Get to know the Vanier Cheetahs: D1 Women Basketball Team
Basketball is no sport for the weak. Luckily, the Vanier College Women’s Basketball team put the ‘’T’’ in ‘’Tough’’ when playing on the court.
With the start of the season rapidly approaching, student-athlete Asia Thorne shares that the team’s “main goal is to win a championship while continuing to grow as a unit’’ (2025). At times, Asia admits, ‘’it takes [the team] a quarter to find [their] rhythm”. But the girls’ “energy” and “deep roster of players who can all match each other’s intensity” (Thorne, 2025) ends up being the pièce de resistance that unifies the team game-after-game.
Of the many reasons why one would want to join a school sports team, Asia shares how “[she] wanted to be part of a program that values unity. At Vanier it truly feels like we’re a big family. [She] also had appreciation for the hard work and dedication within the program”(Thorne, 2025).
As a returning player, the three words Asia uses to describe her team are competitive, resilient, and family (Thorne, 2025).
Based on her answers, it is clear why one would want to join the team. Not only do players get to play the sport they love, they also benefit from a program that ensures that their education is put at the forefront. And according to Asia, having good time-management skills is key in order to balance academics and athletics: “It’s all about time management. With practices, workouts, and games taking up so much time, it’s important to plan ahead and get work done on the open time”(Thorne, 2025).
Predicting the season’s outcome can be tricky. But in Asia’s opinion, if the team stays locked-in, continue to push themselves, and stick together, a championship can be attainable (Thorne, 2025).
To get in the winning mindset and calm herself before games, Asia listens to music. She then warms herself up on the court by getting “some shots up” (Thorne, 2025). Wearing the Vanier College Women’s Basketball jersey is an honor not many students get to claim. For Asia, “It means pride and responsibility. Every time I put on the jersey or wear the logo, I know I’m representing not just myself but the school, my teammates and the program” (Thorne, 2025).
As for Coach Francois Rene, his coaching “philosophy this season is the same as every year: we want our players to get better and we want to win a provincial championship” (2025).
With a new season comes new players. Believe it or not, the integration of a first year player starts in the Summer. The girls also “workout together in the offseason” (Rene, 2025).
He also shared how important student support is to him and the team: “It is a major advantage anytime we have a big crowd at our game. It provides extra energy to the players and it reminds us what it means to represent Vanier College” (Rene, 2025).
He hopes fans who attend the games will see “a group of 14 players giving everything they have on the court to make our community and school proud” (Rene, 2025).
For anyone who is considering joining the team next year, Coach Francois would advise girls to “start training like our players do: practice 4-5 times per week, in addition to weight lifting. [The women’s basketball team] is more than a sports team. This is truly a family. Through the ups & downs, we have each other’s back” (Rene, 2025).
The Insider wishes the women basketball team all the best this season. Shoutout to Asia Thorne and Francois Rene for taking the time to answer our questions.
Picture source: Vanier College Sports Complex
