Riley MacDonald is in her first season with the Holland Hurricanes, a transfer player from the University of King’s College Blue Devils she has made an immediate impact with the team this season.
By Noel Arnason
My Hometown
I grew up in Timberlea, Nova Scotia.
My Basketball Story
I grew up watching my brother play for the first bit of my life.
I started playing when I was six.
I just played for fun but then got more into it.
But it was really just watching my brother play.
Why I Pursued Basketball
I love the competitiveness of basketball.
You never know what’s going to happen.
It’s always something different every day.
It also keeps you in shape and is fun. I enjoy doing it.
My Childhood
My childhood was great, I had a loving family.
I danced till I was 12 or 13.
I travelled a lot with my family and am really close with them now.
It’s just me, my brother and my mom and dad.
Why Holland College Became A Fit For Me
Holland College was a fit for me because I liked the two-year programs.
I thought that was interesting because I didn’t know what I wanted to do for school.
Being able to not commit to a full five-year program benefitted what I was thinking in my mind.
I liked how the journalism program focused a lot on hands-on work through internship and going out and doing your own stories.
I find I learn better that way.
I played against Holland last year at Kings, and I thought that they were a very well put together team and always good.
Head coach Chris Connolly got Coach of the Year that year when I played at Kings so he is a really good coach.
I also love visiting P.E.I.
Role Models In My Life
This is going to sound corny, but my mom.
She is a very big role model in my life.
She’s a very, very strong woman.
She didn’t play sports and didn’t come from much.
She made a lot for herself and gave me a lot of opportunities in my life.
Somebody I now looked up to is Paige Bueckers.
I think she’s the best women’s basketball player I’ve ever watched.
I love her game and love her.
My Favourite Hurricane Memory
I think our home opener had a lot of energy.
I was not expecting to have a bunch of football guys playing drums in the front row.
It’s not something I saw through my basketball career.
I thought that was really nice to see and a lot of people come and support the Hurricanes.
The gym usually has a good amount of fans. I like the atmosphere.
Leaders On The Team Beside Me
Big leaders on the team are Nevaeh O’Connell, Nykeeva Brown and there’s also Robin Driscoll.
They are all very vocal on and off the court which is helpful to the team.
They always keep people energized and keep people in it, which is good to have around the basketball team.
What Being a Hurricane Means
Being a Hurricane to me is just working hard every day when I come to practice.
It’s also wearing the logo on my chest with pride.
Just being a positive person going into everything, whether it’s basketball or school with a positive mindset and a work ethic mindset.
Charlottetown As A Home Away From Home
It’s definitely quiet, which I like.
It’s a lot smaller than Halifax, but I like where I live because I’m surrounded by a lot of things. I can walk to many places so I have easy access to many things.
It’s really beautiful. There’s a lot of beautiful sights to see.
I haven’t been here the good months like summer, but it’s pretty
My Future
Hopefully I continue to play basketball for the rest of my eligibility that I have.
My goal is to be a part of sports PR or sports content like media or communications.
Staying in the sports world is something I want to do.
I definitely want to move far away. A big dream is moving to New York.
Fun Fact About Me
I used to be able to do a backflip.
140 Weymouth Street, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada C1A 4Z1
Tel: 1-800-446-5265 | Fax: 902-629-4239
