The U Sports Women's Basketball Championship, branded as the Women's Basketball Final 8, is a Canadian university basketball tournament conducted by U Sports, and determines the women's national champion. The tournament involves the champions from each of Canada's four regional sports conferences. The Bronze Baby trophy is awarded to the winners.

Seventeen different schools have won the tournament. The University of Victoria has the most tournament wins, with nine. Laurentian University has seven championships. The University of British Columbia has taken the title six times, while the University of Windsor and Simon Fraser University have five apiece. The University of Saskatchewan has won four. Carleton University, the University of Winnipeg and University of Manitoba have each won three championships, while Bishop's University and have won two. Seven programs have one national championship.

History The tournament was originally composed of just four qualifying teams from 1972 to 1976 until it was expanded to include six in 1977. The championship was then changed to include eight teams in 1979 and has generally remained the same since then. In the 2011 edition, the then-named CIS had West, Central, and East regional play-in games to determine the three remaining spot in the tournament (the other five went to the four conference champions and host). In 2012, there were East and West regional games to determine two additional berths and by 2013 the league had reverted to voting in the three remaining spots. Aside from those two years of regional qualifiers, the tournament has always taken place over one weekend at a pre-determined host site.

The trophy features a figure that is a replica of a statue that was in the grounds of Dunfermline College of Physical Education in Scotland. The trophy was first donated in 1922 by the Students' Council of McGill University and awarded to the Ontario and Quebec conference champion of the Women's Interuniversity Athletic Union (WIAU). After the WIAU amalgamated with the Ontario Women's Interuniversity Athletic Union (OWIAA) in 1971, the trophy was retired and returned to McGill. The trophy was then offered to the Canadian Women's Interuniversity Athletic Union (CWIAU) in 1972 to be competed for at a fully national level. The CWIAU merged with the Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union (CIAU), the men's union, in 1978 and awarded by the now-named U Sports governing body.

The 2021 championship tournaments were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Format

The championship consists of an eight-team single-elimination tournament. Four teams automatically qualify for the tournament as one of the winners of the four conferences, two qualify as the runners-up of both the OUA and Canada West conference, one qualifies as the host, and one is given an at-large berth.

