Langlois brings ‘winning mentality’
After standout university career, Windsor star headed for Olympics
Over the last six years, there may not have been a lot of people outside of Windsor, Ont., who knew what Miah-Marie Langlois was capable of on the basketball court.
Now, the entire country and other parts of the world are getting a big eye-opener about what the 24-year-old can bring to the table.
After a storied career at the University of Windsor as part of a dominant program that won four straight CIS national championships, Langlois has taken that next step with the Canadian senior women’s national team.
She’s teamed up with Kia Nurse to give Canada a top-end backcourt. Between the two of them, they come from high-profile, winning university programs. Nurse just helped the University of Connecticut to its fourth straight NCAA championship this past year.
“It definitely helps and develops a winning mentality,” said Langlois.
“You learn how to deal with the big stage and performing on the big platform. The NCAA is obviously bigger, but the drive to win is still the same. The pressure is still there, and it’s that winning mentality and attitude that I’ve tried to bring to Canada Basketball.
“It’s addicting to win. The adrenalin and excitement you feel ... the only way to get that feeling back is to win again.”
During her five-year career at Windsor, Langlois was part of a program that went 103-6. She was a three-time CIS national championship MVP and three-time CIS defensive player of the year.
She’s a winner, but despite all the success at the CIS level, Langlois never dreamt of playing for the Canadian national team. After being part of Canada’s roster that won the 2015 Pan Am Games and 2015 FIBA Americas championship last summer, she likely will be the only CIS grad on the Olympic roster in Rio.
It’s pretty incredible for a young woman who never experienced basketball outside of Windsor prior to her pushing her way on to Team Canada.
“I stayed in Windsor until I was 22. I didn’t have any experience with Team Ontario, JDP (Junior development program), but I was OK with that, I was just happy to be on the court. I just went to one open tryout (in 2011) and it opened up so many doors,” said Langlois, who played high school at Catholic Central, an inner city high school in Windsor.
“I didn’t even want to go to the open tryout. I was so accustomed to being at home and I had that fear of what if I don’t make it, and if I didn’t make it, I had to accept the fact that I wasn’t good enough and that was a big part of my motivation.”
The doors to basketball success kept opening for Langlois and she’s continued to walk through them. Now the world is her oyster.
Langlois just wrapped up her second season of pro basketball. After spending her rookie season playing in Sweden, she moved to Russia this year and played for Dynamo- Guvd Novosibirsk.
“I love the cold and the challenge,” Langlois said with a laugh.
“I got to play against some great players like (former WNBA stars) Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner. It was a great experience.”
For the last several years, Langlois was on the radar of Canada Basketball. While she was putting together a glittery resume in Windsor, Team Canada head coach Lisa Thomaidis was putting together a dominant program of her own at the University of Saskatchewan. The two schools saw each other almost every year at nationals.
“She’s the epitome of a player who never settles for anything less than the best,” said Thomaidis.
“She’s always seeking feedback, because she wants to continue to grow as a player. She’s always looking to get better.
“Miah is absolutely blossoming now with the life experiences she’s gaining. The opportunities she’s getting to compete against the best in the world ... she’s doing so well.”
Now, she’s on the cusp of realizing her Olympic dream.
“It still hasn’t sunk in that I’m going to the Olympics,” said Langlois.
“It’s similar to winning four national championships. You don’t realize it until it’s all over, until that last chapter is done. I know I will have that same experience with the Olympics.”