New roles, new faces, same expectations as women's basketball take to the court

TORONTO - It's that time of year again when Bold fans anticipate the start of basketball season. The women's basketball team takes to the court on November 3 against the Lakehead Thunderwolves looking to start fresh.

Head coach Carly Clarke returns this year with the hopes of taking this team all the way to the OUA championships.

Clarke, who has had many chances to coach internationally, brings a skill level with her that puts this team in good shape. "I think my style is trying to create an environment where athletes are intrinsically motivated and understand why we're doing the things that we're doing, which is super detail-oriented," said coach Clarke.

Although her expectations are high, there is always a way to bring in the fun aspect to everything that they do.

In the 2021-22 season, the women's basketball team brought home the OUA and U SPORTS championship titles, and every year they hope to get to that level once again.

Since the end of the summer, the Bold have been training weekly. This compiles two-hour practices daily, followed by lifts in the gym for conditioning, and meetings with a mental performance coach and what they like to call, a vitamin session. This session is an opportunity for each player to work on a skill that applies to them on the court. All of these things combined, are just part of the process in preparing for the upcoming season.

Fourth-year Kaillie Hall, who helped bring home the championship titles, comes back this year as one of the experienced and talented leaders of this team.

"Last year was about figuring each other out and establishing an identity for that team, and around December we found our footing, and that showed with some great wins against top-ten opponents," said Hall.

Their finish last year was a learning experience, but this year the team's resilience and goal is to reach the final game of the season.

"Ultimately I came here to win and really embrace that winning culture here, [but} this year stepping into a leadership role and helping the younger ones out since university can be overwhelming," added Hall.

Since some veteran players graduated last year, like Rachel Farwell, the team is now hosting many new faces, and Clarke is confident that these players will thrive in this environment.

"Sometimes first-year athletes go into a program and they're practicing for a year and playing behind people but ours are all getting a chance to play. They're being thrown into the fire," added Clarke.

The last few months have been dedicated to quickly training the first-years who will be starting for the Bold. Clarke and the coaching staff know that these players are capable of representing the Bold well.

"There's going to be a transition time with that and seeing us work through how a new team melds together, and now we've got three or four key veterans as part of our team," added Clarke talking about some of the team's key players, Hall, Jayme Foreman, and Haley Fedick.

Last year, Hall recorded 30.7 minutes per game and 9.8 points per game. She will continue to thrive as a defender for the team but also focus on point guard responsibilities, according to Clarke.

Hall has been an exceptional leader on and off the court and every year she's eager to come back. "The one thing that has brought me back is the joy aspect, and just being a competitor, there's no better feeling than walking into the MAC on game day," Hall added.

Foreman will be a key player to watch this season as well. In her last season, she recorded 32.9 minutes and 13.5 points per game, and going into her second year she is an asset to the team's success.

"We still need her to be an offensive threat, but also be an anchor of our defence and be a calm leader on the floor," Clarke explained.

As for third-year forward Fedick, this season will showcase her as a leader and strong player, backing that with her stats. Last season, Fedick started in every game and averaged 25.1 minutes and 10.1 points per game.

"With Farwell gone, there is a bit more pressure and expectations on Fedick to step into that lead forward role, and take on that responsibility," said Clarke.

Embracing their experience between players and coaching staff, the women's basketball team is set to come out punching and have a successful season. With all the first-years, it will be interesting to see how Clarke manages them and guides them to take on such big roles so quickly.

With support from older players and the coaching staff, these first years are expected to thrive this season. The team is preparing daily for the big competition they're about to enter, and with a lot of dedication, bonding, and grit, this team is ready for anything that comes their way.

Action begins this Friday against Lakehead with tip-off scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Mattamy Athletic Centre.

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Players Mentioned

#7 Rachel Farwell: F; 6' 0"; 4

#6 Haley Fedick: F; 6' 2"; 3

#10 Jayme Foreman: G; 5' 9"; 3

#14 Kaillie Hall: G; 5' 9"; 4

Players Mentioned

#7 Rachel Farwell
: 6' 0"; 4
: F

#6 Haley Fedick
: 6' 2"; 3
: F

#10 Jayme Foreman
: 5' 9"; 3
: G

#14 Kaillie Hall
: 5' 9"; 4
: G