The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold women's basketball team are entering the 2026–27 season as reigning OUA champions. 

Back in February, TMU finished its regular season with a dominant 20-2 record before defeating the Carleton Ravens in the Critelli Cup championship. The victory cemented the Bold as the top team in the OUA.

But provincial glory wasn't enough; they wanted to win on a national level. At the U SPORTS Final 8 tournament in Quebec City, the Bold entered as the top seed but fell in the first round to the host team, the Laval Rouge et Or, who held the home-crowd advantage. 

Despite eventually finishing sixth nationally, TMU saw the result as a disappointment – and this year, they're looking to change that sixth-place finish into a U SPORTS championship.

Nearly all of the team's rotation players have returned to the roster to accomplish that goal: excluding the graduations of forwards Jessica Keripe, Zoe Idahosa, and Eternati Willock, the Bold's rotation in 2026–27 will look the same as their Final 8 run.

The biggest difference on the team lies off the court, where newly appointed interim head coach Stefanija Mrvaljevic now calls the shots.

Before becoming a coach, Mrvaljevic had a successful playing career with the then Ryerson Rams from 2017–2022. In her senior year, she won the U SPORTS championship as an integral member of the starting lineup.  

Immediately after her graduation, she joined the team's coaching staff and slowly worked her way up the ranks. When former Head Coach Carly Clarke left the team to join the WNBA's Toronto Tempo, Mrvaljevic was the top choice to replace her.

In her new role, Mrvaljevic plans to maintain the foundation that helped the Bold succeed last season while finding new ways to improve.

"There's a fine line [with making coaching changes], I think, because we have such a good returning core and the shared experience and growth that we got through last season; so definitely don't want to throw that all away, because I think that's really valuable to who we are and who we're continuing to become," Mrvaljevic said. "So, balancing, keeping some of the things we already do well, and then continuing to keep it fresh and figure out new ways for us to be even better."

"She's been coached by Carly, so she knows what it feels like as well. I think it's really great that she gets to do this with us, and, obviously, to have someone with a familiar face as well," added Bold guard Myriam Kone.

Off the court, the team culture around Bold women's basketball is incredibly tight-knit. Clarke didn't just build a team, but a family. That team chemistry is one of the biggest reasons why TMU's roster is full of so many returning players, and why a former player like Mrvaljevic felt inclined to return in a coaching role. She wants to ensure that connection remains intact as the team adjusts to having her as a new coach:

"I think that's a big priority for us," Mrvaljevic said after a pre-season game. "Just to establish that [team chemistry] early, and who we are and what we want to be. Having a lot of [team chemistry] already is great, but also – even with three or four departures – there's still so much work to continue to bond this team as it is. So that's definitely continued to be an emphasis."

A large portion of the Bold's success in 2025–26 came from the defensive end, where – to put it bluntly – they're absolutely dominant.

Last season, TMU allowed 56.4 points per game, the second-fewest in the OUA. Their aggressive full-court defence and quick hands in the paint forced 23.6 turnovers per game, the most in the OUA. Six players on the roster averaged one or more steals per game.

When their opponents did manage to get shots up, they made just 34.6 per cent of them, good for fourth in the province.

Perhaps the clearest single-game example of the Bold's defensive prowess came in their OUA semifinal matchup against the Windsor Lancers.

TMU defeated Windsor, who ranked fourth in the OUA in scoring at 73.7 points per game, 97-38. The 59-point margin was the largest in program playoff history. The Lancers shot a measly 20.6 per cent from the field.

"I think so," Mrvaljevic responded when asked if defence would continue to be one of the pillars of the team this season. "We love playing it in transition, but you've got to get stops to do that, and I think we have some people who can really anchor us defensively to set the tone on that end of the floor. I think that's where we get a lot of our control from, so being able to get stops, with all five players on the court, has been really, really important."

Of the players on the Bold roster, none match Mrvaljevic's description of "defensive anchor" better than fourth-year Hailey Franco DeRyck. The six-foot forward was named the 2025–26 OUA Women's Basketball Defensive Player of the Year and is one of the Bold's hardest-working players. Franco DeRyck commands both the offensive and defensive glass while acting as an anchor to the team's stellar defence by deterring any open shots at the rim. 

