The U Sports Women's Basketball Championship, branded as the Women's Basketball Final 8, is a Canadian university basketball tournament conducted by U Sports, and determines the women's national champion. The tournament involves the champions from each of Canada's four regional sports conferences. The Bronze Baby trophy is awarded to the winners.
Seventeen different schools have won the tournament. The University of Victoria has the most tournament wins, with nine. Laurentian University has seven championships. The University of British Columbia has taken the title six times, while the University of Windsor and Simon Fraser University have five apiece. The University of Saskatchewan has won four. Carleton University, the University of Winnipeg and University of Manitoba have each won three championships, while Bishop's University and have won two. Seven programs have one national championship.
History
The tournament was originally composed of just four qualifying teams from 1972 to 1976 until it was expanded to include six in 1977. The championship was then changed to include eight teams in 1979 and has generally remained the same since then. In the 2011 edition, the then-named CIS had West, Central, and East regional play-in games to determine the three remaining spot in the tournament (the other five went to the four conference champions and host). The trophy was first donated in 1922 by the Students' Council of McGill University and awarded to the Ontario and Quebec conference champion of the Women's Interuniversity Athletic Union (WIAU). After the WIAU amalgamated with the Ontario Women's Interuniversity Athletic Union (OWIAA) in 1971, the trophy was retired and returned to McGill. The trophy was then offered to the Canadian Women's Interuniversity Athletic Union (CWIAU) in 1972 to be competed for at a fully national level.
Format
The championship consists of an eight-team single-elimination tournament. Four teams automatically qualify for the tournament as one of the winners of the four conferences, two qualify as the runners-up of both the OUA and Canada West conference, one qualifies as the host, and one is given an at-large berth.
Results
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Winner || Laurentian Lady Vees (7) || Regina Cougars || (OT) || – || Laval University (2)
|-
|1992 || Victoria Vikes (6) || Winnipeg Wesmen (4)|| || – || University of Prince Edward Island
|-
|1993 || Winnipeg Wesmen || Victoria Vikes (4)|| || – || University of Victoria
|-
|1994 || Winnipeg Wesmen (2) || Toronto Varsity Blues || || – || University of Calgary (3)
|-
|1995 || Winnipeg Wesmen (3) || Manitoba Bisons (2)|| || – || Lakehead University
|-
|1996 || Manitoba Bisons (2) || Toronto Varsity Blues (2)|| (OT) || – || Laval University (3)
|-
|1997 || Manitoba Bisons (3) || York Yeowomen || || – || Lakehead University (2)
|-
|1998 || Victoria Vikes (7) || Manitoba Bisons (3)|| || – || Lakehead University (3)
|-
|1999 || Alberta Pandas || Victoria Vikes (5)|| || – || Lakehead University (4)
|-
|2000 || Victoria Vikes (8) || Calgary Dinos (3)|| || – || University of Alberta
|-
|2001 || Regina Cougars || Alberta Pandas || || – || University of Alberta (2)
|-
|2002 || Simon Fraser Clan || Laval Rouge et Or || || – || McMaster University
|-
|2003 || Victoria Vikes (9) || Winnipeg Wesmen (5)|| || – || McMaster University (2)
|-
|2004 || UBC Thunderbirds (4) || Regina Cougars (2)|| || – || University of Winnipeg (3)
|-
|2005 || Simon Fraser Clan (2) || Winnipeg Wesmen (6)|| || – || University of Winnipeg (4)
|-
|2006 || UBC Thunderbirds (5) || Cape Breton Capers || || – || University of New Brunswick (2)
|-
|2007 || Simon Fraser Clan (3) || Alberta Pandas (2)|| || – || Memorial University of Newfoundland
|-
|2008 || UBC Thunderbirds (6) || Regina Cougars (3)|| || Physical Activity Complex (PAC) || University of Saskatchewan (3)
|-
|2009 || Simon Fraser Clan (4) || Regina Cougars (4)|| || , Main Gymnasium || University of Regina (2)
|-
|2010 || Windsor Lancers (4) || Saint Mary's Huskies || || St. Denis Centre Fieldhouse || University of Windsor (2)
|-
|2015 || Windsor Lancers (5) || McGill Martlets || || PEPS Gymnasium || Laval University (4)
|-
|2016 ||Saskatchewan Huskies || Ryerson Rams || || Richard J. Currie Centre || University of New Brunswick (3)
|-
|2017||McGill Martlets || Laval Rouge et Or (2)|| || CARSA Performance Gym || University of Victoria (2)
|-
|2018|| Carleton Ravens || Saskatchewan Huskies (2)|| || , Main Gymnasium || University of Regina (4)
|-
|2019||McMaster Marauders
|Laval Rouge et Or (3)
|
|Mattamy Athletic Centre || Ryerson University
|-
|2020||Saskatchewan Huskies (2) ||Brock Badgers || || TD Place Arena || Carleton University
|-
|2021
| colspan="2" align="center" |Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic || Ryerson Rams || Winnipeg Wesmen (7)|| || Athletic and Recreation Centre (ARC) || Queen's University
|-
|2023 || Carleton Ravens (2) || Queen's Gaels || 71–59 || Sullivan Field House || Cape Breton University
|-
|2024 || Carleton Ravens (3)|| Saskatchewan Huskies (2)|| 70–67 || Saville Community Sports Centre || University of Alberta (3)
|-
|2025 || Saskatchewan Huskies (3) ||Carleton Ravens || 85–66 || Thunderbird Sports Centre|| University of British Columbia
|-
|2026 || Saskatchewan Huskies (4) || UNB Reds || 77–68 || PEPS Gymnasium || Laval University (5)
|-
|2027 || || || || Scotiabank Centre || Acadia University
|}
Title by school
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size: 95%"
|-
! Appearances
! Team
! Conference
! Wins
! Losses
! Win %
!
