to defend title

Oct 28, 2021 | 12:57 PM

Despite a new-look roster, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s basketball team look to defend their national championship title.

The Huskies will kick off their 2021-22 USports Canada West regular season in Brandon, Man.

With eight freshman and only a handful of returning players, including fifth years starting point guard Libby Epoch and forwards Summer Masikewich and Janaya Brown, the Huskies are hoping to bring the title back to Saskatoon.

“They are going to play a huge role and be a big part in how successful we are this year. I think we will rely heavily on their leadership and some other younger ones will be stepping into more prominent roles,” said Lisa Thomaidis, head coach of the women’s basketball team. “We are really excited for the season and to get these young ones up to speed and really understanding the expectations and the culture that goes with our program.”

There will be some big shoes to fill on the Huskies lineup, but Thomaidis is happy with the roster they have constructed and knows everyone will improve over the course of the season.

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“We’ve had lots of turnover, with only a few returning starters from that national championship team, but the biggest difference is having to rely on the young players to step up and play a bigger role,” she said. “In the past few seasons, we’ve had a lot of veterans who have been there, done that, and knew their role and were consistent contributors. Now, we are going to be looking to a few young ones to step up and fill that role.”

The Huskies were ranked second in the Canada West division in the coaches poll prior the season. They finished 18-2 in 2019-20, on their way to winning the USports Championship title.

“It’s been a very long wait and we were lucky to have a couple pre-season games, but we are absolutely stoked to be back on the court and be together again,” said Masikewich. “Coach has high expectations of us, but that’s because she knows we are a good team and that we can do it and live up to those expectations. She pushes us and we are having lucky to have that. It lights us up as a team.”

Thomaidis enters her 22nd year as head coach of the Huskies and knows the task of defending a title will be hard, especially for a younger team.

“This team you are going to see at the end of October is going to be very different than the team we will see in January and February,” she said. “That’s just the nature of the beast right now with having been off for over a year and people still getting back into the flow of things and getting the new players used to our system of plays.”

The Huskies have history on their side to start their season, owning a 63-2 all-time record against the Brandon Bobcats in Canada West action, including a 29-game winning streak.

“Our focus is that we need to play together as a unit,” said Masikewich. “We’ve slowly been getting better, so I think that will be a big thing for us to bring that energy together.”

With only a handful of exhibition games, the Huskies will get an early test on how they look to start the season.

“Are we ready? We are going to have to be. We have no choice in the matter. We are excited to get going. We won’t be a finished product by any sense of the imagination right now, but I’m happy with the improvements we’ve seen over the course of the last two weekends where we’ve played some tough opponents,” said Thomaidis. “We are continually getting better and finding our way right now.”

The Huskies will host the University of Regina Cougars next weekend in their home opener at the Physical Activity Complex (PAC) at the University of Saskatchewan.