The UBC Thunderbirds women's basketball team represent the University of British Columbia in the Canada West Universities Athletic Association of U Sports women's basketball. The Thunderbirds (originally known as the Thunderettes) have won the Bronze Baby a total of five times, including the first three championships, spanning from 1972 to 1974. The last two national championships took place in 2004 and 2008. Both victories took place against the Regina Cougars. In 2004, the Thunderbirds defeated the Cougars by a 60-53 mark, while the 2008 triumph resulted in a 67-46 final.
| UBC Thunderbirds | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| University | University of British Columbia | ||
| Conference | Canada West Universities Athletic Association | ||
| Location | Vancouver, British Columbia | ||
| Arena | Thunderbird Sports Centre | ||
| Nickname | Thunderbirds | ||
| Colors | Blue and gold[1] | ||
| Uniforms | |||
| |||
| Conference tournament champions | |||
| 2007, 2008, 2012, 2015 | |||
History
editThe 2003-04 season marked a breakthrough for Carrie Watson. In addition to All-Canadian honours, Watson also won the Canada West and Canadian Interuniversity Sport Defensive Player of the Year Awards. She would also earn a pair of university honours, capturing the Marilyn Pomfret Trophy, recognizing the university's Female Athlete of the Year, along with the Thunderbirds Performance Leadership Award. Winning the Bronze Baby National Championship Trophy, the program's first since 1974, ending a 30-year drought, Watson's efforts resulted in National Championship MVP honours. In June of 2007, Watson would become the program's first full-time assistant coach.
From 2007 to 2020, the Thunderbirds would enjoy a 152-58 won-loss mark in Canada West league play. Capturing the national championship in 2008, the program would reach the national championship game once again in 2012, settling for a silver medal. At the 2015 CIS Women's Basketball Championship, the program emerged with a bronze medal.
Retiring in 2021, Debbie Huband was the longest serving coach in the history of Thunderbirds basketball. As the Thunderbirds head coach, Huband captured three national titles (2003-04, '05-06, '07-08) and four conference championships (2006-07, '07-08, '11-12, '14-15).[2]
Season by season record
edit| Season | Conf. Record | Overall | Conf. Rank | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20[3] | 16-4 | 3rd | ||
| 2018-19 | 14-6 | 20-8 | 5th | |
| 2017-18 |
Statistics
editIndividual Leader Scoring
edit| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MIN | Minutes played |
| FG | Field-goals | 3FG | 3-point field-goals | FT | Free-throws |
| PTS | Points | AVG | Points per game |
| Season | Player | GP | Min | FG | 3FG | FT | Pts | Avg | Canada West Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19[4] | Keylyn Filewich | 20 | 609 | 152 | 0 | 65 | 369 | 18.5 | 4th |
| 2019-20[5] | Keylyn Filewich | 20 | 612 | 165 | 0 | 51 | 381 | 19.1 | 4th |
International
edit- Carrie Watson
Canada: 2006 FIBA World Championship for Women; Basketball at the 2007 Pan American Games; 2019 Winter Universiade Asst. Coach and Team Leader[6] - Keylyn Filewich: Canada Basketball at the 2019 Summer Universiade[7]
Awards and honors
edit- 2004 Basketball BC University Female Athlete of the Year: Carrie Watson
- 2018 Sport BC In Her Footsteps Honouree: Debbie Huband[8]
University Awards
edit- 2004 UBC Marilyn Pomfret Trophy (in recognition of UBC's Female Athlete of the Year), Carrie Watson
- 2004 UBC Thunderbirds Performance Leadership Award, Carrie Watson
- 2015 May Brown Trophy (Graduating Female Athlete of the Year): Kris Young
- 2016 UBC Thunderbirds Female Rookie of the Year: Jessica Hanson [9]
- 2019 TAC Performance Award: Keylyn Filewich [10]
UBC Sports Hall of Fame
editCanada West Awards
edit- 2003-04 Canada West Defensive Player of the Year: Carrie Watson
- 2003-04 Canada West Coach of the Year: Debbie Huband
U Sports Awards
editPeter Ennis Award (awarded to the Coach of the Year)
- 2003-04 Debbie Huband
Sylvia Sweeney Award (awarded to the Outstanding student-athlete)
- 1994-95 Adair Duncan
Kathy Shields Award (awarded to the Rookie of the year)
- 2002-03 Kelsey Blair
All-Canadians
edit- 2003-04: Carrie Watson, CIS All-Canadian
- 2018-19: Keylyn Filewich – Second Team All-Canadian
National championship MVP
edit- 2007-08 Erica McGuinness, UBC
- 2005-06 Kelsey Blair, UBC
- 2003-04 Carrie Watson, UBC
Defensive Player of the year
edit- 2008-09 Leanne Evans, UBC
- 2003-04 Carrie Watson, UBC
Canada West Hall of Fame
edit- UBC Thunderettes Women's Basketball Team (1969-75) - 2021 Inductee: Canada West Hall of Fame [13]
- Joanne Sargent - 2019 inductee: Canada West Hall of Fame [14]
Top 100
editIn celebration of the centennial anniversary of U SPORTS women’s basketball, a committee of U SPORTS women’s basketball coaches and partners revealed a list of the Top 100 women's basketball players. Commemorating the 100th anniversary of the first Canadian university women’s contest between the Queen’s Gaels and McGill Martlets on Feb. 6, 1920, the list of the Top 100 was gradually revealed over four weeks. Culminating with the All-Canadian Gala, which also recognized national award winners. [15] A total of 14 UBC players were named to the list. Although she played for Bishop's University, eventual Thunderbirds head coach Debbie Huband was also part of this list.
