When Queen’s announced Claire Meadows as the next head coach of the women’s basketball program, it marked both a homecoming and a turning point. Taking over ahead of the 2021–22 season, Meadows’ arrival signaled the beginning of a new era defined by competitive excellence and a commitment to equity and inclusion within the program.
A Brantford, Ont., native, Meadows is no stranger to the expectations that come with wearing the Gaels tricolour. From 2002 to 2007, she was a standout shooting guard at Queen’s, earning OUA First Team All-Star honours, a U SPORTS All-Canadian nomination, and the University Award of Merit, while finishing her career as the program’s second all-time leading scorer.
Since beginning her coaching career in 2011, Meadows has built an extensive resume at the university, provincial, and national levels. Prior to returning to Queen’s, she spent three seasons with the Saskatchewan Huskies, helping guide the program to back-to-back Canada West titles and the 2019–20 U SPORTS national championship.
That experience translated quickly into results back in Kingston. In her first season at the helm, Meadows led the Gaels to a U SPORTS bronze medal on home court in 2021–22. One year later, Queen’s posted the best regular-season record in program history at 21–1, capturing OUA silver and a U SPORTS silver medal.
Beyond records and medals, Meadows’ impact has been felt most strongly in the culture she is building within the program. Her hiring represented a broader shift within Queen’s Athletics, as she has been vocal about the importance of equity, diversity, inclusion, and indigeneity in sport.
True Evolution Hoops caught up with Coach Meadows to discuss the pressure of being undefeated this season, the program’s shift toward EDII initiatives, and the coaches who have opened doors for her throughout her career.
Moving the Program Forward
Coming into the 2021-22 season, Claire Meadows knew that it was time for a cultural shift in the women’s basketball program at Queen’s.
“At the time that I played, there just weren’t a lot of conversations being had about much other than basketball. It was 2002, 2003, and times were just so different then.”
She noted that things had changed a lot since her playing days, and that the program needed to adjust.
“Coming into the program, I had a lot of conversations with players when I got the job and I wanted to hear, kind of holistically, where the program was at.” recalled Meadows.
From those early discussions, it became clear that they needed to address the bigger picture, and the players were all in.
“We started to have conversations around EDII in our program and what that looked like. And I got a sense that players wanted to engage in more conversations.”
Being a former Gael, Meadows also understood that the program needed to move forward.
“Also understanding what the program was, during a time when there wasn’t a lot of conversation about equity, diversity, and inclusion. and trying to move that a little bit forward in our program.”
But Meadows acknowledged that change doesn’t happen overnight, especially in a place with a long history.
“Queen’s, historically, has been a predominantly white institution. But understanding what that looks like, specifically within our program and how we can start to make changes.”
She acknowledged that while the history is clear, the real focus is on what comes next.
“Ultimately, over time, we are trying to make our program a space where all people feel like they can belong. We still have a ton of work to do, but I think with continual conversations, our program is committed to that work.”
But she is also quick to point out that this is an ongoing journey, not a finished product.
“I’m continually learning. I think our team is continually learning how we can be better. and how we can be more visible in the community and different things that we can do as a program. But I think the most important piece is we’re all committed to that learning and trying to move the program forward.”
Olympic Lessons
Her ability to foster growth has also opened doors for Meadows, beyond Canada.
“Lisa (Thomaidis) called me, this would have been back in 2023 and asked if I wanted to be an assistant coach with the German (senior women’s national) team, and, you know, just an unbelievable experience, and I’m so grateful to Lisa for bringing me along with her for the ride.”
While the opportunity to coach at the Olympics was exciting, she admitted it also came with some uncertainty.
“I think when you get asked to do something like that, it’s your first time, you know, coaching at that next level. I think naturally there can be some imposter syndrome that comes along with that. And I definitely felt that at the very beginning,”
That feeling didn’t last long once the familiarity of coaching kicked in.
