Jason Hills
For MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – Celine Quigley is used to betting on herself.
The 23-year-old had big basketball dreams as a kid to play at the university level, but growing up in Fort St. John, in northern B.C., there weren't a lot of basketball scouts and coaches around for her to showcase herself in front of.
But she found ways to do enough to catch the attention of some college coaches, and played one season for Red Deer College in 2019, before transferring to SAIT for one season in 2021-22.
And now, after two years away from the game, she made the MacEwan Griffins – as a walk on.
"I love growing up in my small town, but there weren't a lot of opportunities for young athletes to play sports at the college or university level," said Quigley.
"I knew a long time ago that if I wanted to achieve those goals, I'd have to be my own advocate and bet on myself."
Quigley and the Griffins will look to finish the first half of the season strong when they face the University of Brandon Bobcats on Friday and Saturday (12 p.m. and 3 p.m.) at the David Atkinson Gym.
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Going into her Grade 12 year, Quigley went to an NBC basketball camp, and was told by the coaches that if you haven't been recruited, it's best to start sending emails and video highlights to coaches.
She got to work right away.
"I remember that year, I compiled as much game film as I could and just started emailing as many coaches as I could, to hopefully get a response," said Quigley.
"When our team made it to provincials in Vancouver that year, I had a few other coaches talk to me, but most of them I had already spoken with after sending them the film."
Q2 | Samantha Hickey finds Celine Quigley all alone under the hoop as the @MacEwanGriffins regain the lead.@Wesmen_WBB go on a run at the end of second quarter and lead a low-scoring @CanadaWest affair 25-22 at the half.
— MacEwan Griffins Women's Basketball Team (@Griffins_WBB) November 23, 2024
Quigley has seven points.#GriffNation pic.twitter.com/r8fyAE4uGp
Quigley's experience at the ACAC level had some ups and downs. On the court, she found her role on two veteran teams at RDC and SAIT, but she also battled some injuries.
Initially majoring in kinesiology at RDC, she switched programs at SAIT and earned her nutrition and healthy lifestyles certificate, but it was during her recovery from injury that she found another career path she wanted to study – acupuncture.
Many acupuncture programs are available at private colleges, but MacEwan offers a two-year diploma program. Quigley jumped at the opportunity, because she still had that burning desire to continue her basketball career.
The only thing was, she had to earn her way onto the team.
"She really impressed us during open tryouts, just by doing all the little things so well," said Griffins head coach Katherine Adams. "We noticed her right away, and we knew we had to keep getting a look at her to make sure she could play at this level and find a role on our team."
She's since grown into a big contributor for the Griffins so far this season.
In six games, Quigley has provided a ton of energy and been a strong defensive presence, whether she starts or comes off the bench.
Last Friday, she scored a career-high 14 points in 21 minutes for the Griffins in a 72-67 loss to Winnipeg.
Celine Quigley has been strong defensively for the Griffins so far this season (David Moll photo).
"With her being away from the game for two years, and her showing she could compete and play a role on this team speaks to her character, and as we learned more about her and chatted with her previous coaches, that's the type of player she is," said Adams.
"She didn't need time to get ready. She was ready."
With the graduation of guards Noelle Kilbreath, and two other guards, Julie Dueck and Toki Tsuzuki, there were gaps to fill on the roster.
Adams filled those holes, and getting Quigley was an added bonus.
Adams has used her in a bit of Swiss-army type role. She's started games, she's come off the bench. She's played guard and even spent some time playing small forward.
"When we started talking to Celine about her role, we kind of saw her in a utility role, and she's come in and she's willing to fill in and play wherever we need her in the moment," said Adams. "She brings a calming presence and composure in her game, and it really brings a positive experience to our group.
"We have a young team, and even though this is her first year with us, she has a lot of experience, and her demeanor can trickle down throughout our lineup."
This has been a different experience for Quigley. When she made the jump to RDC, she was the youngest player on a veteran team. She was also part of a veteran team at SAIT.
Now, she's part of a group at MacEwan that is among the youngest not just in the Canada West conference, but in the country. She's one of the oldest players on the roster, just one of four Griffins who have used more than two of their five years of eligibility.
Quigley is relishing her role with the Griffins, and it's also paid dividends on the court.
"In my years playing college, I had a similar role, playing off the bench or starting, but the biggest thing I tried to focus on was not put pressure on myself (to score), just put my best foot forward, and find different ways to impact the game," said Quigley.
"I've always tried to bring that grit, work-ethic and energy on defence. It's not about who starts the game, it's about who finishes, and that's something I've always strived for. It doesn't matter if I start, it's what I do when I'm in the game."
From her hard work, the points are starting to come, too.
"I'm becoming more confident offensively. Those other areas of my game have always been the safe part of my game, but now I'm starting to see my offence come more natural to me," said Quigley.
"Being part of this young team has been great. We all see how much potential we have. We're all learning a lot throughout this season so far, and it's exciting to see what we'll be able to accomplish as a group as we grow together over the next few years."
