QUEBEC CITY, Que. - For the fourth time, University of Saskatchewan Huskies women's basketball head coach
Lisa Thomaidis has been named the top coach in the nation, taking home the Peter Ennis Award as the Fox 40 Coach of the Year. Recognized at the 2026 U SPORTS Women's Basketball All-Canadian banquet, Thomaidis take home the national award for the fourth time in her illustrious career at USask.
Fifth-year guard and Canada West Player of the Year
Gage Grassick was also recognized Wednesday night (Mar. 4), earning First Team All-Canadian status for a second consecutive season.
2025 U SPORTS Women's Basketball Major Award Winners
Nan Copp Trophy (Player of the Year): Madalyn Weinert, Brock Badgers
Kathy Shields Award (Rookie of the Year): Sydney Cowan, Western Mustangs
Defensive Player of the Year: Amélie Collin, Calgary Dinos
Sylvia Sweeney Award (Student-Athlete Community Service: Emilia Diaz-Ruiz, McGill Martlets
Tracy MacLeod Award (Courage Overcoming Adversity): Bella Gaudet, Queen's Gaels
Peter Ennis Award (Fox40 Coach of the Year): Lisa Thomaidis, Saskatchewan Huskies
Entering the final stretch of her 27th season as head coach of the USask women's basketball program,
Lisa Thomaidis adds yet another accolade to her Hall of Fame worthy resume with her fourth recognition as the national Coach of the Year. She also took home the Peter Ennis Award as the Fox 40 Coach of the Year in 2024-25, 2010-11 and 2008-09.
Her Huskies were unstoppable this season, amassing a 20-0 regular season record and 26-0 overall record while boasting the nation's most efficient offence and second-most efficient defence. It marked the 17th perfect regular season in Canada West history and first since the Regina Cougars were flawless in 2011-12.
Opening the season as the No. 1-ranked team in the nation, Thomaidis and the Huskies maintained their spot as the best team in the country for all 12 edition's of the U SPORTS Top-10 this season, tying their longest tenure at No. 1. The program's record-setting season also saw th Dogs build a 51-game winning streak dating back to the opening week of the 2024 season—the fourth longest unbeaten streak in Canadian university women's basketball history.
Earning their 17th U SPORTS Final 8 berth under Thomaidis, the Huskies resume their pursuit of the fourth national title in program history this week.
Gage Grassick also took home national recognition after earning First Team All-Canadian status for the second consecutive season.
Saskatchewan's leading scorer in 2025-26, the pharmacy student was perhaps the most well-rounded student-athlete in U SPORTS this season and ranked third in the nation with 108 assists. Grassick also ranked top-five in Canada West in three-pointers made (3rd), steals (4th), field goals made (5th) and assist-to-turnover ratio (5th) while leading the Dogs to an undefeated regular season.
She becomes the just the second player to be named a First Team All-Canadian in consecutive seasons and first since Sarah Crooks did so from 2003 to 2007.
Thomaidis and Grassick return to the court Thursday for the U SPORTS Final 8 Quarterfinals where they take on the UBC Thunderbirds in Quebec City, Quebec.