“But quickly, what I learned and my biggest takeaway from the experience is that really, it’s no different than any other team that I’ve coached.”
At its core, coaching always comes back to the same principles.
“Coaching a group of people where the athletes just want to be cared for, and they want to be supported.”
And those connections are built through daily investment.
“The second you start to invest time with them and show them that you care and support them, you grow a relationship and you start to learn. As much as maybe they’re learning from me, I’m equally learning from them.”
Staying Grounded
With Olympic lessons in her back pocket, Meadows is well aware of the position her team is in this season as an undefeated group.
“We try not to shy away from conversations around the pressure and how our student athletes are feeling. We very much try to normalize the feelings.”
In a season like this, staying grounded starts with having honest conversations about the emotions players may be experiencing.
“I think it’s very important to normalize any kind of feelings. And ultimately understand that, yeah, if you’re feeling pressure, if you have some fears, it’s because you care and you care deeply about what we’re trying to do.”
Mentors Along the Way
That approach didn’t happen by mistake, it was shaped by other coaches who guided her along the way.
“Early on in my career, I had the opportunity to coach with Erin McAleenan, who’s now the head coach at the University of New Brunswick.”
Meadows credits McAleenan with shaping her early foundation as a coach.
“I owe a lot of my early learnings to Erin. You know, Erin and I are close friends, and I think she also taught me the importance of having fun, and we had a lot of fun coaching together.”
For Meadows, that balance between structure and joy has stayed with her throughout her career.
“There’s a fine balance between the art and science of coaching, and I thought that Erin was masterful at the science of coaching, but also the art of it and bringing in a lot of joy and fun and laughter, and she taught me what that looked like”
Another major influence came through her time working alongside Lisa Thomaidis, the current head coach of the women’s basketball program at the University of Saskatchewan.
“Lisa Thomaidis, I owe a ton to her. I spent 3 years with Lisa at the University of Saskatchewan before, 3 summers with the German national team, and I think we all know it, but she’s a mastermind of the game.”
Beyond the X’s and O’s, Meadows said Thomaidis showed her the importance of mentorship.
“Much like Erin, she just is so detail oriented in her approach. But I think more importantly with Lisa, she taught me the importance of supporting and developing female coaches.”
That support came at a pivotal moment in Meadows’ career.
“She took me along, you know, at a time in my career where I was going through some adversity, and she brought me along, and she made me love the game again. I would not be where I am right now if it wasn’t for her.”
Closer to home, Meadows also credits a familiar name in Queen’s community.
“Dave Wilson, Dave was the coach in this program for 40 years. He coached me, and really, he was the one that encouraged me and pushed me to go into coaching.”
At the time, she was still figuring out what her next steps would be.
“I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do, did I want to teach? Did I want to coach? And he gently nudged me in the direction of coaching.”
That relationship has remained strong to this day.
“I call Dave every week. He watches the games on the weekends and we have a conversation at the beginning of every week and I just respect him a lot.”
Grit & Adversity
Alongside those conversations, the current iteration of Queen’s women’s basketball has been shaping its identity on the floor.
“When you talk about identity, I think it’s our grittiness as a team and that’s one of our values. We changed our style of play this year, and that took some time to evolve. But I feel like we’re at a place where that kind of grittiness is starting to show through.”
As the season has progressed, that identity has been tested with multiple injuries to some key players.
“I think our versatility and our depth as a team. We’re going through some injuries right now. But we very much have a next player up mentality, and although we’re facing some injuries, we’ve been able to weather that and stay the course.”
Meadows’ story is more than a homecoming, it’s a blueprint for what a modern program can look like. She’s not just building a winning program, she’s building a space rooted in growth and inclusion. The medals and records are a testament of the work she’s put in, but the real impact is in the environment she’s creating. A place where players feel supported, pressure is talked about openly, and the next generation of female athletes and coaches can feel seen.
While the wins will make headlines, it’s the culture that Meadows is developing that will carry the program forward, and that’s the real story.
