YHS Tiger Laura B. (5’10, F, 2012) has made her official commitment to the Queens University Gaels, CIS.
Her career as a York House Tiger is well documented. She played Jr. Varsity in Grade 9, leading the Jr. Tigers to a bronze medal at the Jr. BC Championships in 2009; a best for YHS Jr. Varsity Teams. She played a crucial role in leading the Tigers to two consecutive ‘AA’ BC Championships (2010 and 2011). This year she is leading the team in the challenge of ‘AAA’ basketball for the first time in school history. Laura’s heart and skills were on display at the AAA BC’s, helping her team achieve a silver medal. Laura was recognized as a 3rd team All-Star.
Laura has also played at the national level, representing BC at the U-15 Nationals and capturing a silver medal. Baker was also selected for Canada Basketball’s Centre for Performance, participating in the program for three years under the guidance of senior national team coaches Allison and Mike McNeill.
“Laura is such a hard worker,” says YHS Athletics Director, David Prissinotti. “She is never outworked in games or in practice.” This work ethic has also brought Laura a diverse set of skills that make her a valuable weapon on the court. A power forward who is crafty and can score around the basket as well being a dead-eye shooter; frequently leading the Tigers in 3 point FG%. On top of that, Laura is also a tenacious rebounder.
Queens University Head Coach Dave Wilson adds, “While our focus in recruiting for the coming season was to get bigger up front, Laura is such a talented player that we could not pass on the opportunity to bring her to Queen’s. She comes from one of the best basketball programs in British Columbia and knows how to be a champion. She is an excellent 3-point shooter with great court savvy that works at all aspects of her game in a professional, dedicated manner.”
Laura is excited to play in Ontario where she was born and still has family. “I spent a week with the basketball team at Queen’s last summer and I fell in love with the campus and really felt at home with the girls on the team,” she says. “Queen’s is a highly respected educational institution and I look forward to pursuing my academic career at the university. I can’t wait to further develop my basketball skills with the Gaels and help contribute to the team’s future success. I’m looking forward to returning to the province where I was born and where hopefully there is a little less rain.”