The Huskies Women’s Basketball Team captures their second straight national championship as Murphy Wiebe earns tournament MVP honours

Ella Murphy Wiebe capped off her Huskie career at the highest of highs. The mechanical engineering student and Saskatoon product helped lead the University of Saskatchewan women’s basketball team to its second straight national championship — and earned tournament MVP honours in the process.

Journey to the Huskies and Family Support

Growing up, basketball wasn’t always the plan for Murphy Wiebe, despite her deep family ties to the Huskie program. Her father, Dean Wiebe, is a Huskie Men’s basketball legend and ranks fourth on the program’s all‑time scoring list. Her aunt, Kathleen Murphy, was also a Huskie Women’s Basketball player. Still, for most of her childhood, she played soccer.

“My dad didn’t force it or anything. I kept playing soccer until I started playing a bit of basketball. I really liked it because it came more naturally to me. Then it was getting to the point where I was having to decide which one I was actually going to choose.”

At about 13, she made the switch. At the time, she didn’t picture herself as a future Huskie, let alone a national champion. 

“I just liked playing. I didn’t really like the super competitiveness, which is ironic since I’m very competitive as a person. It wasn’t until Grade 11 [that] I was like, ‘Oh, I think I should continue playing.’ So that’s when I decided, yeah, Huskies would be cool.”

Being recruited during the pandemic wasn’t easy, but head coach Lisa Thomaidis saw something in the “awkward player with red socks,” as Murphy Wiebe describes her younger self.

Huskie Basketball continues to run in the Murphy Wiebe family, as two years ago, her brother Owen joined the men’s team. 

“I was super happy because I knew that in my first year it was pretty tough, and I think that’s a common experience for everybody. So I was happy that I could be there for him if he needed.”

Having so much familial support in her life has been invaluable to Murphy Wiebe.

“It allowed me to just enjoy basketball … Having people to talk to and vent to, and to get outside perspectives that I know will always be truthful — I think that allowed me to really enjoy the experience.”

Balancing Basketball, Academics and Adversity 

Off the court, Murphy Wiebe studies mechanical engineering.

“I thrive on stress. That’s what gets me through. Sometimes I need a day of rest, because it’s not actually rest. If I’m stressing about how I’m not doing things, it’ll just make me do things.”

Throughout Murphy Wiebe’s career, she’s dealt with injuries and setbacks. This year, being injury-free in the crucial latter stages of the season was a major factor in her consistency.

“Being able to not think about injury — just that alone is such a big thing. I definitely took it for granted before, but I don’t think I did this season. I worked hard to keep myself injury‑free.”

As a fifth‑year, she also embraced a leadership role shaped by her past experiences of feeling like an outsider.

“I think I have a different perspective on things than a lot of people … I was homeschooled until Grade 11, so I came into high school not knowing a lot of people. I was the weird homeschooled kid.”

It’s why she became intentional about creating the kind of environment she once wished she had.

“I’ve always wanted everyone to feel included, and that’s been my goal as a fifth‑year — to make sure everyone feels that and feels like they’re part of the team. I hope that when people remember me, they remember that.”

Entering the Season as Defending Champions

Coming off last year’s national title, Murphy Wiebe admits the challenge of being the team everyone is out to get and having to live up to the high standards they’ve set. 

“It was scary, almost, because I always think the most unpredictable teams are teams who have just lost, and we were not that. That’s an edge we didn’t have.”

Despite the pressure, the Huskies picked up exactly where they left off, going undefeated in all 20 regular-season games and extending their winning streak to 51.

This run set up a CanWest Quarterfinal matchup against the Calgary Dinos, who stunned the Huskies at home 58-61, knocking the Huskies out of the playoffs. 

“It sounds crazy, but losing — I forgot what it felt like … that feeling is the worst. But it’s also the best type of catalyst to get you working and to make you realize how special winning is. It’s easy to take it for granted when you’ve won 51 straight games.”

The loss shifted the team’s mindset. 

“There was always that thought of, ‘What if this is the game we’re going to lose?’ Losing the game against Calgary was the best thing for us, because that thought completely went away. We were now the underdogs.”

After the loss, the Huskies went right back to work in the gym, banking on the lone nationals wildcard berth granted to the best‑performing team that didn’t automatically qualify.

Their dominant regular season paid off, and the Huskies were off to Laval for Nationals.

