Simon Fraser's Tayla Jackson, over the last decade, has gone from watching in the bleachers to starring on centre court with her hometown Clan. (Varsity Letters photo by Howard Tsumura)
Feature University Women's Basketball

SFU’s Tayla Jackson: On coming home, on coming full circle and understanding the influence of Clan student-athletes

BURNABY — Hang around in the stands at Simon Fraser’s West Gym after a women’s basketball game, and the first thing you’ll notice are the scores of elementary school-aged girls, all lined up with team posters and felt-tipped pens, waiting to collect the autographs of their favourite Clan players.

Nicole Vander Helm is enjoying a happy homecoming with the Simon Fraser Clan, having found a place where she can play her total game. (Varsity Letters photo by Howard Tsumura)
Feature University Women's Basketball

From Santa Clara to Simon Fraser: How a true north return helped Nicole Vander Helm re-discover her basketball joy

BURNABY — Nicole Vander Helm admits to have taken a pretty circuitous path in order to re-discover her version of basketball happiness.

SFU's Tia Tsang led a barrage of Clan three-point shooters on Wednesday, knocking down 6-of-8 shots from downtown in a non-conference win at the West Gym. (SFU photo by Dom Gagne)
Feature University Women's Basketball

Clan ladies cash in with ‘The Rainmaker’, three-point barrage sets new GNAC single-game record

BURNABY — Welcome to the Cult of Three.It’s long been one of the most identifiable parts of their game, but on Wednesday the three-point hoop defined the DNA of the Simon Fraser Clan women’s basketball team.When redshirt freshman guard Jessica Jones drained a trey with 2:54 remaining to put the Clan ahead 85-46 against San […]

Simon Fraser Clan freshmen guards Kendal Sands (left) and Jessica Jones have each seen their roles increased in advance of the 2017-18 GNAC opener in Anchorage. (Dom Gagne photos/SFU athletics)
Feature University Women's Basketball

Hoop script gets last-minute re-write at SFU, rookie talent Jones, Sands much more than Clan extras

BURNABY — Looking for the clearest way to illustrate just how young and how numbers-challenged the Simon Fraser Clan women’s basketball team is this season? How about the fact that when it came time for head coach Bruce Langford to pair each of his younger players with a so-called mentor player, one of the duos consisted […]