!
|-
! align="center" | 14
| Victoria Vikes
| Canada West
| 9 || 5 || .643 || 2003 || 2003
|-
! align="center" | 10
| Winnipeg Wesmen
| Canada West
| 3 || 7 || .300 || 1995 || 2022
|-
! align="center" | 9
| Laurentian Lady Vees
| OUA
| 7 || 2 || .778 || 1991 || 1991
|-
! align="center" | 8
| UBC Thunderbirds
| Canada West
| 6 || 2 || .750 || 2008 || 2012
|-
! align="center" | 6
| Manitoba Bisons
| Canada West
| 3 || 3 || .500 || 1997 || 1998
|-
! align="center" | 6
| Regina Cougars
| Canada West
| 1 || 5 || .167 || 2001 || 2013
|-
! align="center" | 6
| Windsor Lancers
| OUA
| 5 || 1 || .833 || 2015 || 2015
|-
! align="center" | 6
| Saskatchewan Huskies
| Canada West
| 4 || 2 || .667 || 2026 || 2026
|-
! align="center" | 5
| Simon Fraser Clan
| Canada West
| 5 || 0 || 1.000 || 2010 || 2010
|-
! align="center" | 4
| Bishop's Gaiters
| RSEQ
| 2 || 2 || .500 || 1984 || 1984
|-
! align="center" | 4
| Calgary Dinos
| Canada West
| 1 || 3 || .250 || 1989 || 2000
|-
! align="center" | 4
| Carleton Ravens
| OUA
| 3 || 1 || .750 || 2024 || 2025
|-
! align="center" | 4
| UNB Reds
| AUS
| 0 || 4 || .000 || None || 2026
|-
! align="center" | 3
| Toronto Varsity Blues
| OUA
| 1 || 2 || .333 || 1986 || 1996
|-
! align="center" | 3
| Alberta Pandas
| Canada West
| 1 || 2 || .667 || 1999 || 2007
|-
! align="center" | 3
| Laval Rouge et Or
| RSEQ
| 0 || 3 || .000 || None || 2019
|-
! align="center" | 2
| McGill Martlets
| RSEQ
| 1 || 1 || .500 || 2017 || 2017
|-
! align="center" | 2
| Ryerson Rams/TMU Bold
| OUA
| 1 || 1 || .500 || 2022 || 2022
|-
! align="center" | 1
| McMaster Marauders
| OUA
| 1 || 0 || 1.000 || 2019 || 2019
|-
! align="center" | 1
| Dalhousie Tigers
| AUS
| 0 || 1 || .000 || None || 1980
|-
! align="center" | 1
| UPEI Panthers
| AUS
| 0 || 1 || .000 || None || 1989
|-
! align="center" | 1
| York Yeowomen
| OUA
| 0 || 1 || .000 || None || 1997
|-
! align="center" | 1
| Cape Breton Capers
| AUS
| 0 || 1 || .000 || None || 2006
|-
! align="center" | 1
| Saint Mary's Huskies
| AUS
| 0 || 1 || .000 || None || 2014
|-
! align="center" | 1
| Brock Badgers
| OUA
| 0 || 1 || .000 || None || 2020
|-
! align="center” | 1
| Queen's Gaels
| OUA
| 0 || 1 || .000 || None || 2023
|-
|}
A. Simon Fraser Clan were members of the CIS (now U Sports) from 2001 to 2010.
See also
- NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament
- Timeline of women's basketball