The Stinger that lights up the court
Victoria Lawrence is the new women’s basketball star
Victoria Lawrence has long been the missing link to the Stingers women’s basketball team.
In her first year as a Stinger, Lawrence was the Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) defensive player of the year and second team all-star.
Lawrence is a baller, through and through.
Her abilities on the court speak for themselves. However, when you take the time to watch her play, she is more than just a basketball player. Her energy lights up the court, her unparalleled work ethic sparks fans on their feet and her beaming personality puts a smile on everyone’s face.
Tenicha Gittens, head coach of the women’s basketball team, would describe Lawrence in two words as “joyful grit,” and it couldn’t be more fitting.
Lawrence, 24, was born in Nigeria and moved to Canada at a young age. Growing up, she was quite the athlete, interested in a variety of sports. But fervour for only one remained: basketball.
“I love the game, so it just kind of flowed with how I am as a player and a person,” she said.
Having played since Grade 4, Lawrence attributes much of her talent to her basketball IQ—her ability to recognize plays as they develop and make quick, smart decisions.
“Sometimes I feel like I can see the next play coming, so I’m on the go. I’m hungry for the ball,” she said.
For Lawrence’s teammates, being “hungry for the ball” is quite the understatement.
“On the court, she’s a dawg!” Nelly Owusu said. “I can’t even lie about that; she’s a dawg.”
Owusu—a long-time Stinger star in her own right—is a shooting guard for the Stingers women’s basketball team and has played under Gittens since 2018.
Lawrence and Owusu have developed a close friendship and call themselves “twins.” Both of African descent, they feel a certain type of pressure to succeed coming from their families. Owusu explained that they have bonded over how it can be difficult for them to balance their African traditions and the Western world they’ve grown up in.
Owusu also appreciates Lawrence’s view of life.
“Basically she sees life with a lot of love,” Owusu said. She added that Lawrence’s positive outlook on life is reflected through her locker room presence and her infectious energy that “makes people feel special.”
The love that Owusu talks about is then beautifully contrasted with Lawrence’s aggression on the court. Gittens can employ her in every situation of the game, on both ends of the floor. She plays with grit and energy that bothers her opponents. Gittens also talks about her hustle, rebounding, shooting and toughness on the court.
“I always say, the only person that really stops Vic (Lawrence) is Vic. Nobody really shuts down Vic,” Gittens said. “So that’s a tremendous weapon to have on the floor.”
However, Lawrence sometimes gets in her own way. That energy that she plays with can sometimes lead her to take bad fouls worsening her play.
“As long as her mind is right and she’s doing what she gotta be doing on the court, she provides a lot of opportunity for us on both ends of the floor,” Gittens said.
Gittens sees a lot of herself in “Vic,” and that helps her manage Lawrence as a player.
The coach explained that they have put in a lot of work together, but Gittens still manages her player on the court.
“When I see ‘OK she’s going over the top,’ I just get her out of the game,” Gittens said. “And you go sit down and you go breathe and you get your mind back.”
Gittens has gotten to know Lawrence’s body language on the court, the way she responds to different moments and situations, and that’s how she’s able to keep her in check. Lawrence plays with a fire that can be devastating to herself and the team.
However, that same fire is what makes Lawrence who she is. That fire is used to taunt, celebrate and energize. Lawrence draws massive cheers from the crowd; she helps win basketball games, all thanks to that very fire.
“I always try to encourage players to find that joy and she definitely has it, and so we love it here,” Gittens said.
Lawrence has helped spread that fire with the rest of the team. Having previously attended Brock University, Lawrence made it to the finals of the U Sports Championships in the 2021-22 season, but just fell short, coming in second.
“I always feel that pain, and I can never rewatch the game video because it just hurts so bad,” Lawrence said. “I’m always avoiding it, but I always feel that pain because we were so close.”
Through the pain, she continues to be driven for success and has a strong winning mentality that now shines through her teammates as well.
“Since I’ve had that experience, I feel like I know what’s needed,” Lawrence said. “I’m trying to tell the girls we gotta go, we gotta go. Whenever I'm on my emotions on the court, they think I'm mad, but this is just who I am. Because I’m trying to win.”
Ultimately, it’s the fire and desire to win that defines Lawrence and wins basketball games. However, what her team loves about her, is the joy she brings to the court. People light up when they talk about her, and she creates an electric atmosphere around the team as a new player.
“You know, thinking about it on the drive today, I was like, my soul needed her for real,” Gittens said. “So, very, very happy that she’s here.”
Her teammates resonate that feeling.
“She makes people smile; she makes people laugh. She might not know your name, and she’ll talk to you just to see how you’re doing,” Owusu said. “That’s how she is. And honestly, it’s just a pleasure to have Victoria.”
This article originally appeared in Volume 45, Issue 10, published March 4, 2025.
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