Former Raptors 905 coach Wumi Agunbiade has gone back to her roots and is changing Canadian basketball by helping girls like UConn's Aaliyah Edwards
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00:00Hey everyone, Aaron Rose here from Sports Illustrated.
00:03I wanted to share with you the story about former Raptors 905 coach Wumi Agunbiade, who
00:08has gone back to her roots and started a program called Hooper's Loop, meant to help Canada's
00:12girls basketball community.
00:14Unlike boys basketball in Canada, which is filled with AAU teams, scouting services and
00:18high-profile media attention, girls basketball in the country has flown relatively under
00:23the radar, despite the fact that the country is churning out some of the world's most
00:27talented female athletes.
00:29When Niagara and Crestwood played in the OSBA championship game in March, there were five
00:33girls committed to high major programs.
00:36Agunbiade remembers walking into a gym in October and being shocked by the level of
00:40talent on the court.
00:41I just completely stopped and was like just froze at the speed and the pace of the game
00:47and the flow of the game and just like sheer athletes getting after it and battling and
00:53watching them like something triggered within me right where I almost like it was as though
00:59I saw myself in that game.
01:02She decided she had to do something and provide girls with the kind of mentorship she lacked
01:07a decade ago when she was growing up.
01:09I feel as though I can impact a lot more young girls lives being in the position that I'm
01:15creating for myself.
01:17I feel as though I can I can help and alleviate some pressures from families.
01:21I feel as though I have more of an impact here versus within the G League.
01:28For UConn commit Aliyah Edwards, Agunbiade's mentorship has been invaluable.
01:32Growing up, I didn't really have that much athletes to look up to.
01:39Coach Lumi definitely fills that void.
01:41I'll see her in the stands after the game.
01:43I'll seek her out, ask for any feedback and just what she thought about how I played,
01:50how the team played.
01:52Always open to being a better basketball player so in that way I love how she's being more
02:00involved in the community.
02:02As Canada continues to churn out more and more high-level female basketball players,
02:06Agunbiade is going to be there, helping to increase the exposure of these talented Canadian girls.