BURLINGTON, Ont. – Ontario University Athletics (OUA) announced the major award winners, all stars and all-rookie team for the 2024-25 women's basketball season on Wednesday, March 5. A pair of Gryphons earned provincial recognition as
Renee Armstrong was named an OUA major award winner as the recipient of the Joy Bellinger Award (outstanding service to the sport and career contributions), while
Hannah Bourdon earned recognition as an OUA Second Team All-Star.
Renee Armstrong is this year's recipient of the Joy Bellinger Award for the 2024-25 season. The Joy Bellinger Award goes to the female student-athlete in recognition of outstanding service to the sport and to the advancement of university athletics to go along with their outstanding career contributions. Armstrong, a fourth-year guard, becomes the fourth Gryphon women's basketball player in program history to receive the award, and the first since Burke Bechard in 2021-22. The London, Ontario native was one of the top distributors in the OUA, finishing 5th in the conference with 86 assists on the season. One of Armstrong's standout games this season came on November 29 against Ontario Tech where she was an assist shy of a triple double as she finished with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 9 assists in the win. Armstrong has the ability to take over a game like she did against the Laurier Golden Hawks on February 19 in the playoffs as she finished with 22 points, 8 assists, 8 rebounds and was 11-11 from the free throw line in their victory. Throughout her decorated four years as a Gryphon, Armstrong has amassed a total of 869 points, 456 rebounds, 239 assists, 148 steals and 52 blocks in OUA play.
Renee Armstrong is not only a leader on the court but a leader off the court with her commitment to community involvement through basketball and her volunteer work in her hometown of London and here in Guelph. Armstrong is an advocate for IEDI and participated in the making of the Black History Month video for the women's basketball team and is a member of the IEDI Athlete panel. She is also a member of the Leadership Academy at Guelph and is a Student-Athlete Mentor to many first- and second-year student-athletes. Armstrong was a speaker the President's Golf Tournament as well as the Gryphons She's Got Game Gala.
For third-year guard
Hannah Bourdon, her outstanding performance over the course of the 2024-25 season ends with her earning OUA all-star recognition for the first time in her career as an OUA Second Team All-Star. The Fort Erie, Ontario native took a major step forward in her second season as a starter, stepping up as one of the team's main offensive options. Bourdon led her team with 279 points (17th in OUA), averaging 12.7 points per game, 175 rebounds (9th in OUA) and 8.0 rebounds per game (tied 10th in OUA). The sport and event management major also saw a major uptick in her free throw percentage at 83.9 (5th in OUA), three's made at 34 and a 38.2 shooting percentage this season. One of Bourdon's best games of came in the postseason against the Windsor Lancers on February 22 where she scored 19 points, making a season-high five three-pointers, going 5-9 from beyond the arc to go along with her 7 rebounds.
For more information on the rest of the 2024-25 OUA women's basketball all-stars and major award winners visit
www.oua.ca.
2024-25 OUA Major Award Winners
Player of the Year - Madalyn Weinert, Brock Badgers
Rookie of the Year - Brooke Hussey, Queen's Gaels
Coach of the Year - Dani Sinclair, Carleton Ravens
Joy Bellinger Award - Renee Armstrong, Guelph Gryphons
Tracy McLeod - Ally Smith, Queen's Gaels
Defensive Player of the Year - Nehita Oko-Oboh, Waterloo Warriors
Basketball EDI Award Winner - Vanessa Budimunda, Windsor Lancers
Officials Award of Merit - Christine Vuong
2024-25 OUA All-Stars
First Team
Madalyn Weinert, Brock Badgers
Natsuki Szczokin, Ottawa Gee-Gees
Jacqueline Urban, Carleton Ravens
Kaillie Hall, TMU Bold
Jenna Button, Western Mustangs
Second Team
Kiara Leveridge, York Lions
Emilie Lafond, Laurentian Voyageurs
Kyana-Jade Poulin, Carleton Ravens
Katrina Renon, Queen's Gaels
Hannah Bourdon, Guelph Gryphons
Third Team
Nehita Oko-Oboh, Waterloo Warriors
Amy Stinson, McMaster Marauders
Julia Chiarot, Windsor Lancers
Kate White, Laurier Golden Hawks
Allie McCarthy, Ottawa Gee-Gees
2024-25 OUA All-Rookie Team
Brooke Hussey, Queen's Gaels
Kymora Stafford, Waterloo Warriors
Cadence Pecore, Laurentian Voyageurs
Kaleah Gosse, Ontario Tech Ridgebacks
Nathalie Francis, Carleton Ravens
