McMaster University Athletics

Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
University: University of Toronto
High School: Thistletown C.I.
McMaster Experience: 29 seasons (1992 - present)

Leading her team to the OUA Championship game for the first time in a decade in 2018, Burns did one better in 2019 by claiming the Critelli Cup title for the first time in 11 years and fifth time in her 28-year career. The Marauders followed by achieving an unprecedented feat and winning their first national championship in program history with a 70-58 victory over the Laval Rouge et Or in their first trip to the championship game.

Over her tenure, Burns has guided the Marauders to five OUA Championships, one U SPORTS championship and one CIS bronze medal. She has been recognized as an OUA Coach of the Year recipient on three occasions and was the CIS Coach of the Year in 2008. Burns was also named as the Fox 40 OUA Coach of the Year. She has also received the 2021-2022 Women in Sport Recognition award.

She has seen eight Marauders receive national awards, and six of her players have been honoured as All-Canadians. Danielle Boiago became the first Marauder to receive the Nan Copp Award as the U SPORTS Player of the Year in 2017, having won both the OUA Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year awards.

A standout player at the University of Toronto, Burns started her coaching career at Ryerson University before accepting the head coach position at McMaster. With over 30 seasons of joint experience between Ryerson and McMaster, Burns stands as the second-longest-tenured coach in U SPORTS women's basketball behind only her former mentor, Toronto's Michele Belanger.

She has been a guest assistant coach with the Canadian Senior National Team, and served most recently as an assistant coach with Team Canada at the 2019 FISU Summer Universiade in Naples, Italy.
 

Season by Season:
2021-2022: McMaster finished with a 9-6 conference record and a post season record of 1-1. The Marauders defeated the Waterloo Warriors 63-45 in the OUA Championship first round. The Marauders fell 45-49 to the Brock Badgers in the OUA quarterfinals. Sarah Gates was named to the OUA First Team All-Star and was also named a U SPORTS Second Team All-Canadian. Amy Stinson was named to the OUA All-Rookie Team. Burns was honoured by the OUA with the 2012-2022 Women in Sport Recognition Award.

2020-2021: Season canceled due to Covid-19 pandemic.

2019-2020: The Marauders secured third in the OUA Central Division with a conference record of 14-8 and a post season record of 1-1... The Marauders defeated the Guelph Gryphons 93-88 in the first round of the OUA Championship to move on the the quarterfinals... McMaster fell one point short - 63-64 - to the Western Mustangs in the quarterfinals... Christina Buttenham was named OUA Defensive Player of the Year and was also named to the OUA First Team All -Stars... Sarah Gates was named an OUA Third Team All-Star.  

2018-19: The Marauders completed conference play with a 21-3 record to secure the top seed in the OUA West ... McMaster defeated the Brock Badgers 81-70 in an OUA quarterfinal and the Carleton Ravens 73-58 in a semifinal to return to the Critelli Cup final for a second consecutive season ... The Marauders defeated the top-ranked Ottawa Gee-Gees 79-75 in Ottawa to claim the fifth OUA title in program history and advanced to the U SPORTS Championship as the second seed ... At the national championship hosted by Ryerson at the Mattamy Athletic Centre, McMaster advanced to the national semifinals for the third time in its history with an 86-66 quarterfinal win over Concordia ... The Marauders reached the first final in program history by beating Saskatchewan 73-66, and won their first Bronze Baby Trophy as national champions by defeating the top-seeded Laval Rouge et Or 70-58 ... Forward Linnaea Harper was named as the tournament MVP, while Christina Buttenham was named as a tournament all-star ... Harper and Hilary Hanaka were named OUA First Team All-Stars, with Sarah Gates being named to the Second Team ... Hanaka received the OUA's Joy Bellinger Award and U SPORTS Sylvia Sweeney Award in recognition of her community outreach work, becoming the second Marauder winner of the national award ... Hanaka was named as a Second Team All-Canadian ... Harper received the Therese Quigley Award as McMaster's Female Athlete of the Year, while Hanaka received the Dr. Edna Guest Award.

2017-18: McMaster topped the re-formed OUA West division with a 20-4 record in conference play ... The Marauders defeated the Western Mustangs 61-51 in an OUA quarterfinal and the Ottawa Gee-Gees 47-46 in a semifinal to host the Critelli Cup final at Burridge Gym ... Carleton defeated McMaster 75-66 to retain the OUA title ... The Marauders advanced to the U SPORTS Championship as the fifth seed ... McMaster was defeated 55-39 by McGill and 60-52 by Calgary at the national championship tournament ... Guard Hilary Hanaka was named as an OUA First Team All-Star ... Forward Linnaea Harper was named as an OUA Third Team All-Star ... Guard Sarah Gates was named to the OUA All-Rookie Team.

