SASKATOON, Sask. - The University of Saskatchewan won't go unnoticed at the national women's basketball level this season.

Not only will Huskie head coach Lisa Thomaidis serve as an assistant coach on the senior women's national team for the seventh year but Huskie assistant coach and former player Jacqueline Lavallee also was named an assistant coach for Canada Basketball's developmental women's team for the first time.

"Every year it is such an honour and privilege to be able to work with the outstanding athletes, coaches and support staff involved with our national team," said Thomaidis. "Having Jacqueline named shows that she is being recognized for all the time and effort that she has put into coaching at various levels in our province over the last several years. She is a strong up and coming coach, who I know will do a great job."

An invitational tryout for 24 athletes, including former Huskie and Canada West women's basketball all-time leading scorer Sarah Crooks, is scheduled for July 3-4 in Barrie, Ont. Team Canada will also hold an open tryout on July 2 at York University in Toronto. Up to six players may be selected from the session to compete for a spot on either the senior or the developmental team. After the squads are selected for both teams, a joint training camp will be held at Georgian College July 5-18. From there the teams will travel on separate itineraries to compete.

The senior team will travel to Europe competing against top tier international squads from France, Italy, Germany, Poland, Belarus, Slovak Republic and the Olympic bound team from Mali. The developmental team will travel to China in late July to compete in an international tournament in Shanghai, China, facing tournament and Olympic hosts, the Chinese Senior National Team.

"Having two UofS coaches and a former athlete being involved with our national team this summer says a lot about the quality of the women's basketball program here with the Huskies," said Thomaidis.

Since joining the Huskies in 1998-99, Thomaidis has led the team to a 95-109 record and helped them capture their first ever Canada West Championship in 2005-06. Lavallee is a former Canada West All-Star and CIS All-Canadian.

"I was pretty shocked when I got the call for the position," said Lavallee. "I'm very excited for this opportunity because I know it will be a challenge and I'll be surrounded by a number of great coaches. It will be huge in terms of my overall development."

Crooks was a four-time All-Canadian and two-time CIS player of the year. She played on the national team for the last fall1 helping vie for a spot in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and spent the 2007-08 in Spain playing with El Ferrol, a professional basketball team.

Source:

Nicole Josin
Sports Information Director
Huskie Athletics
University of Saskatchewan