‘A little piece of home on the court’

Izzi Fust is in a better place.

Don’t get it twisted; this isn’t an obituary, far from it. The standout third-year forward feels as lively on a basketball court as she has in years.

After spending the first two years of her university career with the Regina Cougars, Fust returned home this summer and is gearing up for her first season with the Manitoba Bisons.

Her homecoming came one year after older sister Kyu made the jump from Regina to Manitoba.

Izzi is loyal at her core, so the decision to transfer came after plenty of internal debate. She received interest from other programs, but what she had in Manitoba would always be tough to beat.

“Last season was definitely a tough one because obviously I went to Regina because I thought it was the best fit, but I also went because I wanted to play with my sister again,” Izzi told the Free Press.

“Not having her there was definitely a big toll on not only my mental aspect but also the physical aspect because I didn’t have somebody I could rely on.”

Her sister not being there was one (big) thing. However, while the last two years for the province’s top-ranked high school player in 2024 have been valuable to her development, Fust maintains there is a lot to her game that went untapped in the neighbouring province.

There’s an impact she can make for the Bisons that she wasn’t given the chance to make for the Cougars.

“I definitely felt like I wasn’t being used to my potential, and that also hurt my mental aspect,” she said. “So my mental aspect while I was in Regina was definitely not at its peak, and therefore that affected my performance. Overall, Regina did offer me many things, but I think the best thing for me was coming home because now I get to play with my sister, I get to be on a team that uses me properly, and I get to play at home in front of my family and friends.”

Though Kyu was always a phone call away last season, the sisters would try not to talk about basketball. Still, it was evident to Kyu that her sister wasn’t the same.

“We really tried not to talk about basketball because… we know basketball is a big part of our life, but it’s not our entire life,” Kyu said. “I feel like with this Regina and transferring experience, we both learned that there’s so much more to life than basketball.”

Despite the unrest with her utilization, the versatile 6-1 forward was still named to the Canada West All-Rookie Team and received Academic All-Canadian honours in 2024-25.

Izzi delivered nine points and 5.5 rebounds per game while making a consistent impact on the defensive end for the Cougars, totalling 58 blocks and 51 steals across 45 contests.

Bisons head coach Michele Sung, who attempted to recruit both Fust sisters out of high school, is starting her new addition at centre and is looking for every way to get her fingerprints on a game.

“She’s super versatile, so I think that in itself helps any team. I think she’s obviously got this gravitas to her a little bit in terms of her accomplishments and what she’s been able to do so far with her career,” said Sung.

“But the thing I like about her is that it doesn’t matter the context, she always plays hard. I think that’s a really valuable asset to have in the leadership category. And then I think she wants to see her teammates succeed as much as herself — I think that’s massive, as well.”

Kyu joins a Bisons team that also includes her father, Paul, on the coaching staff. Paul was a five-year standout with the Bisons men’s basketball program and earned GPAC First Team All-Star honours in 1999.

“It’s been really nice. It’s like having a little piece of home on the court,” Kyu said of her sister.

Kyu transferred back home after she wrestled with the idea of leaving basketball altogether. Her love for the game faded while away but rekindled after spending a summer around many of her high school teammates.

On a Bisons team that includes a bevy of former Lancers, Kyu said she believes a new — yet familiar — atmosphere could have a similar impact on her younger sister.

“I think so. I think that a lot of the girls that are on this team currently, we’ve played with in the past. And obviously, being at home is a whole different experience than being away,” she said. “It brings back a lot of memories from high school or club days, and it’s always a good vibe. I feel like we’ve always had a very good connection with our teammates, and being at home definitely makes a difference, too.”

And the early returns have been promising.

“I need coaching that’s directed towards me, not just to the overall team. And I found that being back home, it’s much more direct, like, ‘You screwed this up; you need to fix this part.’ And for me, that’s the best thing that could happen to me,” Izzi said.

“Development-wise, I’ve already improved so much this year just based on that kind of coaching. I also think the role that they put me in, it’s not like I’m a rookie. I still get to be the leader, and I get to use my voice as much as I want. I get to share my opinions, express my thoughts. Like it’s very open for anybody who wants to speak, and I really appreciate that about being here.”

The hope is that she can vault the Bisons into a real threat in Canada West. The program has squeaked into the playoffs in seven of the last eight seasons but has failed to make much noise once it got there.

A starting five that includes the Fusts, Taylor Schepp, Ayva Khan and Anna Miko certainly isn’t void of talent or experience. Even Schepp, the most junior starter who enters her second season, started every game as a freshman and was named to the conference All-Rookie team.

Sung said she believes the young guard is poised for another year of growth, which would be a boon to a group that otherwise consists of third-, fourth-, and fifth-year talent.

“With athletes and students at this age, they all just want the thing, the goal, right? And we’re trying so hard to get them to buy into the process. It’s harder than it ever has been, but yeah, I think they’re poised to have a great year,” Sung said.

“I think we could have a really good year. We could have an average year. I also think excitingly, for fans, this might be the most parity we’ve ever seen in Can West in my time here, so I think that’s pretty exciting.”

The Bisons open conference play against their rival Winnipeg Wesmen on Oct. 30.

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