Have you watched The Lion King? Have you seen the part where Simba goes missing for a while, teams up with Timon and Pumbaa, then comes back to defeat Scar? Simba is a fictional lion, but his journey is worth emulating: stepping away, training, and returning stronger. That’s exactly what York Lions women’s basketball team guard, Gabby Di Pietro, embodies.
Di Pietro is a volume shooter who shows up on the defensive side of the game as well. But when the jersey comes off, she’s a chill, laid-back student who just wants to go to class and spend time with her friends. When Di Pietro started playing basketball — later than most of her teammates, in around grade six or seven — she modelled her game after the greatest shooter to walk on earth: Stephen Curry. She admires the future Hall of Famer’s shooting range, his willingness to help defensively, and his ability to do everything on the court.
Di Pietro committed to York because of the coaching staff and teammates, who made her feel welcome and included during her visit. She spoke highly of her experience with head Coach Christa Eniojukan, a Lions alumna and former MVP. “It’s amazing having her as a coach,” Di Pietro praised. “Even off the court, she’s a really good role model and always there for me — like another mom, in a way!”
This season, Di Pietro is averaging a career-high of 10 points per game and has already surpassed the number of shots she took last season. This wasn’t a result of moving from the bench to the starting five — (she started all 15 games), it was about putting in effort in the offseason. She spoke about her mindset heading into the offseason last year: “I knew I needed to have a bigger role this year. Losing a whole bunch of seniors, I felt like I had to step in and be more of an offensive threat. So I focused on building my one-on-one game and my shooting this year.”
The York Lions women’s basketball team is on track to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2022–23 season. They are also on pace to finish above the .500 mark for the first time, should they manage to secure a few more wins. There’s also a possibility of hosting a first-round playoff game for the first time in over a decade.
Di Pietro also addressed her excitement and mindset heading into the postseason. “It’s great. We have a chance to host a first-round playoff game here, and I don’t even know when the last time that happened. I’m just really excited. In terms of mindset, it’s about building off everything we’ve done this season. And I need to continue developing my leadership skills this postseason.”
York has proven they can go toe to toe with the best, as they beat the OUA Central one seed TMU twice in the last two seasons. However, they have not been able to beat the Brock Badgers, who have had the Lions’s number since the 2018 season. With the possibility of facing the Badgers, led by Madalyn Weinert who leads the OUA in points and assists and is considered to be an MVP favourite, Di Pietro responded, “We have to go into that game not thinking about the past losses, because in those games we weren’t playing at our best. We can’t take them lightly, [but] being able to stop their key players will give us a chance.”
Di Pietro also reflected on her biggest moment in a Lions jersey so far, a clutch shot against the Queen’s Gaels, one of the OUA’s most formidable teams in recent years. She explained what was going through her mind at the time: “I just told myself I needed to make the shot because we were up three and they had a chance to come back and win. The shot clock was going down, so I had to put the shot up. I felt confident I could make it for us.” Di Pietro’s confidence might just be what the Lions need for a breakthrough season.
You can catch Gabby and the other Lions as they prepare for postseason basketball online at OUA.TV and live at Tait McKenzie Centre.
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