Two weeks after capturing their third U Sports national championship in program history, the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s basketball team isn’t ready to shake that gold medal feeling.
The team raised the ‘Bronze Baby’ trophy high in front of friends and family on their home court Monday.
“I think we’re all on cloud nine still,” said Huskies star guard and U Sports women’s basketball athlete of the year Gage Grassick. “Especially just being able to walk out in front of all of the supporters who have supported us throughout the season.”
The Huskies women’s team is coming off an 85-66 victory in the U Sports gold medal game on March 16 over the Carleton Ravens, bringing a national title back to Saskatoon for the first time since 2020.
It was a moment the program built toward all season. After losing the first two games of the year to the Calgary Dinos, they ran the table the rest of the year, going undefeated in 24 straight games.
The national title also served as redemption for the Huskies after losing in the 2024 national championship game to Carleton.
“There was one goal,” said head coach Lisa Thomaidis. “We wanted to avenge our national final loss, but that’s a lot easier said than done. To get all the way back to a national championship game two years in a row is so hard. So you have to be really good, but then you also have to be a bit lucky.”
The new national champions were among dozens of Huskies athletes recognized at Ron and Jane Graham Centre Court on Monday to celebrate a true banner year for the program.
Along with the women’s basketball victory, the Huskies also nabbed a trio of bronze medals at nationals with the men’s volleyball, women’s track and field, and men’s hockey teams.
As well as bringing three Canada West titles back to Saskatchewan, including a memorable win for the Huskies men’s hockey team on home ice a few weeks ago against Mount Royal.
“It just speaks volumes about the people that are here that are committed to excellence,” said reigning Canada West men’s hockey coach of the year Brandin Cote. “When that happens, we all benefit from it. When you get great individuals and great athletes in here that want to be here, to take that to another level, this is what happens.”
The Huskies women’s track and field team not only secured a national bronze medal as a team but seven medals in either individual events or team relays.
After losing a tight 3-0 game in U Sports semi-finals to the Concordia Stingers, the Huskies men’s hockey team turned around and beat the TMU Bold 4-1 in the national bronze medal game to find the podium in Ottawa.
As for the Huskies men’s volleyball team, they rebounded from a semi-final loss to the eventual U Sports national champions from Brandon University to capture bronze over the University of Sherbrooke in four sets.
According to Peter Stoicheff, University of Saskatchewan president, the Huskies’ medal haul is reflective of the support seen throughout the year for their 15 athletic programs.
“I don’t really know of another university out of 98 universities in Canada that has the kind of support that our Huskies Athletics has,” said Stoicheff. “I don’t want to misspeak, maybe there are a couple. But I haven’t seen it.”
Thomaidis, who also took home Canada West women’s basketball coach of the year honours after breaking the conference’s all-time wins record, echoed the same sentiment.
“Saskatoon and the U of S, they care about university athletics,” said Thomaidis. “You can’t say that about a lot of places across Canada. It’s a priority here and you can tell. It’s important, the support is behind us and it feels really good when you can compete and represent a whole community that’s behind you.”
Thomaidis added that it’s been at least 20 years since she’s seen this kind of achievement throughout all Huskies sports combined.
Whether the wins came on the ice, court or track, the Huskies are calling this season one of their most successful in decades.
For Grassick, who dropped 35 points in the team’s gold medal victory over Carleton, it’s a reflection on the high standards achieved at every level of the program.
“You look at everyone who is on the court today, that amount of athletes who have succeeded this year is incredible,” said Grassick. “I think it just speaks volumes of the coaches, the athletes, the trainers, everyone behind the scenes who get these athletes ready.”
The Huskies will now put a ribbon on their 2024-25 season and begin preparing for their next Canada West season in the fall.
While that will include the usual recruiting for Thomaidis and other coaches on campus, her plate will now include ordering some rings for her championship athletes.
“Kind of back where U of S belongs, I’d say,” said Thomaidis. “We have tremendous support, incredible student-athletes, so I expect there’s more of this to come down the road.”
The next major event on the Huskies calendar will be the football program’s annual spring rookie camp, which will kick off with their Dog’s Breakfast fundraiser on May 1, featuring former Canadian NFL tight end Luke Willson as guest speaker.