When you compare this year's Ooks women's basketball team to last year's team, only a handful of names will appear on both of them.

Last year, they managed to slide into the last play-in spot and play against Keyano College in the postseason; this year, they're battling against Keyano and U of A-Augustana for one of the two play-in spots in this year's revised ACAC playoff format.

Only five players remain the same from last year: Abi Payne, Elizabeth Salcedo, Rory Vandermeer, Sadie Nysetvold, and Payton Neilson. The latter two are the only players left from the 2021-22 Ooks that won the CCAA National Championship.

Having great teammate relationships helps team chemistry, and Head Coach Kiera Lyons says that's a significant strength of this Ooks squad.

"It's so much easier to trust each other on the floor and get good rhythm on the floor when you actually like each other as people, and it's very obvious that you know they enjoy each other," Lyons explains. "They love each other."

That positive energy, she says, translates to in-game.

"One of our strengths for sure, is our bench energy. You know everybody understands their role and they're excited, they're genuinely excited for each other, want each other to do well and... the celebrations on the bench [show] how happy they get from one another."

Nysetvold and Neilson, along with U Sports recruit Mikah Reed, constitute the only three third-year student-athletes on this otherwise first- and second-year-laden roster that has had to adapt to a new era of Ooks basketball, with even Head Coach Lyons being in just her second season leading the Ooks bench.

Lyons appreciates how well they've handled being leaders on an experience-developing roster.

"It was a brand new culture, brand new systems, totally new way of playing the game, different voices that they had to listen to, different expectations... all those things that come with a brand new coaching staff. And so having a year under us, and a year together, has been really big," she said.

"They're taking another step to becoming an extension of the coaching staff on the floor because they understand what we want, they understand what we're trying to achieve, and the amount of growth that I've seen in those three over the last year is substantial. I'm very proud of what they've accomplished and how much they've improved over even just the last six [months]."

On the court, one key component of the Ooks' game this year has been their success from three-point range. The Ooks are selective about their three-point shooting, being in the top half of the ACAC in made 3s (5.2 per game) and 1st overall in three-point percentage, at 29.4%.

The Ooks also know how to grind out wins in clutch time. In games decided by one or two scores (six points or fewer), the Ooks are a perfect 4-0 on the season. Three of those wins have come on home court, with the other being a January 12 victory over Keyano in their gym.

Wins like that are true "character" wins, a word Lyons agrees with.

"It shows that we've got heart; we compete, and when it gets tight, we don't quit. So it's something that is very indicative of the character of our team, the values that our team holds, you know, as we compete and we work hard every single day, and when games get tight like that, that's when you need to tighten up a little bit," she said.

"Every play becomes more important. Every box out, every stop, every layup; like those things become more important. And as a young team, it's really wonderful."

This weekend will be the biggest test of them all for the Ooks, with the last two playoff spots yet to be clinched entering this final weekend of play. NAIT will be on the road for both games, against Briercrest College and Medicine Hat College.

The mindset isn't changing for Lyons and the Ooks team.

"[It's] been pretty consistent all year," Lyons says. "We go into every weekend thinking that we can beat anybody, and I think that's how you have to be; go into those games, and you compete, and you work hard, and you give yourself a chance to win every single game."

"And now it's just a little bit more urgency. This, again, takes a little bit of maturity and understanding that we don't have a ton of yet... but it's a wonderful opportunity for us. It's a great test to take down two teams that we need to get wins from, one of which is one of the best teams in the south, and it's just another opportunity to grow, another opportunity to build our confidence."

As a bonus, we asked Kiera what one goal was that the team had set for itself, coming into this year.

"Playoffs, and final four."

"Obviously, with Payton getting hurt, it's derailed our success a little bit, but our goal stays the same. We need to go out and win two games this weekend and hope some things go our way. But if we get an opportunity… to play in the postseason, going into the Final Four is still the goal. It's still what we want."