Conference’s top-scorer Weinert wins second straight OUA player of the year

Burlington, Ont. – Another year, another run of extraordinary performances on the hardwood across the province. The 2024-25 campaign did not disappoint, nor did the league’s top scorer Madalyn Weinert, who played her way to a second straight player of the year nod to highlight another class of exceptional Ontario University Athletics (OUA) women’s basketball award winners and all-stars.

Player of the Year - Madalyn Weinert, Brock Badgers

Madalyn Weinert once again put together a season of superior numbers to claim back-to-back player of the year honours.

The St. Catharines, Ont. local continued to lead the Brock Badgers on the court, helping them to a second straight OUA quarterfinal appearance. In addition to helping her team succeed, she also put up productive numbers personally. Weinert was first in the province and country averaging 21.8 points per game, while also sitting second in the province (4th across U SPORTS) with 11.9 rebounds per contest.

Her efforts from the charity stripe and from long range were also in fine form, as she was first in the province and sixth in the country with a 39.0% success rate from deep and atop the nation with an 87.7 free throw percentage. The medical sciences student also added to her numbers on the defensive side with 42 blocks (2nd in OUA).

Game after game, Weinert showed her first-class scoring touch, tallying 25-plus points in seven games for Brock including two games with over 30 points against McMaster. She also put herself in double-double territory 15 times during the regular season.

Adding to her impressive hardware, Weinert is now a two-time OUA first team all-star and was also awarded a U SPORTS first team all-Canadian nod a year ago.

Rookie of the Year - Brooke Hussey, Queen’s Gaels

Brooke Hussey had a stellar start to her OUA career, which was capped off with the coveted conference rookie of the year selection.

The point guard found her form a few games into the season with the Gaels and took off from there. Hussey put up a streak of 11 games with double digits on the scoresheet. She averaged 11.3 points per game and five rebounds per game on the year. The kinesiology student out of Etobicoke, Ont. finished her debut season 10th in the OUA with 53 steals as well.

Hussey’s best performance of the year came in Queen’s final game of the regular season against a tough Gee-Gees squad, where she exploded for 28 points to lead all scorers. The impressive finish to the regular season was also her career-high with the Tricolour.

Defensive Player of the Year - Nehita Oko-Oboh, Waterloo Warriors

Nehita Oko-Oboh doubled down on the defensive end of the floor for the Waterloo Warriors en route to her OUA defensive player of the year recognition.

The chemical engineering student, who will be graduating this year and continuing with her masters, was influential in starting in all 21 games she played for the Warriors.

Truly unmatched in her defensive skills and making her presence felt across the province, Oko-Oboh finished her season atop of the OUA ranks in many categories, including rebounds per game (13.1) and total rebounds (276), while also racking up 54 blocked shots. The Ottawa, Ont. product’s numbers put her in the Warriors record books with the most single season blocks and rebounds in Waterloo’s program history.

Including her powerful performance on the court this season, Oko-Oboh now has two OUA all-star nods to her name, picking up third team status in back-to-back seasons.

Oko-Oboh’s honours mark the first time that a Warrior has been recognized with the provincial defensive player of the year award.

Joy Bellinger Award - Renee Armstrong, Guelph Gryphons

Renee Armstrong is this year's recipient of the Joy Bellinger Award for the 2024-25 season, recognizing a student-athlete for outstanding service to the sport and to the advancement of university athletics as well as outstanding career contributions.

Armstrong, the fourth-year guard, becomes the fourth Gryphon in program history to receive the award, and is the first since Burke Bechard in 2021-22.

The London, Ont. native was one of the top distributors in the OUA, finishing fifth in the conference with 86 assists on the year. One of Armstrong's standout games this season came on November 29 against Ontario Tech, wherein she was just one assist shy of a triple double (12 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists) in the win. Armstrong has the ability to take over a game, much like she did against Laurier in the postseason, finishing with 22 points, 8 assists, 8 rebounds and was 11-11 from the free throw line in their victory.

She is not only a leader on the court but a leader beyond the sidelines as well with her commitment to community involvement through basketball and her volunteer work in her hometown of London and in Guelph.

Armstong is an advocate for equity, diversity, and inclusion. She participated in the making of the Black History Month video for the women's basketball team and is a key member of the IEDI Athlete panel. She is a member of the Leadership Academy at Guelph and is a Student-Athlete mentor to many first and second-year student-athletes. Armstrong was also a speaker at the President's Golf Tournament as well at Guelph’s She's Got Game Gala.

Tracy McLeod Award - Ally Smith, Queen’s Gaels

Ally Smith has experienced unimaginable loss, while also managing untimely injuries this season, but has continued her unmatched perseverance to bring light and laughter to the Gaels program.

The Orillia, Ont. product spent the better part of the 2024 offseason in Kingston in an effort to continue to develop her game and hopefully earn an increased on-court role for the 2024-25 season.

Two weeks after being named to the starting lineup, while at a team function in Kingston, she learned that her father had died from suicide earlier that day. The same afternoon, she travelled home to grieve with her family and to discuss funeral logistics.

In the days leading up to her father’s funeral, Smith learned that she would require elbow arthroscopy surgery to remove floating bodies from her elbow joint, with a full recovery timeline of approximately two to three months. Opting to delay surgery until the offseason, she has managed her pain with monthly injections.

The third-year guard missed two weeks of practice and Queen’s first three regular season games before deciding that being back in Kingston, and subsequently, being back on the court, was the best thing for her mental health and well-being.

In her first game back, Smith had a career night, hitting new personal bests in points, field goals, three pointers, and free throws. Towards the end of the season, however, while contesting a lay-up, Smith fell awkwardly into a wall and then fell down directly onto her wrist. She would miss the Gaels second game of the weekend due to a lack of any wrist mobility and significant pain, but rehabbed aggressively to get back on the court as quickly as possible and to be available for the team's final games of the regular season.

