Homegrown high school point guard Lorenn Caceres has locked up her chance to play post-secondary basketball and has committed to the UNBC Timberwolves for the 2025-26 season and beyond.
“I grew up watching the Timberwolves play from a young age and it's inspired me to work hard,” said Caceres. “It's always been a goal of mine to play university ball so when Coach Sergey (Shechepotkin) offered me the opportunity to play at UNBC, I saw it as a great chance to accomplish that goal.”
The five-foot-six Caceres has just finished her Grade 12 season with the College Heights Cougars, where she served as team captain.
As a second-team tournament all-star Caceres averaged 20 points per game and a game-high 36 points as the Cougars finished sixth in the BC triple-A girls provincial championship in Langley.
“I like the motivation that basketball gives me,” said Caceres. “I have been able to gain confidence, leadership and self-esteem. But the best part for me is the community that being a part of a team has provided for me.”
In her earlier years at College Heights playing basketball, Caceres captured Junior Athlete of the Year honours in Grade 10 and won the Cody Tuffnel Award while representing Team B.C. at the U15 Nationals during her Grade 9 season.
“We're happy that Lorenn has decided to continue her basketball journey in Prince George with the UNBC Timberwolves,” said Shechepotkin, who has coached Caceres at various Junior Timberwolves camps since she was in Grade 3.
“Her mix of leadership, work-ethic, and all-around talent have helped her thrive at the high school level, and we're excited to see how she'll develop at the Canada West level.”
Caceres also plays club basketball and coaches (voluntarily) at the Northern Bounce Basketball Academy.
Academically, Caceres' resumé is equally impressive, having earned the Top Academic Award in each of the past three seasons. She's planning to study either health sciences or bio medical at UNBC and is considering either physiotherapy or dentistry as a future career.
For Caceres, committing to UNBC is a dream come true and now the real work begins. During the spring and summer months, Caceres is planning to work on quickness with both decision-making and foot-speed, to put herself in the best position to contribute early at the Canada West level. But despite knowing the hard work that still lies ahead, Caceres can also acknowledge the excitement and joy that stems from this opportunity.
“When I put that jersey on for the first time, I'm definitely going to be thinking about the coaches and former teammates who helped get me here,” concluded Caceres. "But mainly I'll think of my parents and the amount of time we've spent together. My Dad spent so much time rebounding for me, and I'm excited that he gets to watch me."