“The important thing was that we went into nationals with the mindset that winning doesn’t come easy — you have to work for it.”

The Final 8: A Championship Run at Laval 

Located in Quebec City, Université Laval is known nationwide for its passionate fan base. Two years ago, their men’s basketball team hosted nationals as the lowest seed — the team didn’t even qualify through playoffs, but received an automatic berth as the hosts — and went on to win the whole tournament.

This year, the eighth-seed women’s team were hoping to do the same. In the quarterfinals, Laval upset No. 1-ranked Toronto Metropolitan University, and the No. 5-ranked Huskies overcame the No. 4-ranked University of British Columbia. The women’s semifinal was set to be a blockbuster matchup featuring the defending champs and the challenging hosts.

“It was a really cool atmosphere. The lights were really bright, and it felt like we were on a stage. The Laval game was really loud. It might have been a mix [of] me not knowing French and me not really hearing things because it was so loud, but it didn’t affect me personally. I don’t think it affected many of us — it was just background noise.”

In that game, Murphy Wiebe delivered a career-best performance with 26 points and 16 rebounds, helping her team win 55-43 and move on to the finals.

The Huskies went on to defeat the University of New Brunswick in the final 77-68, securing back‑to‑back national championships.

When the buzzer went off, a huge weight was lifted off Murphy Wiebe’s shoulders. 

“For me, it was just relief. It’s been five years of anticipation … I really wanted to end my Huskie career with a national championship.”

The physical toll of the tournament was undeniable, too.

“I kept getting hit in the face, hit in the knee — I was just happy the game was over. I was exhausted. I’ve never felt the muscle fatigue and tiredness in certain places that I felt that week.”

Across the three games, Murphy Wiebe played a vital role in the Huskies’ national win, totalling 55 points and 34 rebounds. Her standout performances made her the clear choice for tournament MVP. 

Still, she credits her success to the people around her.

“I think the support of my coach and my teammates was such a big thing. I’ve struggled with confidence. I really do think the thing that’s held me back most, other than injuries, has been my own confidence. My coach has been saying that for years, and I knew it at the time. But this tournament, I just wasn’t thinking about that. I felt the support of my coaches and teammates, and I started to believe it.”

Anyone watching Murphy Wiebe could see that her confidence was undeniable. She was unstoppable in the paint, using her footwork and strength to finish possession after possession.

A Dynasty Built on Culture and Community

Head coach Lisa Thomaidis’ influence has shaped the program for nearly three decades, building what many consider a true Huskie dynasty.

“What Coach has built — she’s so detail‑oriented. We make fun of her for certain things, but I really do think the culture she’s made is a winning culture. It doesn’t only focus on the court aspect. It’s about who we are as individuals. That has been the deciding factor in our success. How you are together as a team can decide if you’re a good team or a great team. I think it really came down to Coach.”

Murphy Wiebe couldn’t be prouder to represent the University of Saskatchewan for the last five years.

“There is such a deep‑rooted basketball community here, and I think we have the best fans in the country … With it being such a small city and province, we’re a lot more connected. How tight‑knit the basketball community is here — that’s more powerful than whatever they’ve got going on in big cities.”

The Bronze Baby — the U Sports Women’s Basketball Trophy — will be staying in Saskatchewan. Murphy Wiebe shares her reaction to winning the iconic but rather unorthodox trophy.

“After we won last year, people kept asking us why we were so excited for getting third, because bronze means third … I don’t know the actual little lady, but I’ve grown to like her.”

Looking Ahead

Now that Murphy Wiebe’s Huskie career has come to a close, she hopes to continue playing basketball professionally abroad. 

“I’m going to play pro next year [and] take a year off. I don’t have a team yet — that’ll happen in the next month or two because their seasons are just finishing. I’m really excited to see where that takes me.”

The excitement of what’s ahead is matched only by her gratitude for the people who shaped her journey.

“To everybody who has been along through this process — thank you. To my coach, [Lisa Thomaidis], who believed in me always, even when I didn’t. And also Ali Fairbrother — she’s my bigs coach. She’s always been there for me, and she always looks after the bigs. And to my teammates — I’ve never had such a supportive team as I’ve had this year. And then my family — they’ve obviously always been there for me, and they’re pretty awesome.”

Congratulations to Ella and the Huskie Women’s Basketball team!