2016-17: McMaster won the OUA Central division with a conference record of 17-2 ... The Marauders defeated the Western Mustangs 82-54 in an OUA quarterfinal at Burridge Gym to advance to the OUA Final Four ... McMaster was beaten 55-54 by Carleton in a conference semifinal and lost the OUA bronze medal game 75-64 to Windsor ... Guard Danielle Boiago became the Marauders first ever winner of the Nan Copp Award as the national player of the year, and won both the OUA Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year awards while being named a First Team All-Canadian and OUA All-Star ... Forward Linnaea Harper was named as an OUA First Team All-Star ... Forward Olivia Wilson was named to the OUA All-Rookie Team ... Guard Vanessa Pickard won the OUA's Tracy McLeod Award for perseverance.

2015-16: McMaster won the OUA Central division after finishing with a 15-4 conference record ... The Marauders defeated the Queen's Gaels 65-55 in an OUA quarterfinal before losing 56-42 to the Ottawa Gee-Gees in a conference semifinal at Montpetit Hall ... Guard Danielle Boiago was named as a CIS First Team All-Canadian and an OUA First Team All-Star ... Foward Clare Kenney was named as an OUA Second Team All-Star.

2014-15: The Marauders topped the OUA Central division with a 15-4 regular season record ... Lost an OUA quarterfinal 82-49 to Lakehead ... Guard Danielle Boiago was named as an OUA First Team All-Star ... Forward Clare Kenney and guard Hilary Hanaka were named OUA Second Team All-Stars ... Hanaka and forward Linnaea Harper were named to the OUA All-Rookie Team.

2013-14: Finished fourth in the OUA West standings with a 13-9 conference record ... Defeated 83-64 by the Windsor Lancers in an OUA quarterfinal ... Hailey Milligan named as an OUA West First Team All-Star and winner of the OUA's Joy Bellinger Award and CIS Sylvia Sweeney Award ... Milligan was recognized with the Therese Quigley Award as McMaster's Outstanding Female Athlete

2012-13: Once again improved on the record of the previous year, finishing third in the OUA West division with a record of 12-9 ... Hosted an OUA West quarterfinal against the Guelph Gryphons and defeated the Gryphons 81-51 ... Reached the OUA West final with a 73-67 victory over the Brock Badgers in St. Catherines ... Lost the OUA West final to the eventual CIS champions, the Windsor Lancers, 73-51 ... Lost the OUA bronze medal game to the Ottawa Gee Gees by a score of 71-50 ... Danielle Boiago was recognized as the OUA West Rookie of the Year, and included in the CIS All-Rookie Team ... Hailey Milligan was named as an OUA West First-Team All-Star

2011-12: Improved from the previous season to a fourth place finish in the OUA West with a .500 record of 11-11... Taylor Chiarot was named an OUA West First-Team All-Star... Hosted an OUA Playoff against the Western Mustangs, lost 77-59.

2010-11: Finished seventh in the OUA West with a 6-16 record.. Taylor Chiarot was named an OUA Second-Team All-Star...did not qualify for playoffs

2009-10: Posted a record of 13-9 to finish fifth in the OUA West...defeated 72-66 by Brock in the OUA West quarter-final...advanced to CIS Championship by virtue of hosts where they were defeated 94-76 by the reigning champions from Simon Fraser in the quarter-finals and then by Laval (66-58) in the consolation semifinal...Taylor Smith was named an OUA first team All-Star....Taylor Chiarot was added to the OUA second team and Nicole Rosenkranz and Jaklynn Nimec earned spots on the All-Rookie team... Smith moved past the previous McMaster career scoring mark of 1192 (set by Chiara Rocca in 2007-08) on February 3; she set the new standard at 1270...On January 20 Smith also surpassed 500 career assists; she finished her career with 568.

2008 - 09: Personal leave of absence...season coached by Anne Marie Thuss.

