While the York University Lions women's basketball team missed out on the playoffs with a 5-17 record in 2023-24, they put together a solid final month of the season they hope will help carry them forward into the new campaign.
The Lions downed a 15-win Guelph team 66-65, before falling in two tightly-contested games against a 16-win TMU Bold squad. Head coach Christa Eniojukan hopes the play we saw dowm the stretch from this team is something they can build off early this season.
"We got a lot more competitive in second semester," Eniojukan said of last year's group. "We've built on that momentum, we have some nice new pieces to add to it, which will help us be even stronger this year."
One of those new pieces the Lions have brought in is Eternati Willock, someone with experience at the NCAA Division I level, most recently at Central Methodist University in Fayette, Mo.
"She has the capability of being a really big impact player," Eniojukan said. "She's an amazing rebounder, finisher and shot blocker inside. There's not many like her in our league."
Two other transfers brought into the fold this season from American schools are Ella Okubasu from Binghamton University and Naimh Heath from McLennan Community College in Waco, Texas.
"Understanding what it takes to be at that high level is important," Eniojukan said of Okubasu. "She can finish inside, but she can also step out and hit the three. Standing 6'2, she gives us more length as well.
"(Heath) is a very versatile player. She will play the two through the four, maybe even the five and one. She's known for her shooting and slashing abilities.
"All of them will be high in our rotation."
The lone high school recruit this year is Isabella Heffring, a 5'6 guard from North Vancouver B.C.
"She's a really strong three-point shooter," Eniojukan said of Heffring. "She's tiny in stature, but she competes really, really hard."
As for returning players, the name at the top of that list is Kiara Leveridge, the second-leading scorer in the OUA last season with 20.8 points.
"She's a force to be reckoned with," Eniojukan said. "She's dynamic on the offensive and defensive end for us. We have her handling the ball a little bit more in the open court as a combo-type guard."
Bilan Khadar is another member of the backcourt who returns this season, along with Ruqaya Green. The frontcourt also has some nice veteran depth pieces in Jaz Balan and Alexis Grewal back for another season as the Lions lean on them for some experience.
Gabby Di Pietro returns for a second season after a solid rookie campaign that saw her average eight points a game, good for third on the team. Now, however, she's incorporating defense into her game in year two.
"She's shown in the preseason that she's not just an offensive weapon," Eniojukan said. "She's been guarding, if not the best, one of the best players on the other team and done a really good job. She's shown she can guard with on-ball pressure and take away some of the opponents' strengths.
She's known as a shooter, but she's been much more than that."
While the Lions hope to get back into contention for a postseason berth come February, a successful season for the Lions is one where the team grows each and every day both as individuals and a collective unit.
"I think it's important that they're all growing as young women and collaborating and working together," Eniojukan said. "We're a big believer in getting one percent better each day. We're trying to get better in the classroom, trying to get better as human beings.
"We want them to be upstanding citizens when they graduate, so we're constantly instilling those values, because they're very important to our program."
The Lions open up the 2024-25 season on home court this weekend with a pair of games, first against the Laurier Golden Hawks on Friday night at 6:00 pm before the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks come to town Sunday afternoon for a 1:00 pm tip-off. You can get your tickets here or stream live on OUA TV.
