Powerhouse point-producer Gates gets MVP nod for maroon and grey

Burlington, Ont. – A season for the ages on the scoreboard led a sensational senior scorer to the conference's top honour, and anchored by those all-time great efforts on offence, McMaster's Sarah Gates has been named the most valuable player, headlining the award winners and all-stars from the 2022-23 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) women's basketball season.

Most Valuable Player – Sarah Gates, McMaster Marauders



Sarah Gates, a fifth-year guard for the Marauders, has been lights out in her final season in the maroon and grey, and takes home most valuable player honours as a result.

The Newmarket, Ont. local led both the OUA and U SPORTS in scoring during the regular season, averaging 27.3 points per game, 8.5 more than her nearest conference competitor. Gates recorded 600 points during the 2022-23 campaign and was also the national leader in both made field goals (210) and three-pointers (63). The human behaviour student averaged 7.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game while shooting 48.3% from the field and 38.7% from beyond the arc. On the other side of the ball, Gates recorded 30 steals and 5 blocks to secure the Marauders top spot in the OUA Central.

Earlier this season, Gates also made McMaster history with a school-best 47-point performance. The fifth-year guard went 18-of-27 from the field in that record-setting game, including seven three-pointers, to surpass the McMaster mark of 43 set by Lindsay DeGroot in 2008 - and her previous career high of 38 in 2021. Just last month, Gates also scored the 1720th point of her career, making her the all-time scoring leader in McMaster women's basketball history.

With the regular season now in the books, Gates' 1,857 points ranks her third on the OUA's career scoring leaders, just 37 points shy of the No. 2 spot. On the national list, meanwhile, Gates, who becomes the seventh Marauder to win the top conference honour, sits in tenth spot.

Rookie of the Year – Jacqueline Urban, Carleton Ravens



An immediate impact for one of the nation's top teams, Jacqueline Urban soared to rookie of the year honours with the Ravens.

Urban made an instant impression on coach Dani Sinclair's group en route to becoming the third Carleton rookie to earn the provincial recognition. Earning the start in 21 of 22 games, the psychology student quickly established herself as a key piece to a young Ravens team. Playing key minutes alongside veterans Kali Pocrnic and Emma Kiesekamp, Urban fit right into the Ravens' rotation, playing 27.0 minutes per game while shooting just under 40% for the season.

At the conclusion of the regular season, the forward from Ancaster, Ont. was third among her teammates with 594 minutes played, while ranking second in scoring with 219 points – the second most in a single season by a Ravens rookie.

Perhaps her biggest impact, however, came on the glass. The newcomer finished the 2022-23 season second in the OUA in total rebounds with 238, breaking the Ravens' single-season record previously held by 2014 rookie of the year Heather Lindsay. Urban's powerful debut campaign included an 18-rebound performance against Brock on December 2nd.

A member of Team Ontario at the 2023 Canada Games, Urban was twice named Ravens' Athlete of the Week during the 2022-23 regular season.

Defensive Player of the Year – Ariane Saumure, Western Mustangs



Proving once again she is a top talent on both ends of the floor, Western's Ariane Saumure earns the OUA's defensive player of the year nod.

In addition to her impressive offensive contributions for the Mustangs this season, which saw Saumure chip in 18.8 points per game (2nd in OUA) for the London squad, the third-year guard was a nightmare for the opposition. Her most potent weapon was her ability to force turnovers, racking up an OUA and U SPORTS-best 4.3 steals per game this year, a full steal ahead of the next closest competitor. The per-contest average puts the second team all-star among the all-time leaders in the category across the country, while her 95 total thefts on the year ranks her second all-time.

Potent on the glass as well, the kinesiology major from Sudbury, Ont. also ranked third in the province with 150 defensive rebounds for the season, good for 6.8 per game for Western to help them rank sixth in the conference overall in that category.

This marks the fifth time that a member of the Mustangs takes home the top defender nod and second consecutive for Saumure.

