2024-25 Women's Basketball Season Preview
By: Thiago Neuenschwander
Humber Athletics Communications
The Storyline
Humber Women's Basketball will return to the hardwood for its 43rd season, opening the OCAA season on Oct. 20 at Niagara College. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m.
2023-24 Highlights
- Last season was the first time women's basketball did not finish with an OCAA medal since 2019.
- Head coach Ajay Sharma's final game was the loss to the Lambton Lions (74-50) in the OCAA quarterfinals. He concluded his coaching career with a 30-9 OCAA postseason record.
- Kia Watt was the second-highest scorer of the season, with a total of 284 and an average of 17.8 points per game.
At the helm
After a legendary career as an athlete with the Humber Hawks and two seasons as an assistant coach under the legendary Ajay Sharma, Ceejay Nofuente takes over the team to lead the girls to the Hawks' 13th OCAA title.
Nofuente joined the Hawks as a student-athlete in 2013, making an immediate impact and changing the direction of Humber Basketball. A two-time national champion, the Toronto native finished her career as the most decorated women's team sport student-athlete in CCAA history.
She is the only female athlete to earn CCAA National Player of the Year honours three times and currently holds the Humber records for most career points, assists, and steals. Nofuente finished her collegiate career with a 100-3 record against CCAA opponents.
The assistant coaches are Aleena Domingo (4th Year), Cy Samuels (1st Year), Kourtni Perry (1st Year), and Amber Bechard (1st Year).
Fresh Faces
Seven players will be donning the navy and gold for the first time this season:
- Carina Wynter-Josephs, Point Guard, Brampton - First Year
- Persia Martin-Brown, Guard, Toronto - First Year
- Mikayla Peel, Forward, Trout Creek - First Year
- Khiara McKenzie-Johnson, Forward, Mississauga - First Year
- Tsinat Geremew, Forward, Ottawa - Appeared in 27 games for the Seneca Sting in two seasons, scoring 243 points, 195 rebounds, 32 assists, and 31 steals.
- Marian Martin, Point Guard, Scarborough - Appeared in 25 games for the Centennial Colts, scoring 153 points, 87 rebounds, 61 assists, and 28 steals.
- Kalani Thomas, Point Guard, Six Nations - Appeared in 42 games for the Tribunes, scoring 384 points, 173 rebounds, 118 assists, and 94 steals.
1000-point club
Senior Kia Watt enters the season needing 100 points to become the third player in program history to record 1,000-plus career points.
What's Next?
After the debut against the Knights, the Hawks will have two more games in October. They will face the Sheridan Bruins at the Davis Campus Gymnasium in Brampton (Oct, 23rd), and will have the home opener against the Mohawk Mountaineers at the Humber Athletic Centre on the North Campus (Oct 30th).
