The Algoma University Thunderbirds women’s basketball team will hit the hardwood on Friday, October 23, as they open their 2026–27 Ontario University Athletics (OUA) season against the visiting Brock Badgers at home in Sault Ste. Marie.
The Thunderbirds will have another opportunity to test themselves early in the campaign when they welcome the Queen’s Gaels on Saturday, October 24. Both weekends of competition will feature doubleheaders, with the women’s games tipping off at 6:00 p.m, followed by the men’s contests at 8:00 p.m.
With a combination of returning veterans and seven newcomers, Algoma enters the new season looking to establish its identity, improve its consistency and build a competitive foundation that can carry the program forward throughout the OUA schedule.
Head coach Katie Hamilton is particularly excited about the depth and versatility of this year’s roster, two qualities she believes will allow the Thunderbirds to play an aggressive, creative and free-flowing style of basketball.
“With this group of girls we are most excited about our depth and our versatility as a team,” Hamilton said. “Because of these two things, we are able to play a creative, free flowing style of basketball.”
The Thunderbirds have added seven new players to the mix, each bringing different strengths, weaknesses and attributes to the program. As the group continues to learn how to play together, Hamilton says the early focus will be on competing, controlling what they can control and enjoying the process.
“This weekend we are just looking for the girls to compete, control the controllables and have fun doing it,” Hamilton said. “That is our core philosophy as a team each and every day in everything we do.”
Strong Preseason Provides Valuable Lessons
Algoma’s preseason schedule has offered encouraging signs, along with important lessons as the team prepares for the challenges of regular-season OUA basketball.
The Thunderbirds opened their exhibition schedule with an impressive 3–0 weekend at home, competing against quality opponents from both the OUA and Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA).
The team then travelled to Brandon, Manitoba, for two games against a tough Brandon squad. Algoma competed well in the first contest, battling back and forth for 40 minutes before suffering a 10-point loss.
The second game proved more difficult, with the Thunderbirds struggling to find their game. Hamilton believes that experience reinforced the importance of maintaining consistent effort and focus against quality competition.
“We are very happy with how our pre-season has looked so far,” Hamilton said.
She added that the team has improved in all facets of the game, particularly as it continues to develop a more aggressive approach.
That progress has been reflected in areas such as free-throw attempts, rebounding and limiting opponents’ scoring opportunities.
However, Hamilton knows the next step is turning those improvements into a consistent 40-minute performance.
“We need to continue to work on executing for 40 minutes, not just relying on talent or athleticism and ensuring we are being physical enough to control the rebounding battle,” she said.
Veteran Leadership Anchors a Changing Roster
The Thunderbirds will rely on a group of eight returning players to help establish the team’s standards on and off the court.
Returning veterans include Neela Chanderdat, Sadie Grawbarger, Bernadette Maranan, Taylor Randall, Casandra Guerrier, Annabelle Lefebvre, Elia Galdos and Emmalie Allard.
Grawbarger and Allard, both from Sault Ste. Marie, provide local representation on the roster, while Grawbarger and Lefebvre have emerged as important leaders within the program.
Hamilton says their experience and willingness to embrace responsibility have been especially valuable throughout the team’s rebuilding process.
“We are blessed with such great leadership in Sadie Grawbarger and Annabelle Lefebvre and I have relied very heavily on them throughout this rebuild process,” Hamilton said.
Their familiarity with the coaching staff and program expectations allows them to help newcomers understand the finer details of the team’s culture, while setting an example through their approach to practices and games.
Hamilton is also encouraged by the atmosphere developing within the gym. She has seen the players become more comfortable with one another, creating an environment where competition and enjoyment can coexist.
The coach believes that balance is important as the Thunderbirds work toward becoming a tougher and more consistent team.
Hamilton is particularly proud of the commitment shown by the returning players after a challenging previous season.
“I’m really, really, really proud of our returning players,” she said. “We have 8 returners who had to battle the realities of last season and for each of them to commit to coming back as more well rounded players, better conditioned, more focused, more buy-in and able to produce in their own ways is amazing.”
Rather than shying away from the program’s previous struggles, Hamilton says the returning players have embraced the challenge and are using those experiences as motivation to improve.
Seven Newcomers Add Depth and Competition
Joining the Thunderbirds for the 2026–27 season are rookies Maya Francisco, Marine Al-Mondalek, Gabrielle Verreault Lafleur, Alycia St. Martin-Balan, Justine Pierre, Benie Bambila and Taylor Carwell.
The newcomers give Algoma additional depth and provide the coaching staff with more options as it develops rotations and determines how different combinations of players can contribute.
Hamilton noted that the incoming group includes several players with experience beyond a traditional high school-to-university transition. Only three of the seven rookies are true freshmen coming directly out of high school, which has helped make the adjustment to college basketball somewhat easier.
Beyond their contributions on the court, the new players have already made a significant difference in the team’s day-to-day training environment.
“The newcomers have provided us with the depth we have needed and probably most importantly and the biggest impact is that our practice environment has drastically changed because of this,” Hamilton said.
With greater competition for playing time and a variety of skill sets available, Algoma will have opportunities to experiment with lineups and continue developing its style of play.
Hamilton is looking forward to seeing how each newcomer fits into the program this season and how their development can contribute to the team’s future.
Establishing an Aggressive Team Identity
As the Thunderbirds begin regular-season competition, Hamilton wants the team to build its identity around physicality, effort and disciplined team basketball.
“We are trying to establish a style of play that just reflects good, solid, hard nosed, old school, aggressive team basketball,” she said.
That approach will require the Thunderbirds to compete for rebounds, move the ball effectively, defend with intensity and execute their responsibilities consistently.
The early portion of the schedule will also test the team’s ability to respond when momentum shifts. Hamilton recognizes that every game will include difficult stretches, particularly against experienced OUA opponents.
The key, she says, will be preventing those moments from turning into extended periods of frustration that allow opponents to take control.
“I am intrigued to see if we can battle through the tough times in games,” Hamilton said. “There is always going to be runs by opponents and moments in those 40 minutes that don’t go our way.”
The Thunderbirds will need to respond quickly when opponents make their runs and demonstrate the resilience required to remain competitive throughout a full game.
A Marathon, Not a Sprint
As the 2026–27 season gets underway, Hamilton is keeping the team’s expectations focused on daily improvement rather than looking too far ahead.
With a long OUA schedule in front of them, the Thunderbirds understand that building chemistry, establishing consistency and developing individual roles will take time.
For Hamilton, the priority is straightforward: compete every day, focus on the immediate challenge and continue improving as a group.
“The OUA basketball season is a marathon not a sprint,” Hamilton said. “There’s so many things that can happen, if you focus too much on the end you lose track of the immediate and things go astray.”
That philosophy will be put to the test immediately as Algoma welcomes Brock on Friday evening before facing Queen’s on Saturday.
With a deeper roster, seven new faces and returning leaders committed to the program’s continued development, the Thunderbirds will begin their season looking to translate their preseason progress into regular-season results.
The opening weekend will provide an early opportunity to see how the pieces fit together and how Algoma’s renewed emphasis on aggressive, hard-nosed basketball translates against OUA competition.
For the Thunderbirds, the objective is to compete, learn and take the season one moment at a time.
