OUA Announces 2015 Women's Basketball Major Awards and All-Stars

In her second and final OUA season, Lakehead Thunderwolves guard Jylisa Williams (Atlanta, Ga.) made the most of her short stay by rewriting the OUA record books and putting together one of the most dominant individual seasons in recent memory.

This season Williams averaged an OUA and CIS leading 28.8 points per game, set a new OUA single-season points record with 548, and broke the OUA single-game points record when she scored 50 against the Toronto Varsity Blues on Feb. 6.

For her tremendous play, Williams is the unanimous selection for the 2014-15 OUA Player of the Year Award and has been named an OUA First-Team All-Star for the second consecutive season.

Along with her prolific scoring, Williams was a valuable contributor in all aspects of the game, leading the conference with 4.0 steals per game, finished second averaging 9.3 rebounds, and seventh in assists per game with 3.4. Her play was also a primary reason the Thunderwolves had so much team success, finishing the season ranked ninth in the CIS Top 10 with a 14-5 record.

The Windsor Lancers were once again the top team in the conference with a 19-1 record, and lead the way with three all-star selections.

Lancers guard Korissa Williams (Windsor, Ont.) is a first-team all-star and takes home the Defensive Player of the Year Award. Williams was truly the complete package for Windsor, shouldering a heavy offensive and defensive burden as the team's top scorer and best defender. Williams finished second in the conference with 19.3 points, 4.7 assists, and 3.6 steals, while averaging seven rebounds per game.

Also from the Lancers, forward Cheyanne Roger (Etobicoke, Ont.) receives first-team all-star honours after averaging 12.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, and finishing second in the conference with 1.8 blocks per game. Roger appeared in all 20 games for the Lancers and closed the season with back-to-back games of 25+ points.

Rounding out Windsor's all-star selections is guard Jocelyn LaRocque (Windsor, Ont.), who has been named a second-team all-star after averaging 11 points, 3.5 rebounds and finished seventh in the conference with 34 made three-pointers.

For the fifth time in her career, Windsor head coach Chantal Vallee has been named OUA Coach of the Year. Under the guidance of Vallee, the Lancers have won four consecutive national championships and were once again the top-ranked team in the country heading into the postseason. With a 19-1 regular season record, the Lancers won more games than any other team in the country, despite losing several key members from last year's roster.

Lancers first-year guard Carly Steer (Windsor, Ont.) has been selected to the OUA all-rookie team.

The Laurier Golden Hawks put together a tremendous regular season, going 17-3 and handed Windsor its first home loss since 2010. Perhaps no one was more important to the team's success than centre Whitney Ellenor (Pickering, Ont.), who has been named an OUA first-team all-star.

Ellenor finished fifth in the conference averaging 8.9 rebounds and led the conference with 2.2 blocks per game. Offensively, she was Laurier's leading scorer averaging 15.9 points per game and finished second on the team with a 46.5% shooting percentage.

Also from the Golden Hawks, guard Lee Anna Osei (Toronto, Ont.) is a second-team all-star and is the OUA nominee for the Joy Bellinger Award, presented to the student-athlete who excels in academics, athletics, and community service.

The fifth-year guard provided Laurier with consistent play averaging 6.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.7 assists. Off the court, Osei maintained an A- average while majoring in History and is a two-time CIS Academic All-Canadian.

Along with school and basketball, Osei donates countless hours of her time to a variety of different programs and initiatives. She is a volunteer at Creative Therapy Health Services working with children who have sensory integration disorder.  Osei is also an Assistant Coach for Canada Elite, a non-profit program geared towards inner-city youth in the Greater Toronto Area and helps coach several other youth basketball teams.  She is also an academic mentor for the Laurier Athlete Academic Success Program, which involves running workshops, study halls, and mentoring other student-athletes.

The Ottawa Gee-Gees have two all-stars and one major award winner on their roster.

Guard Stephanie MacDonald (Ottawa, Ont.) finished sixth in the conference with 16.2 points per game and is the Gee-Gees lone first-team selection after being named a second-team all-star last year. Along with being the team's number one scoring option, MacDonald averaged 5.1 total rebounds, and was ninth in the conference with 52 offensive boards.

Rounding out Ottawa's all-star selections is guard Krista van Slingerland (Waterloo, Ont.) who finished second on the team averaging 11.4 points per game to go along with 4.8 rebounds, and a 50.3 field goal percentage that ranked seventh in the conference.

The Tracy McLeod Award is given annually to a female student-athlete in recognition of determination, perseverance, and unwavering spirit, and this year is awarded to Gee-Gees guard Kellie Ring (Ottawa, Ont.).

In the winter of 2013, Ring tore her ACL and after undergoing surgery a few months later, returned to practice in September only to re-tear the ACL. Despite trying to return at Christmas, she required another surgery in February 2014.

Through perseverance and dedication, Ring got back on the court in November of this season and played in all 19 of Ottawa's regular season games, averaging 7.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and saw her minutes increase as the season went along.

While having to deal with several setbacks, Ring remained actively involved in her community through a variety of volunteer initiatives, and stayed dedicated to her team and the sport of basketball.

No one in OUA women's basketball grabbed more rebounds than Guelph Gryphons forward Katherine MacTavish (Waterloo, Ont), who is the Gryphons lone first-team all-star selection. Along with averaging a league-leading 10.8 rebounds per game, MacTavish was the fifth-leading scorer in the conference scoring 16.5 points per game, and also led the way with 96 offensive rebounds.

The future of the Gryphons looks bright as well, with first-year guard Bridget Atkinson (Welland, Ont.) taking home the Rookie of the Year Award and receiving second-team all-star honours. She finished second on the Gryphons with 10.9 points per game, ranked third in OUA with 4.6 assists per game, and averaged 5.3 rebounds in 18 games played.

