Top-seeded Saskatchewan women's basketball team enters nationals in familiar position

There are many similarities that can be found between this year's University of Saskatchewan women's basketball team and the 2019-20 Huskies squad that won a national title.

Both started the year on a prolonged winning streak of 15 games in 2019-20 and 16 in 2023-24.

Both dispatched the University of Alberta in the Canada West (CW) title game.

Both were named the No. 1 seed at the U Sports Women's Final 8 tournament. This year's edition begins in Edmonton on Thursday and runs through Sunday, streaming live on CBCSports.ca, the CBC Sports app and CBC Gem.

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USask is coming off a Canada West title for the 9th time in its program's history.

And both Huskies teams feature upperclasswomen in prominent roles that gained championship-winning experience early in their U Sports careers.

The 2019-20 team featured 2020 Final 8 MVP Sabine Dukate and Megan Ahlstrom book-ending their U Sports careers with national titles in 2016 and 2020, and this season, Megan's sister Carly and Andrea Dodig are hoping to win their second championship.

Watch live and on-demand coverage of the U Sports Championship weekends available on CBCSports.ca, CBC Gem and CBC Sports' YouTube page. The finals will be exclusively held on CBCSports.ca and Gem.

"I think anytime you have national champions on your team that can share their experiences and know what it took to win at the highest level, that's invaluable," Thomaidis said.

"When it comes from a player instead of from a coach, it is much more meaningful."

Grassick, DeMong integral to deep squad

In addition to fifth-year forward Ahlstrom and fourth-year guard Dodig in the starting five are a pair of third-year guards in Téa DeMong and Gage Grassick, who are both coming off big seasons.

Coming through in the clutch with a career-high 28 points in the 73-42 CW final win over Alberta on Feb. 25, Grassick can just as easily play the role of facilitator when needed with a talented and deep Huskies squad.

This was the case in Saskatchewan's 84-50 semifinal win over the nationals-bound UFV Cascades on Feb. 24, where Grassick notched nine assists, primarily setting up third-team all-star Ahlstrom in her 27-point effort.

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"Anyone who watched our semifinal game [would know] Ahlstrom was extraordinary," said Grassick of her teammate's 7-for-10 performace from 3-point range. "In that game, you find the hot shooter ... Anywhere on the court Carly was, she was making those.

"We have a really diverse group. Lots of people can score on our team."

Unfinished business

While the nucleus of Ahlstrom, DeMong and Grassick has been building chemistry in their three years playing together, this season's success is far from a surprise based on the team's recent history.

A fifth-place finish at nationals in 2022 coincided with the departures of two key members of the 2020 championship team in forward Summer Masikewich and guard Libby Epoch, the latter of which Grassick credits for "kicking her butt every day in practice."

But the 2022-23 team picked right back up where it left off, being ranked No. 1 in the country heading into a CW semifinal matchup against Alberta following a 19-3 regular season.

But an ice-cold shooting night at 26.5 per cent paired with a great defensive effort by the Pandas resulted in the Huskies' rival winning 69-57.

The result added motivation for Saskatchewan when it opened the season in November against the Pandas with back-to-back wins.

"We were super fortunate to play [Alberta] at the start of the year and learn lots right off the bat," said Grassick of this year's No. 5 seed at nationals. "You're just really lucky to always play some good competition in CW and in nationals. Last year, we all left that Alberta game a little sad, but also motivated.

"We took the off-season really seriously knowing that we needed to get better."

Competitive field at nationals

The margin for error is very slim for a team that does not finish as either a conference champion or finalist, with just one at-large berth awarded at nationals.

Saskatchewan was unable to grab that at-large bid last year, but the 16-4 Calgary Dinos did. This year, the Huskies will take on the Dinos —a team it beat twice in November.

While the Huskies have recent history with Queen's, being upset by the host Gaels in the 2022 quarterfinals, as well as the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) champion Laval, taking down the Rouge et Or in the 2022 consolation semifinal, the year off from nationals creates more intrigue around other potential matchups.

The No. 2-ranked Ontario University Athletics (OUA) champion Carleton Ravens, led by last year's championship MVP Kali Pocrnic, and the No. 3-ranked Atlantic University Sport (AUS) champ SMU Huskies will be relatively fresh looks for Saskatchewan should they meet.

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Regardless of opponent, this year's nationals are bound to have a western flair.

"I think this year is going to be special because of its proximity to Saskatoon," said Thomaidis, who will be coaching at her 15th nationals. "I think we're going to have a very large contingent of alumni and supporters and family members that are going to make the trip there."

Around the U Sports world

• The Brock Badgers earned both the men's and women's national wrestling titles in Guelph, Ont., on Saturday. The men have won nine straight U Sports championships while the women have won 10 of the last 11.
   
• Cole Syllas was the talk of the U Sports men's basketball world ahead of nationals with his buzzer-beating 3-pointer giving the Gaels a 79-76 win over Brock and leading Queen's to its first OUA title since 1957. Queen's will be ranked No. 2 in the men's tournament beginning Friday, streaming live on CBCSports.ca, the CBC Sports app and CBC Gem.

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Queen's Cole Syllas dropped the winning basket as the Golden Gaels defeated Brock Badgers 79-76 to claim the OUA Wilson Cup.