A Christian women's basketball team that faced penalties over a controversy involving a transgender athlete has triumphed in the Canadian championship. XX-XY Athletics released a video criticizing the NCAA for its unclear trans-athlete policy, but this did not deter Columbia Bible College (CBC) from achieving victory. CBC claimed the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association women's basketball national championship by defeating St. Mary's University 77-70, marking the first title in the program's history.
Elissa Vreugdenhil was named the tournament MVP, contributing 19 points and 12 rebounds. Grace Park earned player of the game honors with 20 points, six rebounds, and four assists, while Madeline Beerwald added 20 points and eight rebounds.
This win represents a significant turnaround for CBC, which had endured a 54-game losing streak from 2018 to 2023 and had never won a conference playoff game before this season. However, the team’s success was overshadowed by allegations concerning their treatment of a transgender athlete. Coach Taylor Claggett was suspended, and the team lost the right to host the conference tournament following accusations of abuse against a Vancouver Island University (VIU) trans athlete in October.
The conflict began during an October 25 game, where VIU's trans player Harriette Mackenzie scored 19 points, leading to a VIU victory. Mackenzie later claimed on Instagram that Claggett had confronted a VIU staff member, arguing against Mackenzie's eligibility to play. It was also alleged that Mackenzie was intentionally fouled by a CBC player. Claggett responded on Instagram, denying the accusations.
VIU filed a formal complaint with PacWest, leading to an investigation. When the teams were set to meet again in January, VIU refused to play, citing issues of intimidation and harassment. PacWest agreed not to count the forfeits as losses for VIU.
CBC issued a statement denying the accusations and criticizing the public nature of the allegations. CBC players also wrote a letter condemning Mackenzie for making defamatory and violent-inciting comments against their coach.
Despite the controversy, CBC reached the PacWest title game against VIU on March 1, where Mackenzie led VIU to victory and was named conference tournament MVP. However, VIU's national championship hopes were dashed after a first-round loss to Mohawk College, and Mackenzie's Instagram account was deleted on the same day.
CBC's journey to the national championship was marked by challenges, but they ultimately succeeded in making history.