Following a strong 17–3 record in conference play last year, and a narrow first-round playoff loss to the University of Victoria Vikes, the T-Birds women’s basketball team enters this season with high expectations.
In this season’s Canada West coaches preseason poll, the Thunderbirds were ranked second.
Head coach Isabel Ormond joined the team last season, and under her guidance, the T-Birds transformed from a struggling team with a sub 0.500 record to a powerful squad that posted a 0.850 overall record. Focusing on high-tempo offence and intense defensive play, Ormond quickly helped the team reshape its identity.
“I’m really excited to kind of build off some of the success we had last year, but also build on some of the areas that we identified as room for improvement,” said Ormond.
With key additions this season, the T-Birds have added height, depth and versatility to their roster. Six-foot-four fifth-year NCAA D1 transfer Jessica Clarke will also bring experience and leadership. Clarke’s impressive preseason debut game — 9 points, 6 rebounds and a block in only 10 minutes — showcases her potential impact.
The team also added twin sister wings Nicole and Keira Daly, from Ontario, and local first-year sharpshooter Reese Tam.
The Daly sisters are more than familiar with winning basketball and come to UBC off the back of three consecutive high school championships together. This preseason, Keira tallied an astounding 31 points against the University of Regina, shooting 40 per cent from three and hitting 11/12 at the free throw line.
While the T-Birds excelled in the front court last season, Ormond has set her sights on developing a more well-rounded offensive attack this year. She noted the team hopes to achieve “more of a balanced attack from the perimeter and inside.”
Olivia Weekes is one player already helping the team move toward this. Last season, Weekes shot below 25 per cent from behind the arc on only 18 attempts, however, this preseason, she has improved to 50 per cent on 12 attempts.
When asked about what fans can expect to see and get excited about for this upcoming season, Ormond was keen to highlight the team’s defensive intensity and high-tempo offence.
“We have a lot of depth, which means we can keep the tempo high as long as we're still controlling the basketball so [they] can look for some hopefully really exciting games with the ball in our possession,” she said.
UBC is also hosting the U Sports Final 8 tournament in March, and with an automatic berth, the team is poised to make their presence on home soil felt. With an improved roster and renewed focus, the ’Birds look as strong as ever and anticipation is high to see how this season unfolds.
The team will start their season in Abbotsford against the University of Fraser Valley Cascades on October 31 before returning to Vancouver for their home opener on November 2 at 4 p.m.
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