Recap The Court

Photo: York University Athletics

Jacob Smith

York Women’s Basketball has had two cornerstones on each team for years that have powered the team through the season while putting up all-star numbers. Whether it was Katrina Collins-Samuels and Lindsay Shotbolt or Kiara Leveridge and Lauren Golding, the Lions have always had a high scoring guard with one of the league’s best rebounders, and that continues this year with a new duo that will be taking the court.

Kiara Leveridge was 12th in the OUA in points per game last season at 14.5 along with averaging 7 rebounds per game and an assist and steal per game. Now, her rebounding is aided by the return to the OUA of Ivana Twumasi, a guard that will take anybody to the rim and matches the Lions physical style looking to score and get to the line wherever possible.

The Lions lose Madison Bardoel and Jada Codrington in the backcourt among others, and Ivana’s addition will make up for the aggression and lost pace that the Lions played with. In the paint, the Lions lose Lauren Golding and Cyanna King. Golding and King were two of the team’s top scorers last season, but most significantly, they combined for 21 rebounds per game, a number the Lions will need to replace with contributions from Alexis Grewal and Jaz Balan.

Grewal played 18 games for the Lions averaging 10 minutes per game and 2.5 rebounds per game, and with the losses of King and Golding I expect her minutes to increase in 2023 as the Lions look to keep their physical rebound heavy style that they are known for. The Lions were second in the OUA in rebounds per game at 43.4, and their ability to get second chances is a vital part of their offence. How pieces step up in the paint this season will be a crucial point to pay attention to for the Lions who want to build on last year.

Last year, the Lions finished 9-13, fourth in the OUA Central behind the McMaster Marauders who won the division, and the TMU Bold and Brock Badgers who finished 14-8 and 12-10 respectively. With the losses of players like Sarah Gates and Rachel Farwell and the overall decrease in size across the teams in their division, the Lions have an opportunity to do what they’ve always done best, and grind their way towards a higher finish in their division and a higher playoff seed.