Heather Witzel

Athlete (2023)

Basketball

Heather Witzel had the hands, the feet and the eyes for the game. She had basketball written all over her.

Witzel was the leading scorer in the league in two of her seasons of university basketball, first as a rookie with the University of Victoria Vikettes, then with the University of Saskatchewan after she transferred to Saskatoon to study here in the College of Phys Ed. She was second in league scoring in both of her other seasons with the Huskiettes. In her three seasons with the Huskiettes, they had an 85-11 record.

She played on the first Canadian national team to ever compete in the world women's basketball chainpionship, finishing 10th at worlds in Brazil in 1971.

She was on the Saskatchewan team that won bronze in the 1971 Canada Games in Saskatoon.

She was named an all-star when the Saskatoon Harmony Centres finished second at senior nationals in Edmonton in 1979.

A 5-foot-7 guard and forward from Courtenay, B.C., Heather swished from the perimeter. She drove hard and fast inside. She scored a bucket of points. But there was more to her game than stats.

"She seemed unstoppable getting the ball to open teammates for easy shots," said Huskiettes coach Pat Jackson.

Heather would get a defensive rebound and initiate the fast break. She'd anticipate an opponent's pass and intercept it. She'd strip a ballhandler in open court. The game she played as a Huskiette continued in her four years with the national team. She played for Canada in the Pan-Am Games in Colombia. She was on Canada's team for playing tours in Mexico and Cuba, China and Italy. She had the right stuff.

Heather Witzel went on to coach club, high school and university basketball in Saskatoon for 25 years. She was a key player in starting, building and developing the Saskatoon Senior Women's Basketball League. She inspired females to have a love of the game.

** Deceased