Franco DeRyck has led the team in blocks per game in all three of her seasons with TMU. Her average of 2.0 in 2025–26 ranked third in the OUA. On the glass, she owns seven of the program's ten highest-rebounding games, including a 23-board performance against the Toronto Varsity Blues. Last season, she set the Bold's single-season record for total rebounds, finishing with 283.

The forward is entering the season aiming to commit fewer fouls than in previous years:

"I'm trying to limit fouls so I can keep myself in the game as much as possible," said Franco DeRyck. "I just want to keep the same mindset of playing hard, every play, and playing my best to give maximum effort for my team."

Alongside Franco DeRyck, Kone – entering her fifth year of eligibility – is another impactful returnee in the Bold's lineup. The guard produced one of the top statistical seasons in TMU history last season.

"Ultimately, I was going to come back for a fifth year," Kone said. "Last year, with our loss, [I'm] coming back hungrier, and also wanting to end off my career with a bang, you know? Winning OUA and U SPORTS is everything this year."

"This feels like home, and I just wasn't ready to leave yet," she added.

The Edmonton, Alberta native set the program's single-season scoring record, totalling 448 points across 21 regular-season games in 2025–26 and was named an OUA first-team all-star. Her season average of 21.3 points per game ranked third in the nation, and her 3.3 assists per game and 2.9 steals per game both ranked first on the team.

Kone joined the Bold after playing three seasons with the Calgary Dinos. After a full off-season to adjust to her new city, she's expecting even more from herself and the team:

"At the end of the day, it's just basketball: putting a ball through the hoop. But I think it's definitely good to have a second year with everyone. I feel like we're more familiar…I think we're also learning, getting better with each game and each practice – which is amazing," she said.

Mrvaljevic is expecting another successful season from Kone, standards the coach is confident the fifth-year will meet:

"I think [fans can expect] more of the same from what we've been already getting," said Mrvaljevic. "Obviously, she's so electric with her skill set and her athletic ability, so I think that will continue to shine. And also, you know, we have so many weapons around her. I think that creates a lot of problems for opposing teams."

The guard is looking forward to expanding her playmaking skills this season:

"Ultimately, every time I go out there, I'm just trying to win," Kone explained. "But I think I want to show my playmaking abilities as well, and how I can space the floor out for my team, find my team, and ultimately grow as a point guard and be the best point guard in the league."

Guard Kait Nichols also returns for her fifth season, now healthy after dealing with injuries during the Bold's 2025–26 Final 8 run.

"With [Final 8], not being able to take part in that but learning a lot on the bench and being present, I just wanted to come back for one more and see if we can win another OUA [title] and go back to the [Final 8]."

Prior to her injury, Nichols posted a career-high of 20 points – 12 of which came in the first quarter – in the OUA semifinal against the Lancers. Nichols' three-point shooting prowess helps space the floor on the offensive end, and her defensive intensity allows her to force turnovers and stop the ball at the point of attack. Nichols ranked second on the Bold last season in steals per game, with 2.8, recording five or more in four separate games.

Nichols and Kone would be a challenge enough for opposing defences if they were the only two guards in the Bold's starting lineup, but Mrvaljevic's squad boasts yet another backcourt weapon in Catrina Garvey.

The fourth-year guard was named an OUA third-team all-star last season while ranking second on the Bold in points per game with 15.7. Her ability to shoot off the dribble and space the floor from three makes her dangerous when given open space.

"Cat is just gonna do what she's always gonna do and shoot that ball," said Franco DeRyck. "I love seeing her spacing the three, and she's always there. I know that if I pass it, she'll have no hesitation…I always trust her to get the ball in the net"

When you combine Garvey's talents with Kone, Nichols, Franco DeRyck, and the rest of the Bold's returning rotation, it makes for a squad that's set to impress in Mrvaljevic's debut season as Interim Head Coach. 

The team proved that they're more than capable of achieving their 2026–27 Final 8 championship goal throughout the pre-season, winning all seven of their exhibition matches. Franco DeRyck dominated the box score in their win against the reigning Final 8 champions Saskatchewan Huskies, logging 13 points, 13 rebounds, five blocks, and three steals. 

Under Mrvaljevic's leadership, the Bold will aim to raise the Critelli Cup again in February – and, with their returning chemistry and two-way strength, contend for a national title.

TMU will kick off their regular season on Friday, Oct. 23 in Waterloo against the Laurier Golden Hawks. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m., and fans can tune into the game live on OUA.tv.