Women's Basketball | 2/24/2026 4:00:00 PM
When you think of York women's basketball, you think of greats like Laura (McCallum) Lennon, Karen (Jackson) Northey and Lauren Golding.
You also think of Kiara Leveridge.
Leveridge, a fifth-year eligible and sixth-year student, just helped guide her team to its first playoff win in seven years and the first postseason victory of her career, a great way to bookend arguably the most successful career in program history.
The program's all-time leader in points (1.689), made field goals (551) made free throws (501) and steals (218) – while also tying Golding for the most starts with an even 100 – the native of Scarborough, Ont., has made a lasting impact on the history of the program she has called home the last six years.
"It just signifies that my hard work is paying off," she said of attaining those accolades. "The amount of hours I put into the sport and what it has given to me is countless, so to be able to say I've reached these (milestones) is really special – I'm very blessed."
Leveridge was brought to York in 2020 by former head coach and 2019 York Coach of the Year Erin McAleenan, but never played under the current bench boss of the UNB Reds of the AUS, as she departed York to take the UBC Thunderbirds head coaching job in 2021-22.
"She recruited me all throughout high school, so we built a really good relationship," Leveridge said.
"When I came on my (recruiting) visit to York, as cliche as it sounds, it felt like home to me. Just being on campus, being in Stong (College Residence) it really felt like I could see myself being here."
From an academic standpoint, the social work major had nothing but good things to say about the program.
"York's social work program is really, really good, and I can attest to that being in my final semester." she said. "It's very critically reflexive, meaning we are trying to help people, but also looking at how we may be harming them to make sure we're not doing that, so that's been one of the biggest takeaways for me."
The program requires students to work 700 hours at a practicum placement, which Leveridge completed last year at Regenesis on the York Keele campus. The non-profit organization describes itself as "a community environmental organization dedicated to empowering students to address today's environmental and social concerns."
"The (knowledge) that I was able to gain from that experience and being able to work with my peers was really important," Leveridge said. "Regenesis really advocates for students and empowers student voices, which I'm very passionate about."
Like most U SPORTS student-athletes, the Lions star began her basketball journey young – at nine years old, in fact, at Highland Heights Junior Public School. And while she has turned herself into one of the premier guards of her generation in the OUA, it didn't start out that way.
"I was oversized, so I was a big," Leveridge said with a laugh. "One of my teachers saw that I was tall and asked me to come to try out, so that's when I was first introduced to basketball."
She learned and found her love for the game over the next two years and began playing competitive club basketball with the Scarborough Blues at age 11 at the behest of Kareem Granger, who is currently an assistant coach with the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks women's basketball program and someone Leveridge described as "a father figure."
She worked her way up the Blues ladder, starting in house league and competed in house league, rep, JUEL Prep and eventually made her way to the JUEL level, the highest level of competition for Grade 11 and 12 girls in the program, before moving to the DC Chameleons in her final year.
Growing up, Leveridge also competed in several camps and tournaments with A Game Basketball, a California-based club basketball organization, which helped her get noticed as early as Grade 9.
"It taught me the value of being tough and being a hard worker," she said. "My basketball IQ and my understanding of the game really just exploded, so 'A Game' and (the Blues) were instrumental in creating and developing me as a player."
As a high school student, Leveridge attended Stephen Leacock S.S. in Scarborough. Kiara, along with her twin sisters Tianna – who plays at Seneca College – and Onika – who spent four seasons from 2021-25 at Durham College – were able to put basketball on the map.
"We were able to create a basketball program there," she said. "It was great to be able to play with my sisters and work on my game while also (playing club), so just a lot of basketball overall."
The constant basketball came to a sudden halt with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Leveridge first arrived on York's campus in September of that year, just prior to the cancellation of the 2020-21 OUA winter season, and while there was still some in-person training and workouts, she lost her rookie year as a result.
"It was definitely bittersweet," she said. "I'm the type of person who likes to learn by doing things and seeing things and interacting with people, so it was a bit of challenge.
"I was still able to be around the team and create those relationships and I was able to get through my first year of university, so I think it made me better academically being able to focus on school."
Over the last five seasons on the court at York, the 24-year-old's experience has been marked by one word: growth.
"I've really been reflecting on my time here at York and when I think about being a rookie, I was still a young lady," she said. "Now, turning 25, my game has definitely changed, my leadership has gotten better, so growth is a big word."
Leveridge takes great pride in having become a leader in the program over the last five years.
"It's such a privilege to be held at such a high calibre and recognized as a leader, so that's not something I take for granted," she said. "I've always been vocal on the court, but in my later years it's been figuring out how I can support my teammates on a more individual level to connect with them and build their leadership qualities."
Having enjoyed everything that comes with the student-athlete experience at York over the last five years, Leveridge knows what York is all about. When asked why someone – student-athlete or otherwise – should make it their postsecondary destination, she had two simple words.
"Our community," said the soon-to-be York alumna, "In the classroom, professors are understanding, our campus is very diverse, and a lot of great food options.
"If I had any advice, it would be to take it all in, don't take anything for granted and give yourself grace."
And last, but certainly not least:
"Go Lions. That's why you should come to York."
