The Vancouver Island University women’s basketball team lost in the first round of the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association national tournament Wednesday to Mohawk College.
The loss marked the end of a controversial championship run for the program after a season-long feud with rival Columbia Bible College over VIU’s transgender player, Harriette Mackenzie. VIU will continue playing in the tournament despite the loss, competing in a loser’s bracket.
Mackenzie played a prominent role in attempting to keep VIU’s championship hopes alive Wednesday, leading the team with 20 points and 17 rebounds. No other player on VIU’s roster registered more than eight points or five rebounds.
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Mackenzie’s Instagram account also appeared to be deactivated after the loss. It had been active as recently as Wednesday morning.
Mackenzie and VIU declined to comment in response to a request from Fox News Digital.
Mackenzie was recently named an All-Canadian for the second time and led VIU to a PACWEST Tournament victory over CBC, winning tournament MVP honors. Mackenzie was the conference’s player of the year in 2023.
Mackenzie can return for another college season because the CCAA provides athletes five years of eligibility.
VIU’s feud with CBC started during an Oct. 25 game between the two teams, which VIU won 69-56 after Mackenzie scored a game-high 19 points. Five days after that game, the athlete posted an Instagram video alleging that CBC head coach Taylor Claggett “cornered one of our athletic staff and went on a tirade about how I shouldn’t be allowed to play.”
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It was also alleged Mackenzie was deliberately fouled to the ground by a CBC player. In response, Claggett posted her own statement on Instagram, claiming Mackenzie’s statements were inaccurate.
“My intention has nothing to do with a specific athlete, but instead, the safety of female athletes in their sport,” Claggett wrote.
VIU then submitted a formal complaint to the PACWEST, prompting an investigation against VIU. When the two teams were scheduled to play each other again in two games Jan. 10-11, VIU refused to play due to the alleged incident from their first meetings.
“Intimidation, harassment and discrimination have no place in athletics,” VIU said in a statement to Fox News Digital in January regarding the decision not to play. “VIU stands in full support of our student-athletes and affirms the right of all athletes to compete in an environment that prioritizes their safety and well-being.”
VIU requested that the two forfeits not count as losses on the team’s record, which was granted by the PACWEST.
CBC provided a statement to Fox News Digital that weekend stating “accusations that CBC, its coaches, players and fans are a safety threat are simply untrue and misinformed.”
CBC players then condemned Mackenzie in a letter sent to Fox News Digital.
CBC players blamed Mackenzie for “personal attacks,” “defamatory comments” and even “comments that incite violence” against their coach.
“Videos and letters posted by members of the VIU women’s basketball team over the past three months have directly violated multiple rules stated in Article 17.2 of the manual. Various posts have included ‘personal attacks,’ ‘defamatory comments,’ ‘lack of respect towards the PACWEST’ and led to ‘comments that incite to violence and/or hatred’ directed at our coach,” the letter stated.
“Any and all allegations made by VIU players regarding our team and coach should have been directly communicated to PACWEST officials alone, they should not have been uploaded publicly to social media.”
The PACWEST suspended Claggett in early February, and CBC lost its right to host the PACWEST championships after an investigation by the conference.
Beginning in June 2017, all places within Canada were ordered to comply with the Canadian Human Rights Act, equal opportunity and/or anti-discrimination legislation prohibiting discrimination against gender identity or gender identity expression. This law protects the inclusion of all trans athletes in women’s and girls sports.
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