SASKATOON, Sask. - For a seventh consecutive season the Saskatchewan Huskies were represented among the conference's best as Canada West recognized the major award winners for the 2025-26 basketball season. The Huskies saw two members of the program repeat as winners, with Gage Grassick becoming the second player in program history to be named the conference's Player of the Year in consecutive seasons and Lisa Thomaidis taking home her eighth Coach of the Year nod.

The announcement of the 2025-26 Major Awards comes just a week after both Gage Grassick and Maya Flindall were recognized as Canada West All-Stars.
 

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2025-26 Canada West Women's Basketball Major Award Winners

Player of the Year: Gage Grassick, Saskatchewan Huskies
Defensive Player of the Year: Amélie Collin, Calgary Dinos
Rookie of the Year: Avery Geddes, Victoria Vikes
Courage Overcoming Adversity Award: Esther Allison, Fraser Valley Cascades
Student-Athlete Community Service Award: Natalie Allison, Victoria Vikes
Coach of the Year: Lisa Thomaidis, Saskatchewan Huskies
 

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Gage Grassick - 2025-26 Canada West Player of the Year
5th-Year Guard | Prince Albert, Sask. | Pharmacy

For the second consecutive season, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan product Gage Grassick has been named the best player in Canada West Women's Basketball.

Leading the Huskies to a flawless 20-0 regular season record, Grassick was not just the best player in the conference, but also the most well-rounded player this season doing nearly everything on the court at an elite level.

Averaging 15.8 points per game, the now two-time Player of the Year ranked in the top-10 in nearly every major statistical category in the conference including assists (2nd), three-pointers made (3rd), steals (4th), field goals made (5th) and assist-to-turnover ratio (5th).

She surpassed the 15-point mark in 11 contests and recorded five double-doubles, as the top-ranked Huskies built one of the longest winning streaks in U SPORTS.

She becomes the second USask student-athlete to be named the Canada West Player of the Year in consecutive seasons, joining Sarah Crooks who did so in 2005-06 and 2006-07.

"Gage has had another exceptional year, leading our team to a record-setting run of consecutive wins. Her stats speak for themselves, but it's how she impacts winning in so many other ways that differentiates her from all others. ​ Her leadership and the immeasurable intangibles that she brings to the court every day truly make her special." – Saskatchewan Huskies Head Coach Lisa Thomaidis
 

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Lisa Thomaidis - 2025-26 Canada West Coach of the Year

For the third consecutive season and the eighth time in her remarkable career, Lisa Thomaidis has been recognized as the Canada West Coach of the Year. Now in her 27th season as head coach of the Huskies, she also took home the award in 2004, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2016, 2024 and 2025.

Thomaidis' Huskies were unstoppable this season, literally, recording a 20-0 regular season record for the first perfect season under the accomplished head coach. It also marked just the 17th perfect season in the conference and first since the Regina Cougars went undefeated in 2011-12.

Thanks to the perfection in conference play, the Dogs also built an incredible 52-game winning streak, the fourth-longest in the history of Canadian university women's basketball.

Opening the season as the No. 1-ranked team in U SPORTS, the Huskies held that streak for an impressive 12 weeks, tying their longest streak as the top team in the nation.

"With this record-breaking season, Coach Thomaidis and our women's basketball program continues to set the standard of excellence across the country. This recognition is a testament to both her commitment to our student-athletes and the team culture she continues to build, producing lasting results both on and off the court. We are incredibly proud of the success that both her and the program have achieved this season." – Shannon Chinn, Saskatchewan Huskies Chief Athletics Officer
 

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