The Maritime Women’s Basketball Association: A league of their own close to home

Halifax Hornets’ Jasmine Parent drives against Emelie Turnel of the Moncton Mystics during the Maritime Women’s Basketball Association’s inaugural championship tournament in June, 2022 at the Homburg Centre at Halifax’s Saint Mary’s University. Photo by Tim Krochak /Chronicle HeraldArticle contentThe primary goal for the founders of the Maritime Women’s Basketball Association was simple: give the top female players in the region a high-quality league of their own to play in that’s close to home.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentThe concept first took form during the initial months of the COVID-19 shutdown in 2020 when Fredericton’s Brad Janes had countless hours of idle time to kill.Article contentArticle contentThe former Basketball New Brunswick president passed some of those long days talking to other basketball lifers about the sport he loves, and the conversations kept winding their way back to the same question: Why is there nowhere in the region for the best adult female players to play against each other outside the Atlantic Colleges Athletic Association and Atlantic University Sport?Article contentArticle content Fredericton Freeze’s Ann Bastien starts a drive by Port City Fog’s McKinley Bezanson during a game in May 2024 in Fredericton. Photo by Fran HarrisArticle contentAt a certain point, Janes decided to answer that question himself by rallying others he knew in the sport to try to fill the void with a new league.Article contentAt the time, being a pro circuit felt like too much of a reach, even for a dreamer like Janes. Instead, he and his growing circle of partners opted for an amateur format and set an operational budget of $10,000 for each franchise, with the goal of raising that money through sponsorships, ticket sales and any other revenue streams their ambitions could accommodate.Article contentHe also recruited former Canadian university standout and one-time technical director for Basketball Nova Scotia Tasia McKenna to be the league’s first commissioner. The two of them, along with a steadily evolving leadership group, then got to work trying to attract team owners.Article contentBy January of 2022, the MWBA had six franchises in place — the Halifax Hornets, Halifax Thunder and Windsor Edge in Nova Scotia and the Port City Fog (Saint John), Moncton Mystics and Fredericton Freeze in New Brunswick — and the first game took place on May 12 that year.Article contentArticle contentThe league’s talent was a mix of active and former elite-level players who all shared the same passion for the game and an appreciation for their new outlet. Everyone involved was pulling in the same direction, and the MWBA’s first season featured stable crowds, an outstanding quality of play and universal optimism.Article content Eva Tumwine of the Fredericton Freeze catches some air during the team’s comeback victory over the Lake City 56ers in Maritime Women’s Basketball Association action in Fredericton in June 2024. Photo by Fran HarrisArticle contentArticle content“For the majority of these women, when they were done playing at the collegiate level, that was it,” said MWBA commissioner Jen McKenzie.Article content“There may be some senior leagues in their local communities but that doesn’t really compare to where they’d been playing before. And for a lot of them, they didn’t even have that option. So we wanted all of those women to have access to something like this. We have players who are moms, partners, business people and working professionals. This gives them all a chance to keep playing at a high level.”