U Sports women's basketball championship
Template:Short description Template:Infobox sports league The U Sports Women's Basketball Championship, branded as the Women's Basketball Final 8, is a Canadian university basketball tournament conducted by U Sports, and determines the women's national champion. The tournament involves the champions from each of Canada's four regional sports conferences. The Bronze Baby trophy is awarded to the winners.
Seventeen different schools have won the tournament. The University of Victoria has the most tournament wins, with nine. Laurentian University has seven championships. The University of British Columbia has taken the title six times, while the University of Windsor and Simon Fraser University have five apiece. Carleton University, the University of Winnipeg, the University of Saskatchewan and University of Manitoba have each won three championships, while Bishop's University and have won two. Seven programs have one national championship.
History
The tournament was originally composed of just four qualifying teams from 1972 to 1976 until it was expanded to include six in 1977.<ref name="Hoops results">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The championship was then changed to include eight teams in 1979 and has generally remained the same since then. In the 2011 edition, the then-named CIS had West, Central, and East regional play-in games to determine the three remaining spot in the tournament (the other five went to the four conference champions and host).<ref name="Hoops results" /> In 2012, there were East and West regional games to determine two additional berths and by 2013 the league had reverted to voting in the three remaining spots.<ref name="Hoops results" /> Aside from those two years of regional qualifiers, the tournament has always taken place over one weekend at a pre-determined host site.<ref name="Hoops results" />
The trophy features a figure that is a replica of a statue that was in the grounds of Dunfermline College of Physical Education in Scotland.<ref name="WBB History">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The trophy was first donated in 1922 by the Students' Council of McGill University and awarded to the Ontario and Quebec conference champion of the Women's Interuniversity Athletic Union (WIAU). After the WIAU amalgamated with the Ontario Women's Interuniversity Athletic Union (OWIAA) in 1971, the trophy was retired and returned to McGill.<ref name="WBB History" /><ref name="U Sports History">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The trophy was then offered to the Canadian Women's Interuniversity Athletic Union (CWIAU) in 1972 to be competed for at a fully national level.<ref name="WBB History" /> The CWIAU merged with the Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union (CIAU), the men's union, in 1978 and awarded by the now-named U Sports governing body.
The 2021 championship tournaments were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref name="2021 cancelled">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Format
The championship consists of an eight-team single-elimination tournament. Four teams automatically qualify for the tournament as one of the winners of the four conferences, two qualify as the runners-up of both the OUA and Canada West conference, one qualifies as the host, and one is given an at-large berth.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Results
Title by school
| Appearances | Team | Conference | Wins | Losses | Win % | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | Victoria Vikes | Canada West | 9 | 5 | .643 | 2003 | 2003 |
| 10 | Winnipeg Wesmen | Canada West | 3 | 7 | .300 | 1995 | 2022 |
| 9 | Laurentian Lady Vees | OUA | 7 | 2 | .778 | 1991 | 1991 |
| 8 | UBC Thunderbirds | Canada West | 6 | 2 | .750 | 2008 | 2012 |
| 6 | Manitoba Bisons | Canada West | 3 | 3 | .500 | 1997 | 1998 |
| 6 | Regina Cougars | Canada West | 1 | 5 | .167 | 2001 | 2013 |
| 6 | Windsor Lancers | OUA | 5 | 1 | .833 | 2015 | 2015 |
| 5 | Simon Fraser Clan{{#if:[A]|[A]|[1]}} | Canada West | 5 | 0 | 1.000 | 2010 | 2010 |
| 5 | Saskatchewan Huskies | Canada West | 3 | 2 | .600 | 2025 | 2025 |
| 4 | Bishop's Gaiters | RSEQ | 2 | 2 | .500 | 1984 | 1984 |
| 4 | Calgary Dinos | Canada West | 1 | 3 | .250 | 1989 | 2000 |
| 4 | Carleton Ravens | OUA | 3 | 1 | .750 | 2024 | 2025 |
| 3 | Toronto Varsity Blues | OUA | 1 | 2 | .333 | 1986 | 1996 |
| 3 | UNB Red Bloomers | AUS | 0 | 3 | .000 | None | 1976 |
| 3 | Alberta Pandas | Canada West | 1 | 2 | .667 | 1999 | 2007 |
| 3 | Laval Rouge et Or | RSEQ | 0 | 3 | .000 | None | 2019 |
| 2 | McGill Martlets | RSEQ | 1 | 1 | .500 | 2017 | 2017 |
| 2 | Ryerson Rams/TMU Bold | OUA | 1 | 1 | .500 | 2022 | 2022 |
| 1 | McMaster Marauders | OUA | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 2019 | 2019 |
| 1 | Dalhousie Tigers | AUS | 0 | 1 | .000 | None | 1980 |
| 1 | UPEI Panthers | AUS | 0 | 1 | .000 | None | 1989 |
| 1 | York Yeowomen | OUA | 0 | 1 | .000 | None | 1997 |
| 1 | Cape Breton Capers | AUS | 0 | 1 | .000 | None | 2006 |
| 1 | Saint Mary's Huskies | AUS | 0 | 1 | .000 | None | 2014 |
| 1 | Brock Badgers | OUA | 0 | 1 | .000 | None | 2020 |
| 1 | Queen's Gaels | OUA | 0 | 1 | .000 | None | 2023 |
<templatestyles src="Citation/styles.css"/>^{{#if:| }} A. Simon Fraser Clan were members of the CIS (now U Sports) from 2001 to 2010.
See also
External links
References
Template:U Sports basketball Template:U Sports championships Template:Major women's sport leagues in North America