Northwest Notes: July 4, 2024

Former Vik Legel named

to Providence Hall of Fame

Erin Legel, the Coeur d’Alene High product and all-time leading scorer for men’s and women’s basketball at NAIA University of Providence in Great Falls, Mont., is among five new members to join the Argo Athletics Hall of Fame in October, the school announced.

Legel, who graduated from Coeur d’Alene in 2012, led the Argos to the program’s first and second Elite Eight appearance and was a three-time All-American. Legel holds eight school records and is in the record book 23 times. She is No. 1 in career points (2,129), second in assists (665), fourth in rebounds (652), fourth in steals (198), with 17 career triple-doubles and leads in career free throw percentage (85.2%).

Providence volleyball coach Arunas Duda, wrestler Anthony Varnell, softball player Alex Lowry and volleyball player Madison Wilhelm will also be inducted on Oct. 6 during Argo Weekend in Great Falls.

Varnell, a graduate of Lewis and Clark High in Spokane, went 110-11 and is one of three wrestlers to win a national championship at Providence, and is the only athlete to ever win two (2011, 2012).

Gonzaga’s Ejim named to

Canadian hoops roster

Gonzaga women’s basketball player Yvonne Ejim is one of 12 athletes  named to Canada’s women’s basketball roster for Paris 2024, which will be Team Canada’s eighth appearance in the Olympic women’s basketball tournament since it debuted at Montreal 1976.

The Canadian women successfully qualified for their fourth consecutive Olympic Games by finishing third in the FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualification Tournament in Sopron, Hungary this past February.

Canada’s best Olympic result in women’s basketball was a fourth-place finish at Los Angeles 1984. Currently fifth in the FIBA world rankings, Canada finished fourth at the most recent FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in 2022, and secured a bronze medal at the 2023 FIBA Women’s AmeriCup.

Last week, Canada defeated Portugal 91-65 in an exhibition game in Victoria, British Columbia. The team will now travel overseas to Belgium and Spain as they continue their training camp and exhibition schedule before arriving in France.

The women’s basketball tournament will take place July 27 to Aug. 11. 

Canada’s first game of the tournament will be on July 29 against France.

Redmon, Osahor named to 

Gonzaga women’s staff

Gonzaga women’s basketball coach Lisa Fortier announced the additions of Jazmine Redmon and Chantel Osahor to her staff. Redmon will serve as an assistant coach and video coordinator as Osahor is also an assistant coach and the Director of Player Development. 

Redmon comes back to Gonzaga from Fresno State as she was the assistant coach and director of operations during the 2023-24 season. Prior to that, Redmon played for Gonzaga from 2010-14, winning four West Coast Conference regular-season championships and three WCC tournament championships. In 2013, the defensive stalwart for the Bulldogs was named the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year. As a senior, she earned WCC honorable mention.

The point guard finished her career averaging 4.7 points, 2.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.6 steals per game in 77 appearances. She currently ranks No. 6 all-time in career assists (400) and steals (211) at Gonzaga.

After college, she played three years professionally in Europe, spending time in Frankfurt, Germany, Thessaloniki, Greece and Copenhagen, Denmark. Following that, Redmon has spent her days coaching in Spokane, first as an assistant at Mead High School. She has since spent the last three years as the head coach at University High.

Osahor, an All-American at Washington in 2017, made previous stops at Drake and Arkansas before arriving in Norman for three seasons. She was selected to the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association’s 30 Under 30 Class in 2023.

As a player at Washington, Osahor starred on three NCAA Tournament teams and helped the Huskies to the 2016 Final Four and 2017 Sweet 16. 

The 2017 WBCA All-American is one of just two players in Washington history to record at least 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in a career. As a senior, she led the nation with 15.3 rebounds per game and 30 double-doubles. She holds the school record for career rebounds and was a finalist for the Naismith Trophy in 2017.

After college, Osahor was drafted 21st overall by the Chicago Sky in the 2017 WNBA draft.