Congratulations to Mihai Raducanu, in his third year as head coach, for being named the OCAA Women's Basketball Coach of the Year. In addition, three Mohawk Mountaineers student-athletes received all-star honors, and one was named to the all-rookie team.
Alongside this prestigious conference-wide recognition, Raducanu was also named the OCAA West Division Coach of the Year. Angong Jacob (Calgary, AB) and Kendra Oliver (Ajax, Ont.) were named OCAA West Division First-Team All-Stars, while Maddie Anderson (Whitby, Ont.) earned a spot on the West Division Second-Team All-Star roster. Malak Dahawy (Waterloo, Ont.) was also named to the OCAA West Division All-Rookie Team.
Raducanu led Mohawk to an 11-5 record in 2024-25, placing third in the West Division. Under his guidance, the Mountaineers ranked as the fourth-best offense in the OCAA, averaging 67.2 points per game, and posted the seventh-best defense, allowing only 58.6 points per game. Additionally, Mohawk led the OCAA in field goal percentage with an impressive 40.4 per cent.
Since a 5-11 finish in his first season in 2022-23, Raducanu has helped the program to a 23-9 record over the past two seasons.
Raducanu becomes the fifth coach in Mohawk women's basketball history to receive the Coach of the Year award.
Player Awards:
- Angong Jacob: The third-year guard led the Mountaineers in scoring with 16.4 points per game, ranking fifth in the OCAA. Jacob also ranked 10th in field goal percentage (42 per cent) and averaged 2.4 steals per game. This marks Jacob's second consecutive year as a First-Team All-Star.
- Kendra Oliver: Oliver dominated the OCAA in double-doubles this season, with 11 in 16 games played. Her 13.5 points per game ranked 12th in the conference, and her 12.9 rebounds per game were second-best. Oliver also posted an efficient 41.3 per cent shooting from the field and averaged 1.3 steals per game. This is her second time receiving OCAA All-Star honors, with her first coming in the 2019-20 season with the Durham Lords.
- Maddie Anderson: Anderson had one of the best shooting seasons in the OCAA, connecting on 42 three-pointers at a 31.8 per cent rate (ranking 11th in the league). The fourth-year guard also averaged 12.1 points per game, 6.5 rebounds, four assists, and 2.3 steals.
- Malak Dahawy: In her first season as a Mountaineer, Dahawy made an impact by averaging 8.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.1 steals over 15 games. While she missed the criteria to be ranked in free throw percentage, Dahawy stood out shooting 82.4 per cent from the charity stripe.
This marks the second consecutive year under Raducanu that Mohawk women's basketball has earned four year-end individual awards.
