On Wednesday night, the UConn Huskies will play the Toronto Metropolitan University Bold in an unusual matchup. The visiting Huskies play in the Big East conference in the NCAA while the Bold compete in U Sports, the national sport governing body of university sport in Canada.
Six years ago, UConn played Duquesne in front of a sold-out crowd of 3,000 fans at Mattamy Athletic Centre, or the old Maple Leaf Gardens as many Canadians or hockey fans refer to the downtown arena.
Among the crowd was high school junior Aaliyah Edwards.
“It’s gonna be a surreal moment because [it’s] same gym, same environment, but I’m actually on the court instead of being a spectator just watching,” Edwards told media before the team departed for Canada.
Although this is the second time UConn will play at Mattamy, it will be the team’s first contest against TMU. UConn was originally scheduled to play Pittsburgh. However, a coaching change at Pitt also led to a restructuring of its non-conference games.
“When Pittsburgh dropped off and we had to find another opponent, we reached out to some different schools, but they have their schedules full,” UConn executive associate director of athletics Neal Eskin told CBS Sports. “So then we had the thought, ‘Well, why don’t we just ask TMU?'”
Thankfully, TMU coach Carly Clarke was on board.
WE’RE HYPED FOR TONIGHT‼️ Ready for an electric and sold out game against UCONN at home 🤩
Check out the livestream on TSN+
🆚: UConn Huskies
📍: Mattamy Athletic Centre
⏰: 6:00 p.m.
🎟️: Sold out
📺: TSN+#tmubold pic.twitter.com/F8MlgCCtQU
— TMU Bold Women’s Basketball (@tmuboldwbb) December 20, 2023
The matchup
The Bold are 10-0 through its first semester of play in the Ontario Athletics University (OAU) central division. TMU Guard Jayme Foreman leads the team in scoring with 16.3 points per game. Edwards also averages 16 points per game and is second in scoring behind guard Paige Bueckers.
UConn sits second in the Big East with a 8-3 overall record through 11 games. The Huskies average nearly 80 points per game while holding opponents to less than 65 points. TMU scores an average of nearly 72 points while holding opponents to 58 points per game. At this part of their respective seasons, the teams are playing similarly on paper. However, this will be a whole new ballgame for the Bold.
The game won’t officially count toward UConn’s net ranking, but the game statistics will be counted, according to the Associated Press.
History of UConn’s homecoming games
Both the 2017 game and tonight’s game at Mattamy are part of a long-standing Huskies tradition under coach Geno Auriemma, in which the program works to schedule games in or near the hometowns of their seniors. Every alum we spoke to about the tradition immediately lit up, fondly remembering the moment they got to play in front of their families.
Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi lucked out and got two “homecoming games” in California. The first one, though, was less memorable.
“When I was a freshman, we actually played in Pepperdine, which is relatively close to where I grew up, and I didn’t get off the bench. So, I really appreciate that Coach Auriemma, in front of my friends and family as a 19-year-old,” Taurasi joked during USA Basketball camp in November. “But then I went back as a senior and played USC, and that was a great moment to have.”
“Mine was at Colgate in a really small gym, and I remember just all my family and friends there. Tons of supporters,” UConn alumna Breanna Stewart told CBS Sports. “It’s a moment for us to continue to show appreciation for where we started in our journey and be able to play back where we picked up the basketball first.”
Taurasi added she’s glad the tradition is continuing, especially for international players like Edwards and Croatian guard Nika Mühl, who got to play in front of family over the summer.
“To be able to be here and share this with my American family, you know, and my Croatian family, have them meet and interact … and share memories means a lot because it feels like I’m giving just a little bit back to them,” Mühl said in a feature UConn posted on their YouTube page.
There isn’t much else in Storrs besides the UConn campus. The remote location, coupled with being thousands of miles away from home, makes it hard for players to be connected to their community outside of UConn basketball.
The homecoming tradition is a way to show appreciation for the sacrifices and commitments UConn athletes and their families make. And for that reason, neither the opponent nor the venue is the top priority for homecoming games.
“They’re my biggest support, the people I love the most in my life, so it’s super special,” Mühl said.
Seattle Storm forward Gabby Williams remembers being grateful both UConn and the host school — Nevada in her case — were willing to make her homecoming game happen. It was a moment Williams’ family and friends enjoyed.
“They brought big signs of my head and everything. My niece was right behind the bench in my jersey,” Williams told CBS Sports during her WNBA exit interview. She watched her older sister play at Nevada growing up and credits her passion for the game to those moments.
“The reason why I played college basketball was because of her, because I got to go to her games and she showed me what that kind of was like,” Williams said. “So definitely a full-circle moment, and I love that [Geno Auriemma] does that.”
Williams was teammates with Canadian Olympian Kia Nurse at UConn. The duo was reunited with the Seattle Storm this past season.
“The Toronto game for my my last season in my senior year was absolutely incredible. I remember being able to see my grandparents in the stands, and they hadn’t seen me play in a UConn uniform,” Nurse told media after the 2023 WNBA season. “So, that was something that was really exciting for me.”
She the North?
Edwards has joined Nurse as the two of the top names representing women’s basketball in Canada. Both wore the Maple Leaf at the 2020 Summer Olympics. The Canadian women’s national team is ranked fifth in the world and recently secured its spot in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in February.
Outside of the national team and any future UConn trips to Toronto, there aren’t any other chances to watch big ticket women’s basketball games. In May, the WNBA played a preseason game at Scotiabank Arena in front of a crowd of 19,800 basketball fans. It was the league’s first trip north of the border and appeared to be a success.
This is what it’s all about 🎉
WNBA Fan Cam catching all the action in Toronto 🇨🇦
We’re just minutes away from the first ever WNBA game in Canada and the excitement is pouring in from fans ALL OVER ‼️ pic.twitter.com/rzcrHdGof3
— WNBA (@WNBA) May 13, 2023
Many bids to bring a WNBA team to Toronto have bubbled up over the years, and the city was on a short list for WNBA expansion as recently as this year. Unfortunately, that bid appears to be dead, at least for now. So once again, fans will sellout the humble and historic Mattamy Athletic Centre to get their fix of women’s basketball via this UConn tradition.
In Canada and most everywhere else, UConn is considered a top-notch school. Nurse did a great deal to grow that legacy, and the wave of excitement for women’s basketball, north of the border.
“Growing up when you think of UConn in Canada, you also thought of Kia Nurse,” Edwards said. “She was really the highlight to kind of help spread the name and spread the competitiveness, the eliteness, and the standard that’s here at UConn. I think it’s just a ripple effect, and I just hope to continue in those footsteps”
Tonight, Canadian hoops fans will welcome Edwards back home during her senior year at UConn. After the game, they will eagerly wait to see what comes this summer with Team Canada or in the WNBA.
For Edwards, this is a critical time in the UConn schedule. The senior forward has remained focused on the task at hand. Tonight marks the third game in five days for UConn, as well as their last before the December holiday break.
“After that one game, then it’s just like, ‘OK, New year, new season,'” Edwards said. “We just need to focus on playing how we’re used to playing.”
Hopefully when the game clock hits zero tonight, the Kingston, Ontario native will have a moment to enjoy the special night with her family, friends and the fans in the arena. TMU will host the Huskies tonight at 6 p.m. ET. The game will air on FS2 in the U.S. and can be streamed on TSN+ in Canada.