Joy Bellinger Award – Arianne Soriano, McMaster Marauders



Arianne Soriano, in her final year as a member of the Marauders women's basketball team, has made sure that she left her mark on McMaster Athletics & Recreation and university athletics as a whole.

The team's starting point guard averaged 20.7 minutes per game, as well as 4.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per outing. A defensive standout, the fourth-year kinesiology student also averaged 1.2 steals and 4.1 defensive rebounds per contest. She has an innate ability to shut down opponents and regularly matches up with some of the best guards in the conference. The senior was a crucial part of the Marauders' ability to hold opponents to just 62.3 points per game throughout the regular season.
In the classroom, Soriano is a top-notch student, averaging an 11.0 GPA and is a four-time U SPORTS Academic All-Canadian.

Beyond her athletic and academic prowess, as the President of McMaster's Varsity Leadership Committee, the Mississauga, Ont. local has focused on creating a strong student-athlete community and has been an advocate for teams that are less well-known on campus. Outside of her VLC commitment, Soriano is also an Executive Member of MAC Athletes Care, which creates and supports community and social initiatives. She also gives back as a strength and conditioning student coach and McMaster High Performance's first-ever female Strength and Conditioning Internship Coach, where she conducts varsity team training sessions and monitors training techniques.

Beyond that, the veteran guard is a Kinesiology Welcome Week Rep, Archway Mentor, a member of the Events Staff for varsity competitions, and has done some work as a Sports Media Assistant. In the past, she has also been a member of the Asian Canadians Panel organized by McMaster Athletics & Recreation, a student mentor, and a volunteer with motionball.

Tracy MacLeod Award – Bridget Mulholland, Queen's Gaels



Despite facing incredible adversity during her time at Queen's, Bridget Mulholland has remained the glue for the Gaels women's basketball program.

"Through all [the adversity], her work ethic, perseverance, and determination has not wavered," said head coach Claire Meadows. "Although Bridget has had to work through many setbacks, her contributions to the program have been immense."

Among the setback that forced the Kingston, Ont. local to miss significant action during her varsity career, are several serious and ongoing injuries. Even before she arrived at Queen's, Mulholland suffered a concussion in her Grade 12 season, leading to side effects she still feels to this day. At the end of her first year, significant foot pain led to a series of steps and treatments that led to continued issues and complications, ultimately forcing her to miss her second and third seasons with the Gaels.

Mulholland was miraculously able to play in her fourth year after missing the previous two campaigns, but was still suffering from severe headaches during this time. The senior guard/forward, who averaged nearly eight points and seven rebounds per game in her fifth year, is still managing the pain in her head, in addition to further injuries in her foot, but through it all, her natural leadership and perseverance has never wavered. And while some days are better than others, Mulholland has remained a resilient and integral part of the program.

Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion Award – Brigitte Lefebvre-Okankwu, Ottawa Gee-Gees



A decorated senior on and off the court, Brigitte Lefebvre-Okankwu earns the inaugural OUA women's basketball equity, diversity, and inclusion award.

Lefebvre-Okankwu is a leader on the University of Ottawa Campus and in her community. The Gee-Gees women's basketball community engagement award winner in 2020-21 and uOttawa President's Award winner in 2021-22 was a founding member of the Black Student-Athletes Advocacy Council at the school and serves on the executive committee as secretary. The mandate for the group is to increase BIPOC representation and foster equity in the varsity athletics department.

The senior forward from Gatineau. Que., who was named MVP as well as the Joy Bellinger Award recipient for the OUA East Division a year ago, also helped to spearhead a fundraising and awareness campaign for Black Lives Matter in 2020 with a virtual run of 1,666km to Minneapolis. The effort sparked important conversations and raised $3,200, which was donated across several organizations chosen by the Gee-Gees women's basketball team.

