CALGARY – One of the most dominant players in Canada West women's basketball history, Veronica Den Oudsten (VanderSchee) helped define a golden era for the University of Calgary Dinos and remains one of the most accomplished student-athletes the conference has ever seen.
A central figure on the Dinos' record-setting teams of the late 1980s, Den Oudsten's outstanding university career has been formally recognized with her induction into the Canada West Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2025-26 in the Athlete category.
The Calgary Dinos women's basketball team will honour Den Oudsten prior to tonight's game against the rival Mount Royal Cougars at Jack Simpson Gymnasium, with tip off scheduled for 6 p.m. MT.
Den Oudsten is one of eight inductees into the Canada West Hall of Fame's Class of 2025-26 which was unveiled earlier this month. Individual inductee spotlights will continue throughout the remainder of the season.
Fans can view all previous Hall of Fame inductees on the
Canada West Hall of Fame website.
Veronica Den Oudsten (VanderSchee) - Athlete Category
University of Calgary Dinos Women's Basketball, 1985-90
One of the most prolific and decorated players in University of Calgary women's basketball history, Veronica Den Oudsten (née VanderSchee) was a cornerstone of the Dinos' sustained dominance during one of the program's most successful eras.
Competing for the Dinos from 1985 to 1990, Den Oudsten was a model of consistency and excellence, earning Canada West All-Star recognition in all five of her seasons, including three First Team selections. She was named Canada West Player of the Year twice, in 1988 and 1990, cementing her status as one of the conference's premier players during her era. She was also named the Dinos Female Athlete of the Year during both of those seasons.
Den Oudsten played a pivotal role in one of the most impressive dynasties in conference history, helping the Dinos capture the first three of their four consecutive Canada West championships between 1987 and 1991. Calgary went 69 consecutive games without a loss against CIS and NCAA competition, a record at the time, while establishing itself as the standard of excellence within the conference.
Her impact extended nationally, where she was twice named a CIAU First Team All-Canadian and earned the Nan Copp Award as the national player of the year in both 1988 and 1990. Den Oudsten's university career reached its pinnacle during the 1988-89 season, when she helped guide the Dinos to the 1989 national championship and was named the CIAU Championship Tournament MVP following a decisive 92-55 victory over UPEI in the gold medal game.
Den Oudsten concluded her U SPORTS career with 1,335 points in just 70 games, a mark that still ranks sixth on the Dinos' all-time scoring list.
Her legacy with the University of Calgary has continued to be recognized in the years since. She was inducted into the Dinos Hall of Fame in 2014 and was named to the U SPORTS Top 100 Women's Basketball Players of the Century in 2020.
ABOUT THE CANADA WEST HALL OF FAME
For the last century, organized university sport has been a central part of the student experience at institutions across Western Canada. Beginning with the University of Manitoba capturing the first Western Canadian Intercollegiate Athletic Union (WCIAU) men's hockey banner in 1919-20, student-athletes have been competing to reach their full potential in sport and the classroom, while enriching campus life.
To commemorate 100 years of university sport across Western Canada, the Canada West Hall of Fame was created in the spring of 2019. This year's induction class will be unveiled throughout the 2025-26 season.
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