Ava Shaw’s high school journey has crossed more borders than most athletes her age, but the long road has ultimately led her to the heart of downtown Winnipeg.
Shaw, a 5-foot-10 guard from Daniel McIntyre Collegiate Institute, has become the first commitment to head coach Alyssa Cox’s Winnipeg Wesmen women’s basketball Class of 2026.
A veteran of multiple Manitoba provincial teams, Shaw has appeared in MHSAA and Winnipeg Free Press rankings dating back to her Grade 9 season with the Oak Park Raiders. She transferred to DMCI in Grade 10, marking the 11th school she has attended in her young life.
Born in Nova Scotia and later living in British Columbia, Shaw moved to Winnipeg at age nine. It was here that she discovered basketball and an early connection to the Wesmen program.
“It was immediately when we moved here. I started getting into it right away,” she said. “I just started watching Wesmen games at age 9, and ever since then I’ve wanted to be a Wesmen.”
Ranked eighth in Manitoba in Grade 10, Shaw spent two seasons with the U15 provincial program followed by time with the U17 squad. Combined with her development through Basketball Manitoba’s Targeted Athlete Program, she began to recognize her potential to play at the university level.
“I think I was finding my scoring touch and feeling like I’m a versatile guard,” she said. “I’m not an average guard. I’m a bigger build, and I’ve been put in lots of different positions. Once coaches started talking to me, I felt like they saw what I saw, and we were on the same page.”
Cox first connected with Shaw during her Grade 9 season, prompting Shaw to begin sharing her game film more widely. Despite tearing her ACL and losing her entire Grade 11 year, her determination to reach the university level never wavered.
“I took the game more seriously and was grateful I had the chance to play again,” she said. “I had surgery two weeks after it happened, and after that I worked as hard as I could to get back. Post-secondary was still the goal, and no matter what the circumstances were, I was going to get there.”
Cox said she has followed Shaw’s progress closely for nearly five years and believes the young guard has a high ceiling.
“We are very excited to welcome Ava to the program next season. Her scoring, court vision, and understanding of the game will make her an immediate contributor and someone we can build around moving forward,” Cox said. “Over the past four years, I’ve watched Ava train and compete with her school and club teams, and her unrelenting work ethic and desire to improve stand out the most. She has all the makings of a future All-Canadian.”
Shaw also credits former Wesmen standout and current assistant coach Robyn Boulanger as a key influence.
“When I was younger, I had a couple of inspirations, and Robyn was one of them. I’ve been working with her for so long now and have gotten really close with her. She made me want to be a Wesmen because of the way she played and the way everyone played with her.”
Shaw said Cox’s belief in her was a major factor in her decision.
“I felt so confident in my choice. I knew Alyssa well, we had so many conversations, and she never gave up on me during my ACL rehab. If someone has that much faith in me when I’m injured, how much faith will she have when I’m playing? I knew I was in the right place at the right time, and I was ready to commit.”
2025 MANITOBA PROVINCIAL TEAM PROFILE
Uni #
10
Team
17U Female
Roster Type
Roster Player
Position
Guard
First Name
Ava
Last Name
Shaw
Age
17
City/Town
Winnipeg
Present Grade
Grade 11
Years in Basketball
9 years
School Attending This Fall
Daniel Mcintyre Collegiate Institute
Basketball Club Name
Evolve
Summer Goals
For Team Toba to medal at the Canada Games.
Basketball Aspirations
To play university basketball.
Fondest Memory in Basketball
Playing for Team Toba at Nationals in Quebec in 2022.
Biggest Basketball Influence
Carriera Lamoureux and Robyn Boulanger.
Favourite Player & Team
Hailey Van Lith and the Minnesota Timberwolves
After High School
Study education and psychology while playing university basketball.
When Basketball Career is Over
Teach and coach at the high school level.
