VANCOUVER, B.C. – Where were you on March 7, 2015?
Star Wars and Jurassic Park had just launched new trilogies, selfie sticks were on fleek (as was the expression 'on fleek'), Mike Tyson was going viral for face-planting on a hoverboard and UBC head coach Isabel Ormond had just finished her final season as captain of the McMaster Marauders, while all of her players worked their way through elementary school.
That was also the last time Thunderbirds Women's Basketball won the Canada West Championship, and a year and a day later they have the chance to do it again. UBC travels to Saskatoon to take on the Saskatchewan Huskies for Canada West Gold at 3:00 p.m. (PT) on Saturday.
The T-Birds reached the Gold Medal game for the first time in a decade by pulling off a remarkable comeback win against the Alberta Pandas in the conference semifinal, behind the support of a raucous War Memorial Gym crowd. Trailing by 11 points at half-time, the 'Birds offence exploded in the third quarter with the team racking up 35 points and turning the double-digit deficit into a nine-point lead, which they carried comfortably into an 80-66 win.
"I've been asked that so many times," laughed Coach Ormond when questioned, again, on what she said to her team at half-time. "I think we really just took some time getting adjusted to another long, physical, and fast team."
As hosts of the upcoming
2025 INDOCHINO U SPORTS Women's and Men's Final 8 Basketball Championships presented by Victory Creative Group the T-Birds spot in the national championships was already assured. However, Coach Ormond said that earning their spot in the tournament, as the team did by reaching the Canada West Final, rather than falling back on the host berth, was an important goal for her squad.
"All year we talked about winning our own way in," explained Ormond. "It was important for us to go in as a Canada West Champion, or at least a Canada West qualifier. It's nice to reach that goal and set ourselves up as well as possible for the tournament."
Standing between the blue and gold and their ninth conference championship in program history is a longstanding rival that has been waiting at the end of four of the T-Birds' last nine playoff runs. The Saskatchewan Huskies won their ninth Canada West Championship last season to break the tie for second-place all-time with UBC. They were also the opponent in both the conference and U SPORTS Gold Medal games when the 'Birds won their last championship in each in 2015.
In the two years since Ormond took over the Thunderbirds program the two teams have been more like fighters circling each other in the ring than frequently clashing combatants, sporting the two best records in the conference for consecutive seasons, but playing a meaningful series only once. The Huskies won both games of a regular season back-to-back in Saskatchewan in 2023, on the first road trip of Ormond's tenure, which still represents the only time the T-Birds have been swept in a two-gamer during her time at the helm.
Led by two-time reigning Canada West Coach of the Year Lisa Thomaidis, Saskatchewan has scored the most points in the conference this year and given up the fewest, followed closely by UBC in both categories. The Huskies are also exceptional at rebounding and ball control, grabbing the most boards in Canada West and making the fewest turnovers. UBC will challenge Saskatchewan's ability to take care of the ball, as they have forced the most turnovers in the conference, while also protecting the rim at a far better than their prairie opponents by racking up nearly twice as many blocks per game.
Individually, Canada West Player of the Year Gage Grassick spearheads the Huskies offence, she finished second in scoring with 18.4 points per game, while knocking down threes at a conference-best 41.4% clip. On the other side,
Mona Berlitz and
Keira Daly have become a two-headed beast, leading the UBC attack at 16.6 and 15.8 points per game respectively, with newly-named
Canada West Rookie of the Year Daly posting a dazzling 22-point, nine-rebound performance in the semifinal to also win
conference player of the week.
"Saskatchewan's a great team and they're really led by Gage Grassick as their top playmaker and facilitator," commented Ormond. "So, we're trying to keep the ball out of her hands."
"They also pair her with a lot of shooters who can stretch the floor. We're really working on that defensive communication and being active defensively to combat that. You really have to know your scouting report and pay attention to the details when you're coming up against a strong team like this."
The Canada West Final is available to stream, live or on demand, on
Canada West TV – Presented by BioSteel.
Then on Thursday, March 13th
The 2025 INDOCHINO U SPORTS Women's and Men's Final 8 Basketball Championships presented by Victory Creative Group begins at UBC, the first time a school has ever hosted both the women's and men's national basketball championships at once. Tickets for the Championships may still be available
here.
