As a young hopeful hooper, Avneet Kainth decided she wanted to be a Wesmen, and so she decided to speak it into existence.
The Grade 12 student at Maples Collegiate has committed to the Winnipeg Wesmen women's basketball team as the newest member of head coach Alyssa Cox's 2025 recruiting class. She signed during a ceremony in her high school gym in March and will have five years of eligibility.
Talented at a young age, Kainth decided early on she wanted to take basketball as far as she could, and she hoped that road would lead to the University of Winnipeg.
"Grade 9 and 10 I knew I wanted to stay in the province, I wanted to play basketball, and it was always U of W," she said.
"In Grade 11, I remember, I made this little project, and I wrote things I want to do in the future and playing for U of W was one of them. I always wanted to play here."
And now the versatile guard will get that chance in 2025-26 after putting in her work as a youth to become a post-secondary talent.
Kainth got involved in the Attack Basketball system at an early age and grew into a position that she was a provincial-team player in a few short years.
With a strong family and community helping her succeed, Kainth found she was improving as the competition got stronger.
"During summer going into Grade 9, I made the Manitoba provincial team and the years … and through those years I felt that I just improved more because I was seeing girls that were catching up and I knew I needed to work harder."
Cox showed interest in Kainth as a recruit early on and made her a focal point of the '25 class.
"Avneet is a highly skilled and versatile guard with a high basketball IQ and a great stroke from behind the arc," Cox said. "She will be a great addition to our team next season. Her level of talent, combined with her dedication and work ethic give us high hopes for her future in the program."
After putting the work in since she first found the love for the game, Kainth isn't going to slow down now.
"I will always push to be the best," she said, "no matter who I'm playing against. "I will always work my hardest to help the team."
2024 Manitoba Provincial Team Player Profile
Position
Guard
Name
Avneet Kainth
Age
17
Hometown
Winnipeg
Years in Basketball
11 years
School Attending This Fall
Maples Collegiate
Basketball Club Name
Attack Academy
Favourite Player & Team
Lebron James And Luka Doncic, Favourite Team Is Lakers
Summer Goals
To Win The Prairie Cup, Win The Sioux Falls Tournament And Win The Nationals Championship
Basketball Aspirations
I Want To Play University Basketball
Fondest Memory in Basketball
My Fondest Memory In Basketball Is Going To Nationals For The First Time In Quebec
Biggest Basketball Influence
My biggest basketball influence is my brothers
After High School
I want to go to university and play basketball while pursuing a degree in kineseology
When Basketball Career is Over
I would want to stay connected to the sport by coaching young athletes