| Player | Team(s) | Years | Accolades |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ruth Wilson | UBC | 1937-41 | |
| Nora McDermott | UBC | 1945-49 | She coached the bronze medal winning women's basketball squad at the 1967 Pan American Games |
| Barb Robertson | UBC | 1959-64 | |
| Pauline Genzick | UBC | 1966-69 | |
| Betty Ross | UBC | 1966-71 | |
| Joanne Sargent | UBC | 1968-73 | |
| Terri McGovern | UBC | 1969-72 | |
| Bev Barnes | UBC | 1970-74 | |
| Debbie Phelan | UBC | 1970-75 | |
| Kathy Williams-Shields | UBC Laurentian |
1969-71 1972-76 |
|
| Liz Silcott | Concordia Waterloo UBC |
1972-79 | |
| Carol Turney-Loos | Saint Mary's Victoria UBC |
1973-80 | Recipient of the 1980 Nan Copp Award |
| Jessica Mills | UBC | 1995-00 | |
| Kristjana Young | UBC | 2010-15 |
Thunderbirds in pro basketball
edit| Player | Position | Team(s) | Years | Titles |
| Jessica Hanson[16] | Tipperary Knights Basketball Club | Ireland | None |
References
edit- ^ UBC Colour Palettes (PDF). Retrieved September 7, 2016.
- ^ Stu Walters (April 27, 2021). "Honouring a distinguished era as Deb Huband enters retirement". gothunderbirds.ca/. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
- ^ "2019-20 Women's Basketball Standings". canadawest.org/. Retrieved 2021-07-21.
- ^ "2018-2019 Women's Basketball Overall Statistics". canadawest.org. Retrieved 2021-04-16.
- ^ "2019-2020 Women's Basketball Overall Statistics". canadawest.org. Retrieved 2021-04-16.
- ^ "Team Canada delegation announced for 2019 FISU Summer Universiade". usports.ca. 2019-05-29. Retrieved 2021-06-16.
- ^ "Team Canada delegation announced for 2019 FISU Summer Universiade". usports.ca. 2019-05-29. Retrieved 2021-06-16.
- ^ "SPORT BC ANNOUNCES AWARD WINNERS AT THE 52ND AWARD GALA". viasport.ca. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
- ^ Aaron Martin (2016-04-04). "UBC's best honoured at 95th annual Big Block Awards and Sports Hall of Fame Banquet". gothunderbirds.ca. Retrieved 2021-04-18.
- ^ "Thunderbirds celebrate 2019 Big Block Awards Banquet". gothunderbirds.ca. 2019-04-03. Retrieved 2021-04-16.
- ^ Aaron Martin (2016-04-04). "UBC's best honoured at 95th annual Big Block Awards and Sports Hall of Fame Banquet". gothunderbirds.ca. Retrieved 2021-04-18.
- ^ "UBC Sports Hall of Fame welcomes distinguished class of 2021". gothunderbirds.ca. 2021-04-16. Retrieved 2021-06-18.
- ^ "UBC Thunderettes (WBB Team)". canadawesthalloffame.org. January 26, 2021. Retrieved 2021-04-16.
- ^ "Joanne Sargent (WBB | Student-athlete)". Canada West. 7 November 2019. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
- ^ "U SPORTS unveils Top 100 women's basketball players of the century". saltwire.com. March 8, 2020. Retrieved May 26, 2021.
- ^ Wilson Wong (2020-07-31). "Jessica Hanson to start professional career in Ireland". gothunderbirds.ca. Retrieved 2021-04-18.