KINGSTON, Ont. (Feb. 28, 2024) - Queen's Women's Basketball star Julia Chadwick was named the OUA's Defensive Player of the Year for the 2023-24 season, the conference announced Wednesday.

Chadwick (Ottawa, Ont.) was also named an OUA First Team All-Star while teammate Laura Donovan (London, Ont.) was named a Second Team All-Star, helping the Gaels finish the regular season second in the conference with an 18-4 record.

Chadwick was dominant at both ends of the court for the Gaels throughout the 2023-24 season, earning the Defensive Player of the Year honours. Chadwick led the OUA in rebounds, averaging 10.9 per game, and was third in the conference in defensive rebounds, averaging 7.0 per game.

Chadwick was also an effective shot-blocker, finishing the season with 37 total blocks, which ranked second in the OUA, while also chipping in with 33 steals for the Gaels this season.

Along with the forward's strong defensive numbers, Chadwick was also a force on the offensive side of the court, earning First Team All-Star honours.

Chadwick finished fourth in the conference in scoring, averaging 18.2 points per game, and third in the OUA in field goal percentage, shooting 53.2 per cent over the season.

Chadwick also set a number of Queen's records this past year. Chadwick's 43 points and 27 rebounds against the York Lions in January were both the highest single-game totals in Queen's Women's Basketball program history. Chadwick also set the single-season record for points with 405 this past year, and points per game at 18.4. Chadwick's 249 rebounds were second most in program history, behind only the 264 Chadwick recorded last season.

And Chadwick is now second in all-time points for Queen's, with 1,267 over 80 regular season games with the program. Chadwick's 845 rebounds are second in program history only to Robyn Pearson's 866.

Donovan had strong numbers across the board for the Gaels in the 2023-24 season as well.

On the offensive side, Donovan averaged 13.8 points per game, which ranked 16th in the OUA, and shot 36.1 per cent from three-point range, which ranked third in the conference. Donovan also contributed 36 assists, 24 steals, and eight blocks over the course of the 2023-24 season.

Donovan also made a mark in program history this season. Donovan's 53 three-pointers this season are tied for second all-time, behind only Brittany Moore's 61, and Donovan's 31 points against the Carleton Ravens in January rank seventh all-time in single game points for Queen's.

And Donovan now sits fourth all-time in program history in points with 1,111, sixth in points per game at 11,1, third in three-point field goals with 173, behind only Moore's 234 and Liz Boag's 177.