Sydney, NS (U SPORTS) — McMaster's Sarah Gates was named the winner of the Nan Copp Trophy as U SPORTS Women's Basketball Player of the Year Wednesday night at the All-Canadian awards banquet held in Sydney, Nova Scotia.
 
Other major award winners included Jacqueline Urban of Carleton University, who took home the Kathy Shields Award for Rookie of the Year, while Aliyah Fraser of STFX earned the Sylvia Sweeney Award for Student-Athlete Community Service. Alberta's Claire Signatovich was awarded the Defensive Player of the Year, and Bridget Mulholland of Queen's University won the Tracy Macleod Award for showcasing exemplary courage in overcoming adversity. Regina's Dave Taylor was honoured with the Fox 40 Coach of the Year Award.

The 2023 Protocase U SPORTS women's Final 8, presented by Bell gets underway Thursday at the Sullivan Fieldhouse on the campus of Cape Breton University in Sydney, Nova Scotia. Games will be webcast live on CBC Gem and the CBC YouTube channel. Visit usports.ca/en/about/broadcast to learn more.

Signatovich becomes the first-ever Panda to be named the U SPORTS Defensive Player of the Year. The third-year forward led the conference in blocks-per-game and rebounds-per-game with 1.9 and 12.6, respectively.

The talented defensive player possesses a high basketball IQ, averaging 1.6 steals per game. Signatovich broke several school records this season, including career blocks (75), season blocks (38) and season offensive rebounds (94). In addition, her 13 double-doubles this season set a Pandas record and ties her for eighth in the conference books.

"Claire is an anchor of our team defence. Her ability to track rebounds, alter shots, and guard multiple positions make her a force on the defensive end of the floor," said Scott Edwards, Head Coach of the Alberta Pandas. "She is one of the most gifted defenders we have ever coached. The combination of her athletic attributes, leadership, and competitiveness have been keys to our teams' success this season."

Signatovich is also a two-time Academic All-Canadian in the Faculty of Engineering.

The nominees included:

• Clara Gascoigne, Saint Mary's
• Deborah Aboagye, Bishop's
• Ariane Saumure, Western