Recap The Court

Jacob Smith

Mending gaps while players develop, adding on finishing touches to a championship roster, acquiring transfers has been a massive tool for many programs. TMU, Ottawa, Brock, Western, Carleton, the list goes on with examples of programs filling spots with veteran talent who can come in and make an immediate impact over the last decade.

You can go back to almost a decade ago and Carleton adding Catherine Traer from Ottawa and York adding Lindsay Shotbolt from Carleton. You can go to 2018 and TMU adding Eleanor Jones from Colorado and Hayley Robertson from Vermont. 2019 Brock adds Samantha Keltos from St. Francis Brooklyn. Western adding MacKeely Shantz from Guelph in 2023 and Jenna Button from McMaster in 2024. You can go to almost any year and find a program adding a veteran transfer who would go on to make a big impact, and that went as far as the championship teams from the OUA the past couple years, Ottawa, Carleton and TMU.

2021 TMU has to make up for the loss of Marin Scotten and Cara Tiemens, so what do they do? Bring in Kaillie Hall from Bowling Green, Eve Uwayesu from Windsor and Tiya Misir from Long Island University who’d go on to be key pieces in their undefeated championship run that season and in the years after keeping TMU in the contender spot.

The defensive tenacity and ability to get to the rim that Kaillie Hall brought fit in with the skillset of the other guards TMU had. Tiya added a ball handler who could create her own shot and get to anywhere on the floor. Eve added an unflappable facilitator who could get to the hoop or lock down an opponent when needed. TMU complimented their guards with three transfers who all brought different things to the table, and the experience they had coming in made the transition to the biggest moments seem effortless.

Skip to 2023 and Carleton hits the transfer list bringing in fifth year forward Hadeza Ismaila from Ontario Tech. The Ravens were coming off a championship year and kept almost all of their roster going into the following season. Hadeza coming from Ontario Tech brought a great rebounder and someone who could fit into Carleton’s system playing off the guards. She came in and played every game for the Ravens recording 15 minutes per game and 5.5 rebounds per game.

That same year across town Ottawa is looking to build on their roster which had been among the top of the OUA for years. They bring in a 6’0 guard from Grand Falls, New Brunswick who had been playing in the NCAA for North Dakota named Allie McCarthy and a 5’4 guard from within the conference, Ariane Saumure from Western University.

Together with Natsuki Szczokin, Ariane and Allie fill out the SG and SF positions with the three-point shooting of Allie and the defensive ability of Ariane along with both of their skills playing off the catch. They both played immediately for the Gee-Gees and were among the top four in minutes per game, and though the Gee-Gees would only get one season out of Ariane, Allie would stay for the 2024 season to help Natsuki lead the Gee-Gees to a OUA title where Allie averaged the second most points per game and the most rebounds per game on the team.

Top teams have gotten contributions towards contending seasons from players they transferred in from other programs for years. This offseason we’ve already gotten a couple big names going to new places for the upcoming year.

The Queen’s Gaels have brought in Kiyara Letlow for the 2025 season. Looking at the Gaels system and forwards who’ve had success like Sophie de Goede, Julia Chadwick, Bridget Mulholland, adding a player like Kiyara who is so versatile both facing the basket and posting up seems perfect. Being able to play off the guards the Gaels have and their desire to get the ball into the paint, Kiyara handling the inside like she’s done so well in the AUS throughout her career seems like it will be a seamless addition bumping the young and exciting Gaels team into possible championship contenders after their impressive season last year.

The TMU Bold have looked out west and brought in Calgary Dinos 5’8 guard Myriam Kone. Kone is a great addition for the Bold playing as a catch-and-go guard who can bring the ball up but play really well off Catrina Garvey attacking the basket and giving the Bold a stronger mid to long-range game. I loved watching Kone play at Calgary and how she can read the floor and I think put into Carly Clarke’s system she will have a big impact with how she can create.