2007-08: CIS Coach of the Year..Rachel Hart named top defensive player in the CIS...Lindsay DeGroot named First Team All-Canadian..Posted a 21-1 regular season record on route to winning their third straight OUA West title and bronze medal at the CIS Championship...Defeated the Toronto Varsity Blues to win the OUA Championship...Named OUA West Coach of the Year...Began the season ranked 4th in the CIS and amassed a 17 game winning streak. and 30-4 overall record to finish the year ranked #2 in the country...Has the best point differential in the OUA finishing +481 and limited their opponents to a league low 47.5 points per game...Marauders were the most accurate shooters from the field in the OUA hitting 42.6 per cent of the time...earned a bronze medal in the preseason at the Ryerson tournament

2006 - 07: Posted a 21-1 regular-season record. McMaster was ranked No. 1 nationally for 10 consecutive weeks and the Maroon and Grey built a 24-game overall winning streak in conference and non-conference play. It was the first time since 1998- 99 that an OUA team had been ranked No. 1 in Canada. McMaster finished as the top defensive squad in the province, allowing an average of 54.4 points. Mac went on to win its second consecutive OUA West championship and Burns was named OUA West Coach of the Year. Also named the Fox 40 OUA Female Coach of the Year... Lindsay DeGroot travelled to Bangkok, Thailand to represent Canada at the 2007 Summer Universiade.

2005 - 06: Posted a record of 17 - 5, finishing the regular season 2nd in OUA West....won OUA Championship after defeating York in final.... OUA West Champions after defeating Laurier. Chiara Rocca was named CIS Defensive Player of the Year, OUA West Defensive Player of the Year and OUA West 1st Team All-Star. Taylor Smith was named to the West 2nd Team All-Star and West All-Rookie team.

2004 - 05: Posted a record of 15 - 7, finishing the regular season 4th in the OUA West. Cari te Boekhost was named OUA West Rookie of the Year. She was also named to the CIS and OUA West All Rookie Teams. Chiara Rocca and Sarah Sterling were named OUA West 2nd Team All-Stars.

2003 - 04: Posted a record of 12 - 10, finishing the regular season 5th in the OUA West. Christin Dickenson was named OUA West Player of the Year. Dickenson led the league with 6.7 assists per game. Chiara Rocca was named OUA West Rookie of the year and to the CIS and OUA West All-Rookie Teams. Rocca was also named an OUA West 2 nd Team All-Star.

2002 - 03: Posted a record of 15 - 6, finishing 1st in the OUA West. Named OUA Champions after defeating Queen's. Named OUA West Champions after defeating Laurier. Sarah Sterling was named OUA West Player of the Year and OUA West 2nd Team All-Star. Those honours made Sterling a 2 nd Team All-Canadian. Katie Coulson was named OUA West Defensive Player of the Year and OUA West 1st Team All-Star. Christin Dickenson was named OUA West 1st Team All-Star. Susanne Burr was the recepient of the OUA West Joy Bellinger Award.

2001 - 02: Posted a 15 - 6 regular season record, finishing 2nd in the OUA West. Theresa Burns was named OUA West Coach of the Year. Sarah Cameron was named OUA West 1st Team All-Star while Alana Shaw was named OUA West 2nd Team All-Star

2000 - 01: Posted a 17 - 4 regular season record, finishing 2nd in the OUA West. Defeated the Guelph Gryphons to win the OUA West Championship. Katie Coulson was named OUA West Defensive Player of the Year. Kristine Salmon was named to the OUA West All-Rookie team.

1999 - 00: Posted a 17 - 4 regular season record, finishing 2nd in the OUA West. Lost to Western in OUA West Finals. Sarah Cameron and Dani Everitt were named West Division All-Stars.

1998 - 99: Posted a record of 12 - 2, tied for 1st in the OUA West. Named OUA Champions after defeating Laurentian. Defeated Western 74 - 69 in overtime to win the OUA Champions West Championship. Dani Everitt was named CIS Rookie of the Year and West Division All-Star. Sarah Cameron was named West Division All-Star. Everitt led the league in free throw percentage with 82.2%.

1997 - 98: Posted a record of 8 - 6, tied for 3rd in the OUA West. Carla Vesprini was named West Division All-Star.

1996 - 97: Posted a record of 8 - 6, tied for 3rd in the OUA West. Jennifer Sutherland was named the West Joy Bellinger Award Recepient. Carla Vesprini was named West Division All-Star.

1995 - 96: Posted a record of 10 - 4, finishing 3rd in the O.W.I.A.A. West. Defeated York 77 - 70 to earn the O.W.I.A.A bronze medal. Carla Vesprini was named West Division All-Star.

1994 - 95: Posted a record of 7 - 7, finishing 4th in the O.W.I.A.A. West. Carla Vesprini and Lisa Thomaidis were named West Division All-Star.

1993 - 94: Posted a record of 2 - 12, finishing 8th in the O.W.I.A.A. West. Lisa Thomaidis was named West Division All-Star.

1992 - 93: Posted a record of 2 - 12, finishing 8th in the O.W.I.A.A. West. Lisa Thomaidis was named West Division All-Star.