KELOWNA, B.C. – The UBC Okanagan Heat women's basketball program has landed a high-profile transfer as Kanani Coon is set to join the Heat this Fall for the 2025-26 season.
 
Coon, a native of Kelowna and graduate from Okanagan Mission Secondary, returns to Canada and the Okanagan after a two-year stint with the University of California Santa Barbara Gauchos.
 
"Kanani is someone we recruited out of high school and are very happy she is coming home to play here at UBCO," commented Heat head coach Bobby Mitchell. "A player like her coming home shows where are program is at and says a lot about the entire team. Kanani will join a strong group and makes us better instantly."
 
The 6-2 guard brings plenty of NCAA Division I experience to UBCO after appearing in 29 games for the Gauchos over two seasons.
 
This past season, in 21 games, she averaged 2.3 points and 1.7 rebounds per game, including recording a career-best 11 points and five rebounds against UC Davis. Impressively, Coon finished the season shooting 46.2 percent from the field and 38.9 percent from three-point range.
 
Prior to joining the Gauchos, Coon was named a BC provincial all-star in 2022-23 while playing at Okanagan Mission where she averaged 24 points and nine rebounds per game in her senior season.
 
"Kanani has size and versatility at both ends of the floor and we anticipate her having an immediate impact as she is a very good fit to our style of play," added Mitchell. "Her ability to score and put pressure on defences will free up more opportunities for everyone. We are very excited to get to work this off season as a group."
 
Coon is the latest addition to a strong recruiting class for the Heat that includes 5-10 combo guard Nevena Nogic from Kamloops, 6-1 guard/forward Saige Parfitt from Victoria as well as 5-7 guard Kristen Francks, a Vernon native and transfer from Douglas College.
 
The Heat are coming off their fourth-consecutive trip to the Canada West playoffs after posting a 7-13 record in the Pacific division. Ranked 10^th in the conference entering the postseason, UBCO would eventually bow out in the play-in round to the seventh-seeded Regina Cougars.