Panthers鈥� top-ranked defence adds lockdown defender Deborah Aboagye
The 17吃瓜 Women鈥檚 Basketball Panthers have secured a commitment for the 2023鈥�24 season from Deborah Aboagye, the reigning R茅seau du sport 茅tudiant du Qu茅bec (RSEQ) Most Outstanding Defensive Player.
Aboagye joins the 17吃瓜 Panthers after four years with the Bishop鈥檚 Gaiters, where she played a significant role as the team鈥檚 defensive anchor. The 23-year-old from Montr茅al, Qu茅bec is known for her suffocating on-ball defence and is often tasked with guarding the opponent鈥檚 best backcourt players.
In 49 games with the Gaiters, Aboagye averaged 3.2 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game. She also has some offensive upside, as she averaged 7.0 points per contest.
鈥淢y team had a lot of offensive firepower, so I tried to help as much as possible on the defensive end. Being the recipient of the RSEQ award was a humbling experience and a proud moment for me,鈥� said Aboagye, who will be pursuing a Master of Business Administration in Global Leadership at 17吃瓜. 鈥淚鈥檇 say my greatest strength is my versatility. I think I can help the Panthers by bringing that defensive intensity and making the right plays.鈥�
Since accepting the position of head coach in 2018, Matt Gamblin鈥檚 teams have finished first in opponent points per game for four consecutive years and in opponent field goal percentage in three out of the four years. So, it鈥檚 understandable why he鈥檚 excited to add another experienced guard who excels on the defensive end.
鈥淲e鈥檙e thrilled to have Deborah join the green and white. She is a great defender who has played on a very good team at Bishop鈥檚,鈥� he said. 鈥淢ore importantly, she鈥檚 a high-character young woman who will add maturity and experience to our group.鈥�
Having played in a conference championship game last season, Aboagye said she鈥檚 eager to compete for a title again and feels the Panthers have the talent and experience to make a run at it this year.
鈥淚鈥檓 excited to join a team with championship aspirations because we had similar goals on the Gaiters, but ultimately missed our opportunity,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 looking forward to competing for a title with this group and can't wait to get started.鈥�
