’There’s a lot of reason to have optimism’: Pronghorn women’s basketball coach on 2025-26 season

By Lethbridge Herald on February 18, 2026.

Nathan Reiter

Lethbridge Herald

The Canada West playoffs weren’t in the cards for the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns women’s basketball team this season.

Lethbridge finished eighth in the Prairie Division with a 5-15 record, finishing two games back of the Brandon Bobcats for the 12th and final Canada West playoff spot. 

Pronghorn head coach Dave Waknuk says it was a building season for Lethbridge.

“I think the goal here has always been to make the playoffs, so there’s a bit of a disappointment to not make it. We’ve made it up until this year, six of seven years that I’ve been here. I think this is a season of transition when you flip half your roster, which we did, you need a little bit of time to get to gel. I always felt like we could do it. We just maybe wouldn’t have enough time and I felt like we just sort of ran out of time with that.”

“While the record is definitely not what we wanted, you can’t throw away all of it because you’re going to lose some of the good parts of it. You’re going to lose some of the progress in it. The number definitely gives you one feeling, but I think the truth is somewhere in the middle.”

The Pronghorns were in tough all season in the Canada West Prairie Division. As of the February 17 rankings, four of the top 10 teams in the country all played within the division including Saskatchewan (1), Regina (4), Calgary (5) and Alberta (8). 

Waknuk says the experience of playing against veteran teams night in and night out will pay dividends for the Pronghorns in the long term.

“To basically play four top 10 teams in our division and to see those teams, when you look at the senior nights they’re having, so many of those teams are five or six starters that are seniors deep. You’re seeing some great talent, older talent. We’re not there, we’re not older. There’s such an opportunity to play against that, to get better, to set the bar that way. We had rookies playing fifth year all stars. That is an opportunity that they maybe don’t understand now, but they’ll see in their career that we now have a clear idea of what’s needed and where we can go because of what we saw this year.”

Lethbridge will return a majority of their roster next season. The Pronghorns will only graduate two players in guard Kamryn DeKlerk along with forward Abby Stonehocker. Key returnees for Lethbridge next year will include guards Courtney McKee, Piper Dobbelsteyn along with forwards Mhari Mattuli and Asia Wells.

While the Pronghorns had a lot of new faces this past season, Waknuk says having a large number of returnees going into next year is something he is excited about.

“It gives you the opposite feeling from this year. I think you have a core that understands what it takes to win this league and that’s what they hopefully took away from this year. You have a core that understands where they’re at, what they need to do and I think it changes our focus a lot more. This year was just really trying to build a foundation.”

Now that the season is over, the Pronghorns will continue to train together as a team until the end of the spring semester. The focus also shifts to the recruiting trail for Waknuk and his staff, looking to improve the team for next season.

“We are looking for players with versatility. I think at our level that is players that can do multiple things.” Waknuk said. “Can you score and defend? Can you play bigger than you are? Can you guard smaller than you? If you’re a shooter, can you also be a rebounder? I think that’s where that’s where we start. I think the other thing I look for is really the understanding of the game. The basketball IQ needed to play this level is high, so we’re always looking for those players. Those players that can think the game and see the next step. That’s a big one.”

One wrinkle on the recruiting front this year is the introduction of new transfer rules within U SPORTS. For the 2026-27 season, student-athletes in their first or second year of eligibility are now allowed to transfer without penalty. Under previous rules, non-graduating players had to sit out for 365 days from their last date of competition unless they were making forward academic progression or competed in a sport that had an already existing exemption such as cross-country, swimming or track and field. 

“I think everyone’s learning how it’s going to work being the first year.” Waknuk said. “You’re aware of your first and second year players. You hope you can retain them, and then you’re aware of what’s out there, but I think you’re still learning that process of what’s out there. It’s going to be really interesting to see this first year how many players actually take up that opportunity and how much that becomes an avenue. I’m sure it will, because there’s transfers happening in the old system, and this year is much easier to do.”

While there’s plenty of time before the 2026-27 Canada West season tips off, Waknuk says the Pronghorns already have a goal in mind for next season. 

“We want to get back in the postseason. We want to be back and be a competitive team that can win some of these close games that we didn’t get this year. I think we have every opportunity too. I love the core that’s coming back. I think there’s a lot of turnover in the league and I think we have a pretty good schedule next year. There’s a lot of things that, of course, it’s early, but there’s a lot of reason to have optimism for us for next year.”

The Canada West women’s basketball semifinals take place this weekend as UBC hosts Regina while the undefeated Saskatchewan Huskies take on the Calgary Dinos.