By Matthew Davison
The Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) Bold women’s basketball team will face its final pre-season test when they host the Darcel Wright Memorial Classic tournament, which begins this Friday, Oct. 21.
The team will take on the University of Victoria Vikes in the opening game at the Mattamy Athletic Centre at 12 p.m. Rounding out the strong field is Cape Breton University, Western University, the University of Windsor, the University of Saskatchewan, the University of British Columbia and McMaster University.
The Bold haven’t eased their way into gameplay, given their pre-season schedule was full of demanding opponents, including the University of Regina Cougars and the Acadia Axewomen, who are the reigning Atlantic University Sport champion. But head coach Carly Clarke said that was by design.
“We’ve given ourselves a really challenging pre-season schedule and that’s on purpose,” said Clarke. “We’re trying to measure ourselves against the best to see where we are and where we need to get better.”
The annual showcase honouring the late member of the TMU Athletics Hall of Fame hasn’t been held in its traditional tournament format since 2019 as a result of the pandemic.
“We’re trying to measure ourselves against the best to see where we are and where we need to get better”
A year ago, the smaller-scale event saw the Bold go 2-0, defeating Western and the Saskatchewan Huskies, who were the defending national champions at the time. The Bold enter this year’s tournament as the team to beat, though the roster has undergone many changes.
The team’s only returning starter, Rachel Farwell, expects to take on a larger leadership role on this year’s team and is excited by what the young group has to offer.
“We got a taste of what success feels like last year and we want to achieve it again,” said Farwell. “We’re significantly younger than we were last year…it’s definitely a very different look but I don’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing.”
Farwell’s teammate and fellow starter from last season, Stefanija Mrvaljevic, is also looking to bring that championship experience to this group—this year as a member of the coaching staff. Clarke said the former forward is built to be a coach due to her high basketball IQ.
“She was a coach on the floor for us when she was a player,” said Clarke. “She brings a great understanding of what’s going on there and an ability to connect with the players because she’s been out there with a bunch of them.”
The Bold are just 1-4 to start the pre-season campaign—a stark contrast from their undefeated season last year. Clarke said it’s important to remember how rare it is for a team to win every game and that it will take time for this group to reach its full potential.
“Every single one of our players is in a new role this year,” said Clarke. “Some of them have played hardly at all but we have lots of talented players and we’re going to get better and better.”
A player poised to take on a more prominent role on the team this season is Jayme Foreman—who was behind veteran players in the rotation last year and battled COVID-19 during the latter part of the season. The second-year guard said the new group can’t just copy the same formula as last year, but sees great opportunity ahead.
“We’re ready to show everyone that even though we’re a different team, we’re still good. And we’re still here to play,” said Foreman.
Another key player who was pivotal to the team’s success last year, especially in the playoffs with her tenacious style of play, was Eve Uwayesu. The fifth-year forward stressed the importance of dedication and commitment to achieving desired results.
“We’re ready to show everyone that even though we’re a different team, we’re still good. And we’re still here to play”
“We have a lot of people that experienced last year. We know what it takes,” said Uwayesu. “But we also know that it’s a grind of showing up to practice day in and day out and making sure that we grow every day.”
That sentiment of “getting better every day” has long been coach Clarke’s motto, but this year that slogan rings especially true.
“The room for growth that we have with this team is really, really exciting,” said Clarke. “I’m not worried about the results in October, we’re looking for results in February and March.”
Leave a Reply