Heading into the 2025-26 season, the Gaels’ Women’s basketball team just scored a game-changing win, welcoming star forward Kiyara Letlow, MSc ’25, for her final U Sports season. After years of dominating courts as a Caper, Letlow arrives at Queen’s eager to cap off her collegiate career with a standout final season in Kingston.
Last year, Letlow led the nation in rebounds, finishing second in points-per-game. In her first year as a Caper, Letlow won nationwide honours, earning the Kathy Shields Award —awarded to the top rookie women’s basketball player in Canada. Beyond this, Letlow is a four-time First Team All-Star in the Atlantic University Sport (AUS) conference and a three-time Second Team All-Canadian nationwide.
“For me, everything lined up academically. Everything I wanted, I could get here [Queen’s University]. Athletically, it’s the same thing. After meeting most of the girls and talking to the coaches, it all aligned with my interests and the type of program they [Queen’s] run. It was honestly just a really simple process, everything just fit,” Letlow said in an interview with The Journal.
For Letlow, choosing Queen’s was a no-brainer—drawn by a connection between her Cape Breton advisor and her soon-to-be Queen’s mentor.
“We’re expecting a lot of wins. That’s what I’m expecting. We’re expecting good basketball. There’s going to be a lot of competition, hustle, and drive. I already have so much fun playing with the girls, so people will have a lot of fun watching as well,” Letlow said.
Letlow s Claire Meadows, Head Coach of the Women’s Basketball Team and the 2023 Ontario University Athletics Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year.
“I’ve been able to watch Letlow play for a long time, and she’s the ultimate competitor. We’re absolutely thrilled to have her in our program,” Meadows said in an interview with The Journal.
“When you look at our current team and what we’ve been able to do over the last few years, we have a culture of competitive excellence, and we’ve been able to build that up over the last five years. Letlow coming in is only going to add to that environment and add to our culture. It’s an exciting year ahead,” Meadows said.
Under Meadows’ leadership,the Gaels are an established women’s basketball progrm, finishing three of her seasons in the top four U Sports teams.
The pairing of one of Canada’s best players and one of Canada’s best coaches is sure to make for an exciting year, as the Gaels seek to make a push for the U Sports title.
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