MRU women’s basketball ready to rebound, reload and run it back
Julia Finot, Contributor
With the U SPORTS basketball season now in full swing, the Mount Royal University women’s team is not just looking to shoot their shot with a playoff run— they want to drain it and go deep.
After last year’s playoff heartbreak, Head Coach Robyn Fleckenstein and her team are ready to crash the glass hard and rebound not just the ball, but also their season.
Beyond heartbreaks lie lasting legacies
Last year, the Cougars finished the season with an 11-9 record—ranking fifth in the stacked Canada West Prairie division. Coming off a strong series sweep against the University of Manitoba, the Cougars played Trinity Western University in a play-in game for the playoffs.
MRU fell short to the Spartans by a mere five points.
Any loss can be emotional, but that one was heartbreaking. Not only did that end their playoff run early, but it also brought the departure of some of the best women to ever wear the Cougars jersey— all-time three-point leader Maddy Hooper, all-time assist leader Jamie Lalor and her sister, Hayley.
Hooper and Jamie played all five seasons for Fleckenstein, growing into the leaders who shaped today’s culture within the team.
“They’ve grown up as people… it’s the best feeling ever,” said Fleckenstein. “There are so many things that they get to learn here that really set them up for whatever comes after this”
Their exits left some roster spots empty that would not be easy to fill, and that kick-started the 2025 offseason.
Not a timeout, just a takeover
For the team, the offseason isn’t a break. It is time to take over.
Development is the core of this program, and with a roster full of new faces, the stakes are high. But their hunger is higher.
“Our group is driven and hungry, and I think we know winning is hard,” said Fleckenstein.
“Growing now (will) lead us to where we’re going.”
Their growth starts early. Cougars development doesn’t start in September alongside school — it starts back in May. With so many rookies on the team, it is especially important to get everyone on the same page before their season tips off.
The summer months are for getting everyone up to speed on new plays while developing a connection between team veterans and fresh faces. Both are crucial in order to succeed in the long season.
The team needed to be ready for the 2025-2026 basketball season because Canada West threw an unforgiving full-court press at them.
Net gains
Six new players joined the roster this year, making MRU one of the youngest teams in the conference. The coaching staff searched far and wide for the talent that would replace Hooper and the Lalors, and they took advantage of every part of the globe.
They added some Canadian talent in Martha Lado, but they also dipped into international waters bringing in Elise Carline.
As good as the recruits are, they need leaders in their locker room to guide them through their first collegiate seasons — a friendly face that is there to help no matter what.
The Cougars have assigned each rookie a veteran to help them to the new expectations of being on a U SPORTS team—on and off the floor.
“There is a big caring atmosphere in that space, I just want to make sure that they’re helped and taken care of,” said Fleckenstein. “I think great teams make each other better, and sometimes that’s about holding your hand, but sometimes it’s also like (getting) a good smack.”
Assists go beyond the score scoresheet
At the end of this season, the team will say goodbye to two valuable players who have been with the team for years—Nora Luca and Jenika Martens.
Both women have cemented their legacies as Cougars legends with unforgettable collegiate careers, and no one knows that better than Coach Fleckenstein.
“They both should be very proud of themselves and the things they have done,” said Fleckenstein. “They are ready to go into the world and take on that next challenge, and that is always a huge indicator for us [that] we have been successful for them.”
Martens spent seven years with the program, persevering through every challenge imaginable, from a wonky pandemic season to a devastating ACL tear. Luca joined her season shortly after, and together they grew. They have a chemistry built on grit, leadership and love for the game.
Their impact reaches far past the court. They are models of resilience, strong academics and leadership, all of which inspire the younger Cougars.
“I think they have left pretty strong legacies,” said Fleckenstein. “And ever more important than that, they have done well in school.”
Ups, downs and everything in the paint
The start of the 2025-26 season has been an uphill battle for MRU. In their first two weekends, the Cougars played two of the top teams in the division— the University of Saskatchewan Huskies and the University of Alberta Golden Bears.
They lost all four games, but on the second night of each series they played significantly better, pushing those top teams to closer scores and proving their mettle against the cream of the Canada West crop.
They went on to play at the University of Winnipeg Wesmen on the road, bringing two wins home with them. Fleckenstein feels this is just the beginning of the season and that a lot can change for her Cougars.
“Our expectations would be that we’re competing every night,” said Fleckenstein. “We don’t think there’s anyone who should be destroying us.”
The team is mindful not to overlook anyone they play. This year’s Prairie Division is so tight that anyone could win, making this an exciting year to watch the Cougars compete.
MRU finished the first quarter of their 2025-26 season with a 2-4 record, but they are looking to increase their win rate on their way to returning to the Canada West Playoffs.
