Watch above: Desarae Hogberg drawing on experience on national stage to fill void on Huskies women’s basketball team.
SASKATOON – Replacing a veteran player like Kiera Lyons will be tough for the Saskatchewan Huskies women’s basketball team. The outgoing fifth year was the Huskies second best scoring threat last season, racking up 251 points.
But the future still looks bright for the Huskies as they have up and coming players like Desarae Hogberg, who are ready to step into big time roles.
“That’s kind of the expectations for everybody once you move up, you become more of a leader and I feel like I’ve become more confident.” said Hogberg after practice on Wednesday.
“We only lost one player, so we know how to work really well together.”
The Dogs had a tough opening weekend on the road losing back to back games against the third ranked Alberta Pandas. But a bright spot was the performance of Desarae Hogberg.
The third year Huskie was 10/21 from the field, averaging 16.0 PPG. But the Regina product isn’t just a shooter, Hogberg is versatile. She has the ability to play point guard, shooting guard, and small forward if needed.
“She is a dynamic player,” says Huskies head coach Lisa Thomaidis.
“She’s great at both ends of the floor. So we’re excited about her, I mean this is her third year, she’s kind of settling into our style of play and she’s given us some really good production.”
Last season, Hogberg and her fellow Huskies earned the title of Canada West Champions, and later placed fourth at the CIS Women’s Basketball Final 8 Tournament.
Competing on a national stage was an eye opener for Desarae, but the experience has made her stronger.
“Those girls are really good,” says Hogberg. “I was not very confident going in there, but they made me a better player. You have to play with confidence.”
The first Huskies women’s home game is scheduled for Nov. 14 at 6:15 p.m. at the PAC, with the men’s home opener following at 8:00 p.m.
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