The McMaster Marauders finished the regular season ranked in the CIS Top 10 and were led by guard Danielle Boiago (Hamilton, Ont.), who has been named an OUA first-team all-star. After receiving a second-team selection last year, Boiago finished third in OUA averaging 18.9 points per game, and her 360 points scored were second most in the conference. She also finished fourth with 60 steals, and 10^th overall averaging 7.6 rebounds per game.

Along with Boiago, two other members of the Marauders received all-star honours with forward Clare Kenney (Gananoque, Ont.) and guard Hilary Hanaka (Hamilton, Ont.) each being named to the second-team.

Kenney was second on the Maruaders and ninth in the conference in scoring, averaging 14.7 points. Her 56.4 percent field goal percentage was third-best in OUA, and she also averaged 8.2 rebounds per game, ranking her sixth in the conference.

It was an outstanding debut season for Hanaka, who has been named to the OUA all-rookie team as well a second-team all-star. Hanaka averaged 32.7 minutes per game – ninth most in OUA – while appearing in all 19 games and was the Marauders third-leading scorer with 11.5 points per game. Another first-year Marauder, Linnaea Harper (Newmarket, Ont.), was also named to the OUA all-rookie team.

Guard Keneca Pingue-Giles (Winnipeg, Man.) of the No. 7-ranked Ryerson Rams is her squad's lone first-team all-star selection after finishing fourth in the conference averaging 17.5 points per game. Along with her scoring touch, Pingue-Giles got the job done in all areas for the Rams, finishing third in OUA with 3.3 steals per game, ninth in assists with 3.3 per game, and also averaged 5.6 rebounds.

Ryerson guard Mariah Nunes (Ajax, Ont.) has been named an OUA second-team all-star after averaging 10.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists this season. Ryerson forward Sofia Paska (Etobicoke, Ont.), the Rams second-leading scorer, and guard Cara Tiemens (Newmarket, Ont.) have been named to the OUA all-rookie team.

In her fifth and final season with the Toronto Varsity Blues, guard Jill Stratton (Etobicoke, Ont.) has been named an OUA first-team all-star for the second consecutive season.

Stratton was one of the league's most complete and reliable players, finishing seventh in OUA with 16.1 points per game, third in rebounds averaging 9.1 per game, second in made free-throws, 12^th in steals, and played in all 19 of the Varsity Blues regular season games.

Like Stratton, Queen's Gaels forward Jenny Wright (Kingston, Ont.) is a first-team all-star for the second year in a row. She led the Gaels averaging 13.8 points per game, and was also known for her solid defensive play. She scored a season-high 35 points in leading Queen's to an 86-72 win against the rival Western Mustangs on Jan. 31.

Finishing just behind Wright as the Gaels scoring leader was guard Liz Boag (Kingston, Ont.), who has been named a second-team all-star. Boag averaged 13.1 points per game, along with 3.3 assists and 2.6 rebounds. Her 1.9 assist to turnover ratio was second best in the conference.

Carleton Ravens forward Lindsay Shotbolt (Unionville, Ont.) is her team's lone all-star selection. The forward has been named to the second-team after leading the Ravens with 11.6 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. Ravens forward Elizabeth Leblanc (London, Ont.) has been named to the OUA all-rookie team.

The Western Mustangs lone all-star selection is guard Caroline Wolynski (London, Ont.) who has been selected to the second-team. Wolynski was second on the Mustangs averaging 12.7 points, along with 4.2 rebounds. First-year Mustangs guard Maddy Horst (Baden, Ont.) received an all-rookie team selection.

Rounding out the OUA all-rookie team is Brock Badgers guard Melissa Tatti (Ancaster, Ont.), and Waterloo Warriors Guard Amy Jarvis (Burlington, Ont.).

OUA Major Award Winners

Player of the Year: Jylisa Williams – Lakehead Thunderwolves
Defensive Player of the Year: Korissa Williams – Windsor Lancers
Rookie of the Year: Bridget Atkinson – Guelph Gryphons
Joy Bellinger Award: Lee Anna Osei – Laurier Golden Hawks
Tracy McLeod Award: Kellie Ring – Ottawa Gee-Gees
Coach of the Year: Chantal Vallee – Windsor Lancers

OUA First-Team All-Stars

Jylisa Williams – Lakehead Thunderwolves
Korissa Williams – Windsor Lancers
Whitney Ellenor – Laurier Golden Hawks
Danielle Boiago – McMaster Marauders
Keneca Pingue-Giles – Ryerson Rams
Jill Stratton – Toronto Varsity Blues
Stephanie MacDonald – Ottawa Gee-Gees
Katherine MacTavish – Guelph Gryphons
Jenny Wright – Queen's Gaels
Cheyanne Roger – Windsor Lancers

OUA Second-Team All-Stars

Lindsay Shotbolt – Carleton Ravens
Clare Kenney – McMaster Marauders
Mariah Nunes – Ryerson Rams
Liz Boag – Queen's Gaels
Krista Van Slingerland – Ottawa Gee-Gees
Lee Anna Osei – Laurier Golden Hawks
Caroline Wolynski – Western Mustangs
Bridget Atkinson – Guelph Gryphons
Jocelyn Larocque – Windsor Lancers
Hilary Hanaka – McMaster Marauders

OUA All-Rookie Team

Bridget Atkinson – Guelph Gryphons
Hilary Hanaka – McMaster Marauders
Melissa Tatti – Brock Badgers
Sofia Paska – Ryerson Rams
Maddy Horst – Western Mustangs
Amy Jarvis – Waterloo Warriors
Cara Tiemens – Ryerson Rams
Carly Steer – Windsor Lancers
Elizabeth Leblanc – Carleton Ravens
Linnaea Harper – McMaster Marauders