THUNDER BAY – Sitting on the sidelines for the past year-and-half was not fun.
It’s why Tiffany Reynolds got so excited when she learned last month that Ontario University Athletics had released its team sports schedules, giving student-athletes something to look toward after losing the 2020-21 campaign to COVID-19.
Reynolds, a tough-as-nails guard, with an eye for the ball and a penchant for harassing the opposition’s best players, will be one of the cornerstones of a revamped Lakehead University women’s basketball program this fall, which kicks of Nov. 5 on the road against the McMaster Marauders.
“It was really, really tough,” she said. “At first, when we went into the pandemic I thought, oh I kind of need a little break. My knees are sore, but months went by and I was getting really, really said. I even called coach Jon (Kreiner) and said, ‘Man, I’m not doing to good over here,’” the Toronto-born Reynolds said.
“Motivation was low, I was pretty sad. All my roommates were gone so I didn’t really get to see anybody. I was not in a good place. Thank God my teammates were there for me through everything. We just talked or went to the park and then I was a lot better.”
Reynolds, who helped Kreiner with a series of basketball camps in early July, said she can’t wait to get back into action with the Thunderwolves, a new-look team that’s bringing back all-star guard Sofia Lluch, fresh off a season playing professionally in her native Spain.
Plenty of familiar faces, including forward Lily Gruber-Schulz, defensive wizard Tianna Warwick-Dawkins and three-point specialist Nikki Ylagan, won’t return in 2021-22.
She’ll deal with the changes later. For now, Reynolds, who was limited to just 13 games in 2019-20 because of injury, just wants to practice and play.
“I’ve been working hard. Coach would send me these videos during the lockdown, telling me I should work on this for the next season. I feel like everybody on our team is working really, really hard. I’m excited for September. I’m excited to see what everybody brings,” said Reynolds, who averaged 7.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game last season.
“We pretty much have a new team, so that will be fun.”
It was equally tough on the coaching staff, but there’s a light at the end of the tunnel, Kreiner said, joking he’s got to temper the enthusiasm a bit to ensure they hit their stride in Hamilton in November, not in the gym in August.
“It’s almost like I have to calm them down,” Kreiner said. “Even myself, we’re like giddy little kids, just excited to back and knowing that even though we’re not in the gym training right now, that light at the end of the tunnel is here. Things are happening fast. That wave of energy that’s going to move through athletics and sports and school and all those things is going to be huge and we’ve got to be ready for it.”
Kreiner has already announced three recruits for 2021-22 – Quebec’s Alexia Giroux, Winnipeg’s Emily Pokrant and Spain’s Eva Guilera – and says he’s got one more overseas commitment to come.
It’ll be an adjustment, but a player like Reynolds should help ease that transition, he said.
“She’s kind of the foundation of our program right now, as well as Sofia ... Those two really are going to be the foundation of our program. We have five returning players and seven returning players.”
Kreiner said he plans to keep the roster at 12 to allow for more playing time, a reward for those players who waited out the pandemic.
