Huskies look to maintain dominance with ‘young dogs’ at the forefront

For an organization that has been a top-five team in the nation seven times in the last eight seasons (including last season) and raising the Canada West Title five times in the last six seasons (also including last season), the future is built on identity and structure. For a team that’s used to winning, the future, as it always has been, is shining very brightly.

Lisa Thomaidis spoke with HuskieFAN to discuss the similarities and changes she expects for next season and the ways her off-season recruitment will have an impact.

“I’d say this year is going to be different, I mean, in terms of what we’ve been so accustomed to,” she said. “We have a new era coming in and it’s gonna be really fun to actually see how they do.”

Included in the new are guards Maya Flindall and Logan Reider.

According to Thomaidis, they were both “premier guards on their teams”, having suited up against each other in the gold medal game at this year’s Canada Summer Games.

“We’re pretty pumped to have them come in here this season. I think they’re gonna step in and play very large roles on our team right away.”

Another key member in Thomaidis’ eye is former junior national and future games player, Kyla Shand.

She is returning to this year’s squad after previously winning a national championship with the club back in 2020.

“To have a 6-3 player of her skill level is going to be such a great addition to our team. I think we were really thinking about how we were gonna play the season without a true big, and all of a sudden, now we have her coming back and that changes things again,” said Thomaidis.

“I think our identity in the last probably 10 to 15 years has always been having a premier big that we play around and so, that’s going to continue on with Kyla coming back.”

Three others will serve as new recruits, including a transfer from the United States and Thompson Rivers University.

While new blood is always a new addition, another huge factor is current players stepping up and taking on a new and bigger role.

“I think Gage Grassick last season showed that she was ready to take the reins from Libby Epoch and had a great first season for us. She’s just going to play a bigger role this year.”

“Carly Ahlstrom, Canada West All-Star, she’s had a great offseason of training and I truly believe she’s going to be one of the best players in Canada West, if not all of U Sports, so she’s going to be exciting to watch.”

Thomaidis would continue down the roster list, speaking highly of all the players as she knows what opportunities lie ahead for these young women, both on and off the basketball court.

One thing she knows for sure is that nothing will come easy, however, nothing that’s truly worth it ever comes without lots of hard work.

“There’s certainly going to be a youth movement with some experience coming back. Our work is going to be cut out for us to see how we can meld those two together and get back to where our program expects, which is always competing for a CanWest Championship and a national championship. It’s gonna look very different, but I think we’ve got a lot of exciting pieces in place for the season.”

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter @BenTompkins_8

by Ben Tompkins

Huskies look to maintain dominance with ‘young dogs’ at the forefront

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