An academic all-Canadian in each year of her time with uOttawa, now completing her master's in science management, Lefebvre-Okankwu was also a primary contributor to team humanitarian projects earlier in her career, which helped uplift the sport community in Togo and Haiti. Both projects saw the Gee-Gees contribute financially and physically through labour to the building of a basketball court for youth. In Togo, the project was in partnership with Leading Sport Youth Development, which included a conference and basketball tournament.

Coach of the Year – Claire Meadows, Queen's Gaels



In just her second season at the helm of the Gaels, Claire Meadows guided Queen's to one of the top seasons across in the country.

Meadows helped steer the Kingston squad to their best record in program history during the 2022-23 season, as the Gaels finished atop the OUA East Division standings with a 21-1 record. A mainstay of the U SPORTS Top 10 throughout the year, peaking at the number one spot, Meadows has helped the team make great strides in just her second year as bench boss and becomes the program's fifth selection for OUA coach of the year. 

Despite only serving as the team's coach for a brief time, Meadows isn't new to the Gaels program. She was a former OUA East first team all-star, all-Canadian nominee, and university award of merit recipient. She would also finish her varsity tenure as Queen's second-leading scorer all-time.

Since transitioning to her current role, Meadows has seen her squad capture a bronze medal on the national stage in 2022, and with their eyes set on even greater success this year, has guided her Gaels to conference-best marks in field goal percentage (41.5) and 3PT percentage (34.1), a second-best 74.8 points per game, and a fourth-best 57.5 points allowed per contest.

Officials Award of Merit – Fei Xiang

Basketball has always been a central part of Fei Xiang's life, whether as a fan, player, coach, or most recently, the 2022-23 OUA officials award of merit recipient.

Xiang began her officiating journey in 2010 and has proceeded to work various provincial, national, and international tournaments since then. The continuous learner and goal-setter, who began officiating in the OUA in 2017, has used these traits to develop her career as an on-court official, which as of 2021, included Xiang obtaining her FIBA license. The long-time official most recently was part of the championship game crews at both the conference (Critelli Cup) and U SPORTS (Women's Nationals) in 2022.

Frequently dedicating time to review her game tapes, observe others officiate, and participate in discussions and analysis of game clips with fellow officials, Xiang is an active and ongoing student of the sport and role, while also offering time as a mentor to others.

The complete list of 2022-23 OUA women's basketball award winners and all-stars is as follows:

Most Valuable Player – Sarah Gates, McMaster Marauders
Rookie of the Year – Jacqueline Urban, Carleton Ravens
Defensive Player of the Year – Ariane Saumure, Western Mustangs
Joy Bellinger Award – Arianne Soriano, McMaster Marauders
Tracy MacLeod Award – Bridget Mulholland, Queen's Gaels
Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion – Brigitte Lefebvre-Okankwu, Ottawa Gee-Gees
Coach of the Year  – Claire Meadows, Queen's Gaels
Officials Award of Merit – Fei Xiang

First Team All-Stars
Sarah Gates, McMaster Marauders
Julia Chadwick, Queen's Gaels
Kali Pocrnic, Carleton Ravens
Brigitte Lefebvre-Okankwu, Ottawa Gee-Gees
MacKeely Shantz, Guelph Gryphons

Second Team All-Stars
Rachel Farwell, TMU Bold
Vanessa Hughes, Waterloo Warriors
Ariane Saumure, Western Mustangs
Lauren Golding, York Lions
Madalyn Weinert, Brock Badgers

Third Team All-Stars
Natsuki Szczokin, Ottawa Gee-Gees
Laura Donovan, Queen's Gaels
Dorcas Buisa, Carleton Ravens
Bailey Tabin, Laurentian Voyageurs
Renee Armstrong, Guelph Gryphons

All-Rookie Team
Jacqueline Urban, Carleton Ravens
Emily Capretta, Western Mustangs
Kait Nichols, TMU Bold
Kali Goortenboer, Windsor Lancers
Isabella Gaudet, Queen's Gaels