No. 1-ranked U of Sask. Huskies riding 44-game win streak that stretches over 2 years

The wind chill in Saskatoon is in the –40s as University of Saskatchewan Huskie athletes filter into the Merlis Besher Centre for practice this week.

But the streak the Huskie women’s basketball team is on is red-hot — 44 wins and counting, stretching over more than a year and two seasons.

The 2025 U Sports champions haven’t lost since the Calgary Dinos swept them way back in November 2024.

On Friday, the Huskies, who are 14-0 so far in the regular season, will put that winning streak on the line against those same Dinos.

"I think it's a great battle to have in front of us," said Huskies forward Téa DeMong. "It's kind of nice to almost have the target on their backs, instead of us having the target on our backs.

"For once, it'll be nice to have some revenge."

The Huskies have plenty of veteran leadership, with five fifth-year players and three fourth-years on the team.

Head coach Lisa Thomaidis, in her 27th year with the team, said that veteran leadership is key to the team’s success.

"They know what needs to be done," Thomaidis said. 

"They've experienced wins at the highest level and disappointments along the way as well. They've really run the gamut of all the experiences that you can possibly have."

It also doesn’t hurt to have arguably the top head coach in U Sports basketball.

Besides building a powerhouse team at the U of Saskatchewan that’s won three national titles, Thomaidis has also had stints coaching Canada’s and Germany's women’s national teams.

"It's the best you will ever get in U Sport," says Huskie captain Gage Grassick.

"And not just in basketball, in any sport. And we're just so grateful to be able to be surrounded by such knowledge each and every day, and that they just push us to be better."

Grassi