Results

Year Winner Runner-up Score Venue Host1972 UBC Thunderettes UNB Red Bloomers – University of Saskatchewan 1973 UBC Thunderettes (2) Manitoba Bisonettes – McGill University 1974 UBC Thunderettes (3) UNB Red Bloomers (2) – University of Winnipeg 1975 Laurentian Lady Vees UBC Thunderettes – University of New Brunswick1976 Laurentian Lady Vees (2) UNB Red Bloomers (3) – University of Guelph1977 Laurentian Lady Vees (3) Winnipeg Wesmenettes – University of Calgary1978 Laurentian Lady Vees (4) Winnipeg Lady Wesmen (2) – University of Calgary (2)1979 Laurentian Lady Vees (5) Victoria Vikettes (2OT) – University of Regina1980 Victoria Vikettes Dalhousie Tigers – Dalhousie University1981 Victoria Vikettes (2) Bishop's Gaiters – University of Guelph (2)1982 Victoria Vikettes (3) Bishop's Gaiters (2) – University of Saskatchewan (2)1983 Bishop's Gaiters Victoria Vikettes (2) – University of Manitoba 1984 Bishop's Gaiters (2) Winnipeg Lady Wesmen (3) – University of Manitoba (2)1985 Victoria Vikettes (4) Laurentian Lady Vees – Bishop's University1986 Toronto Varsity Blues Victoria Vikettes (3) – University of Winnipeg (2)1987 Victoria Vikettes (5) Laurentian Lady Vees (2) – Laval University1988 Manitoba Bisons Calgary Dinosaurs – University of Lethbridge1989 Calgary Dinosaurs UPEI Panthers – Laurentian University1990 Laurentian Lady Vees (6) Calgary Dinosaurs (2) – University of Toronto1991"2011 CIS women's basketball championship: Lancers, Huskies lead wide-open field" Canada Varsity. Retrieved 2014-10-22. Laurentian Lady Vees (7) Regina Cougars (OT) – Laval University (2)1992 Victoria Vikes (6) Winnipeg Wesmen (4) – University of Prince Edward Island1993 Winnipeg Wesmen Victoria Vikes (4) – University of Victoria1994 Winnipeg Wesmen (2) Toronto Varsity Blues – University of Calgary (3)1995 Winnipeg Wesmen (3) Manitoba Bisons (2) – Lakehead University1996 Manitoba Bisons (2) Toronto Varsity Blues (2) (OT) – Laval University (3)1997 Manitoba Bisons (3) York Yeowomen – Lakehead University (2)1998 Victoria Vikes (7) Manitoba Bisons (3) – Lakehead University (3)1999 Alberta Pandas Victoria Vikes (5) – Lakehead University (4)2000 Victoria Vikes (8) Calgary Dinos (3) – University of Alberta2001 Regina Cougars Alberta Pandas – University of Alberta (2)2002 Simon Fraser Clan Laval Rouge et Or – McMaster University2003 Victoria Vikes (9) Winnipeg Wesmen (5) – McMaster University (2)2004 UBC Thunderbirds (4) Regina Cougars (2) – University of Winnipeg (3)2005 Simon Fraser Clan (2) Winnipeg Wesmen (6) – University of Winnipeg (4)2006 UBC Thunderbirds (5) Cape Breton Capers – University of New Brunswick (2)2007 Simon Fraser Clan (3) Alberta Pandas (2) – Memorial University of Newfoundland2008 UBC Thunderbirds (6) Regina Cougars (3) Physical Activity Complex (PAC) University of Saskatchewan (3)2009 Simon Fraser Clan (4) Regina Cougars (4) , Main Gymnasium University of Regina (2)2010 Simon Fraser Clan (5) Windsor Lancers Burridge Gymnasium McMaster University (3)2011 Windsor Lancers Saskatchewan Huskies St. Denis Centre Fieldhouse University of Windsor2012 Windsor Lancers (2) UBC Thunderbirds (2) Jack Simpson Gymnasium University of Calgary (4)2013 Windsor Lancers (3) Regina Cougars (5) , Main Gymnasium University of Regina (3)2014 Windsor Lancers (4) Saint Mary's Huskies St. Denis Centre Fieldhouse University of Windsor (2)2015 Windsor Lancers (5) McGill Martlets PEPS Gymnasium Laval University (4)2016 Saskatchewan Huskies Ryerson Rams Richard J. Currie Centre University of New Brunswick (3)2017McGill Martlets Laval Rouge et Or (2) CARSA Performance Gym University of Victoria (2)2018 Carleton Ravens Saskatchewan Huskies (2) , Main Gymnasium University of Regina (4)2019McMaster MaraudersLaval Rouge et Or (3)Mattamy Athletic Centre Ryerson University2020Saskatchewan Huskies (2) Brock Badgers TD Place Arena Carleton University2021Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic Athletic and Recreation Centre (ARC) Queen's University2022 Ryerson Rams Winnipeg Wesmen (7) Athletic and Recreation Centre (ARC) Queen's University2023 Carleton Ravens (2) Queen's Gaels 71–59 Sullivan Field House Cape Breton University2024 Carleton Ravens (3) Saskatchewan Huskies (2) 70–67 Saville Community Sports Centre University of Alberta (3)2025 Saskatchewan Huskies (3) Carleton Ravens 85–66 Thunderbird Sports Centre University of British Columbia2026 Saskatchewan Huskies (4) UNB Reds 77–68 PEPS Gymnasium Laval University (5)2027 Scotiabank Centre Acadia University

Title by school Appearances Team Conference Wins Losses Win % 14 Victoria Vikes Canada West 9 5 .643 2003 2003 10 Winnipeg Wesmen Canada West 3 7 .300 1995 2022 9 Laurentian Lady Vees OUA 7 2 .778 1991 1991 8 UBC Thunderbirds Canada West 6 2 .750 2008 2012 6 Manitoba Bisons Canada West 3 3 .500 1997 1998 6 Regina Cougars Canada West 1 5 .167 2001 2013 6 Windsor Lancers OUA 5 1 .833 2015 2015 6 Saskatchewan Huskies Canada West 4 2 .667 2026 2026 5 Simon Fraser Clan Canada West 5 0 1.000 2010 2010 4 Bishop's Gaiters RSEQ 2 2 .500 1984 1984 4 Calgary Dinos Canada West 1 3 .250 1989 2000 4 Carleton Ravens OUA 3 1 .750 2024 2025 4 UNB Reds AUS 0 4 .000 None 2026 3 Toronto Varsity Blues OUA 1 2 .333 1986 1996 3 Alberta Pandas Canada West 1 2 .667 1999 2007 3 Laval Rouge et Or RSEQ 0 3 .000 None 2019 2 McGill Martlets RSEQ 1 1 .500 2017 2017 2 Ryerson Rams/TMU Bold OUA 1 1 .500 2022 2022 1 McMaster Marauders OUA 1 0 1.000 2019 2019 1 Dalhousie Tigers AUS 0 1 .000 None 1980 1 UPEI Panthers AUS 0 1 .000 None 1989 1 York Yeowomen OUA 0 1 .000 None 1997 1 Cape Breton Capers AUS 0 1 .000 None 2006 1 Saint Mary's Huskies AUS 0 1 .000 None 2014 1 Brock Badgers OUA 0 1 .000 None 2020 1 Queen's Gaels OUA 0 1 .000 None 2023 A. Simon Fraser Clan were members of the CIS (now U Sports) from 2001 to 2010.

See also NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament Timeline of women's basketball

References