Veronica Den Oudsten (WBB | Student-athlete)

NAME: Veronica Den Oudsten (VanderSchee)

UNIVERSITY: Calgary

CATEGORY: Student-athlete

SPORT: Women's Basketball

CW Hall of Fame Class of 2025-26

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Competed for the University of Calgary Dinos women’s basketball program from 1985–90, earning Canada West All-Star honours in all five seasons

• Two-time Canada West Player of the Year and Dinos Female Athlete of the Year (1988, 1990)

• Two-time CIAU First Team All-Canadian and Nan Copp Award winner as national player of the year in 1988 and 1990

• Helped lead the Dinos to the 1989 national championship and three of four consecutive Canada West titles

BIOGRAPHY:

One of the most prolific and decorated players in University of Calgary women’s basketball history, Veronica Den Oudsten (née VanderSchee) was a cornerstone of the Dinos’ sustained dominance during one of the program's most successful eras.

Competing for the Dinos from 1985 to 1990, Den Oudsten was a model of consistency and excellence, earning Canada West All-Star recognition in all five of her seasons, including three First Team selections. She was named Canada West Player of the Year twice, in 1988 and 1990, cementing her status as one of the conference’s premier players during her era. She was also named the Dinos Female Athlete of the Year during both of those seasons.

Den Oudsten played a pivotal role in one of the most impressive dynasties in conference history, helping the Dinos capture the first three of their four consecutive Canada West championships between 1987 and 1991. Calgary went 69 consecutive games without a loss against CIS and NCAA competition, a record at the time, while establishing itself as the standard of excellence within the conference.

Her impact extended nationally, where she was twice named a CIAU First Team All-Canadian and earned the Nan Copp Award as the national player of the year in both 1988 and 1990. Den Oudsten’s university career reached its pinnacle during the 1988-89 season, when she helped guide the Dinos to the 1989 national championship and was named the CIAU Championship Tournament MVP following a decisive 92-55 victory over UPEI in the gold medal game.

Den Oudsten concluded her U SPORTS career with 1,335 points in just 70 games, a mark that still ranks sixth on the Dinos’ all-time scoring list.

Her legacy with the University of Calgary has continued to be recognized in the years since. She was inducted into the Dinos Hall of Fame in 2014 and was named to the U SPORTS Top 100 Women’s Basketball Players of the Century in 2020.