The Sisterhood of Wolves: Meet the No. 1 college basketball team in Canada
Bronze. Silver. Gold?
Published: February 13, 2025
Bronze. Silver. Gold?
There’s a precious metal missing from the trophy case of the Algonquin Wolves women’s basketball team.
After a third straight undefeated regular season, the team enters the playoffs ranked No. 1 nationally for the first time. After earning a bronze at the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) championship in 2023 and a silver in 2024, the Wolves have unfinished business on the court. It all continues on Saturday, February 22 with a quarterfinal playoff matchup at home against the Lambton Lions (tickets are free).
To remain undefeated, the team will need to rely on their greatest strengths: kinship and selflessness.
“I think the secret of our success is sisterhood,” says forward Piper Hatherall. “It’s a team of best friends. We understand each other. We get each other.”
“I think we’d all rather have assists and rebounds than actual points,” adds Hatherall, an Emergency Management student. “We’d rather be there to support each other’s successes than our own.”
Coach Jaime McLean agrees: “Part of our culture is that it’s not just about the individual; it’s about the whole unit being part of the pack. It’s the way they care for and fight for each other – through thick and thin, through highs and lows. They’ve really pulled together as a group.”
“Our team is like a big family,” says all-star guard Dasia McDonald. “We trust and respect each other. Everyone contributes in different ways.”
It’s not surprising that McDonald, a Web Development and Internet Applications student, leads the league in assists per game. She’s proud of her ability to get the ball into teammates’ hands and knows “everyone on our team can score.”
Of course, keeping the ball out of the basket also wins games. A commitment to team defence is one of the group’s strengths, McLean says. In fact, the Wolves are the best defenders in the OCAA, giving up an average of 38 points per game while the next closest team averages 50.
The Wolves play together seamlessly. Familiarity breeds success. Case in point, McDonald and Hatherall have played basketball together in Ottawa since the fifth grade. “A lot of us already had a bond and connection before becoming Wolves,” McDonald explains. “We’d already played with or against each other.”
For many players, this season is the final opportunity to win a provincial title and berth in the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association’s national championship. The roster features 11 graduating athletes, and they have a chance to win gold at home. If they are one of the final four teams standing, the Wolves will host the OCAA championship at the Jack Doyle Athletics and Recreation Centre on February 28 and March 1.
To get there, players have committed to managing the pressure. The Wolves aren’t going to surprise anyone. They know their hard-fought No. 1 ranking makes them a target.
“Every team’s going to want to beat the No. 1 team in Canada,” McDonald says. “It’s a challenge that we’re ready to accept.”
The team has grown through adversity and learned from past mistakes. They’re staying focused and taking it one game at a time, Hatherall says. Players also credit their fans for rallying around them all season. The Algonquin College community – including students, friends, family, and alumni – are an important part of these Wolves.
“To be part of the pack is to be part of something that is bigger than yourself,” Hatherall says. “To be part of a group of people who all share a common goal as a team.”
McLean says the team should wear its national rank as a badge of honour. They’ve earned it, he says: “Algonquin women’s basketball is here. It’s strong. The program’s strong. And we’re hopefully going to make a run.”
One thing is for certain: this Wolves’ pack is circling gold in 2025.
To catch Saturday’s playoff game, visit here for tickets and here for a game preview.
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Photography by Ellen Bond.