Despite these significant life events and injuries, Smith has continued to find ways to impact our program in winning ways.

As the program’s primary perimeter defender, she has anchored a defence that is ranked first in the OUA and second in U SPORTS for opponent points per game allowed (51.5 points), while also averaging career highs in rebounds, steals, and blocks. As a secondary ball-handler and facilitator, she has also contributed to the Tricolour on the offensive side of the ball, with career-highs in points and assists as well.

Off the court, when two of the Gaels captains were sidelined with early season-ending injuries, the kinesiology student immediately filled the subsequent leadership gap, taking on additional roles and responsibilities.

Despite missing significant school in the middle of the fall semester, she is on track to be named an academic all-Canadian for the third straight year. In her spare time, she can often be found helping teammates work towards their academic goals as well.

Champion of EDI Award - Vanessa Budimunda, Windsor Lancers

Vanessa Budimunda, from Montreal, Que., is a trailblazer in equity, diversity, and inclusion at Windsor, and has been recognized as such with the OUA Champion of EDI Award.

Recognizing the growing number of Black student-athletes and the need for a safe, supportive, and empowering space, she took the initiative to establish the Black Student-Athlete Association (BSAA) in the summer of 2024. This groundbreaking initiative marks the first Black student-athlete group at Windsor and has since become a catalyst for change within Lancer Athletics.

The BSAA fosters an inclusive and interactive environment where Black student-athletes can connect, mentor one another, and build a strong community. It stands firmly against discrimination and anti-Black racism while promoting inclusion, freedom of expression, thought, belief, opinion, and conscience.

As the Co-Founder and President of the BSAA, Budimunda has played a pivotal role in shaping its vision and ensuring its success. Some of her many contributions include leading and setting the strategic direction of the BSAA, as well as coordinating events and securing partnerships with local businesses and community stakeholders. By working closely with the University of Windsor and key community members, Budimunda has spearheaded initiatives that provide educational workshops, advocacy channels, and many social events that have helped strengthen the bond within the community.

She has not only created a platform for Black student-athletes, but also established a legacy of empowerment, advocacy, and community engagement that will impact generations to come. The dedication to her work is evident through the structured and long list of impactful initiatives she has led since its inception.

Budimunda’s efforts also extend beyond the University of Windsor. Through high school outreach, mentorship programs, and community advocacy, she has created a model that fosters equity in sports and education.

Through her leadership, the BSAA has successfully united Black student-athletes across all Lancer teams. This effort has helped bridge gaps in representation and foster a sense of belonging for all Black student-athletes.

Coach of the Year - Dani Sinclair, Carleton Ravens

Having added to their banner collection last year, the Carleton Ravens find themselves in a title defence position once again with OUA coach of the year Dani Sinclair at the helm.

Sinclair's Ravens found a way to improve on their 21-1 season in 2023-24, going a perfect 22-0 through 2024-25 to mark the team’s second undefeated regular season in program history.

The Guelph, Ont. product led her group as they responded to the pressure of being back-to-back champions. The Ravens held their opponents to under 60 points in 17 of 22 games, while winning by 30 points or more on seven occasions.  

Pacing the province in many categories, Carleton was a formidable opponent with Sinclair leading the way from the sidelines. They scored 75.4 points per game, shooting 41.6 percent from the field and 31 percent from beyond the arc.

It is no surprise with these leading numbers that Sinclair was able to get the most out of her roster day in and day out. Joining their coach in the OUA spotlight this season are Jacqueline Urban and Kyana-Jade Poulin with all-star nods, as well as Nathalie Francis on the all-rookie team.

With an already stacked list of accolades, including the 2024 Ottawa Sports Awards Female Coach of the Year, as well as being a two-time winner of the Carleton’s Pat O'Brien Coach of the Year award, she is once again named OUA coach of the year.

The complete list of 2024-25 OUA women’s basketball award winners and all-stars is as follows:

Player of the Year - Madalyn Weinert, Brock Badgers
Rookie of the Year - Brooke Hussey, Queen’s Gaels
Defensive Player of the Year - Nehita Oko-Oboh, Waterloo Warriors
Joy Bellinger Award - Renee Armstrong, Guelph Gryphons
Tracy McLeod Award - Ally Smith, Queen’s Gaels
EDI Award - Vanessa Budimunda, Windsor Lancers
Coach of the Year - Dani Sinclair, Carleton Ravens
Officials Award of Merit - Christine Vuong

FIRST TEAM ALL-STARS

Madalyn Weinert, Brock Badgers
Natsuki Szczokin, Ottawa Gee-Gees
Jacqueline Urban, Carleton Ravens
Kaillie Hall, TMU Bold
Jenna Button, Western Mustangs

SECOND TEAM ALL-STARS

Kiara Leveridge, York Lions
Emilie Lafond, Laurentian Voyageurs
Kyana-Jade Poulin, Carleton Ravens
Katrina Renon, Queen’s Gaels
Hannah Bourdon, Guelph Gryphons

THIRD TEAM ALL-STARS

Nehita Oko-Oboh, Waterloo Warriors
Amy Stinson, McMaster Marauders
Julia Chiarot, Windsor Lancers
Kate White, Laurier Golden Hawks
Allie McCarthy, Ottawa Gee-Gees

ALL-ROOKIE TEAM

Brooke Hussey, Queen’s Gaels
Kymora Stafford, Waterloo Warriors
Cadence Pecore, Laurentian Voyageurs
Kaleah Gosse, Ontario Tech Ridgebacks
Nathalie Francis, Carleton Ravens