This summer, Gaels fans got a sneak peek of their newest basketball dynamic duo at Canada’s first professional women’s basketball league.
Forward Kiyara Letlow, MSc ’26, and guard Brooke Hussey, Kin ’28, made their debuts in HoopQueens—a Toronto-based organization that has broken ground as Canada’s first, and only, professional women’s basketball league.
Representing Team Charge, the pair competed in the league’s fourth season, where the four teams competed over five weeks spanning from June 8 to July 6. Letlow and Hussey’s team finished third, with two wins and two losses.
Founded by former Nipissing University varsity athlete, Nakissa Koomalsingh, HoopQueens brings professional women’s basketball to life from its homebase at the University of Toronto—a vision that has attracted major backing from sponsors.
Early into its life, HoopQueens has already secured partnerships with companies such as TikTok, Foot Locker, Red Bull, and Canada Basketball—allowing the league to compensate their players and successfully facilitate an “innovative pipeline for athlete development” according to their webpage.
To build competitive teams, HoopQueens holds tryouts for eligible players, followed by a private draft, where experienced Canadian coaches and executives build teams of elite talent to compete for the William Young Trophy—the ultimate prize in the league.
Hussey, the 2025 OUA Rookie of the Year as well as The Journal’s reigning Women’s Basketball Player of the Year, describes being appreciative for her time at HoopQueens. “It was amazing, and I was really lucky to have this opportunity. It was an opportunity I didn’t think I was going to get, considering that I had just finished my rookie season,” she said in an interview with The Journal.
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Her rapid ascent to the professional level was made possible after Hussey was personally picked out by Koomalsingh thanks to a standout performance at a three-on-three basketball tournament.
“The league itself is doing a lot for women’s basketball, continuing to progress the game in Canada,” Hussey said. “That’s not something that’s super prevalent on the women’s side right now.”
While professional women’s basketball leagues in the United States and Europe have long been established, Hussey praised HoopQueens’ efforts to create a competitive league for Canadian talent and is optimistic for the future. “I truly think the league will continue to grow, and having U SPORTS players in it does so much for Canadian basketball,” Hussey said.
Incoming all-star Letlow had a front row seat to the league’s growth, with this season marking her third at HoopQueens. Letlow was unable to provide a statement to The Journal in time for publication.
READ MORE: Canadian basketball star Kiyara Letlow transfers to Queen’s
Hussey expressed her goal of continuing with HoopQueens and furthering her career as a professional after Queen’s. Right now, though, her focus is on carrying this confidence to another season in Kingston.
The Gaels will open their season on Oct. 24 against Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ont., and will play their home opener against the University of Ottawa on Nov. 7 at the ARC Main Gym.
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