TORONTO, Ont. (Dec. 11, 2023) - Bennedict Mathurin and Yvonne Ejim have been named the Toyota Canada Players of the Week for Dec. 4-10.

After an impressive rookie campaign in the NBA with the Indiana Pacers, Mathurin is finding his groove as his sophomore season winds along. Mathurin played a key role in Indiana making a run to the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament Final. Mathurin notched 16 points and five rebounds in a quarter-final win over Boston, before scoring a team-high 20 points — including a ridiculous buzzer-beating three-pointer to close the third-quarter — in a narrow 123-109 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Championship. The Montreal product last suited up for Canada at the FIBA U19 Men’s Basketball World Cup 2021 when he helped the U19 Men’s National Team to a bronze medal alongside the likes of Zach Edey, Caleb Houstan, Ryan Nembhard and Olivier-Maxence Prosper.

Ejim continues to shine in Spokane, as she put up big numbers again this past week for the Gonzaga Bulldogs, who improved to 10-2 this season. Ejim paced the Bulldogs in victories over Cal and Rice, recording 18 and 21 points in back-to-back games, while averaging 9.5 rebounds per game — helping her earn West Coast Conference Player of the Week honours for a third-straight week. The Calgary, Alta. product was named the Ann Meyers Drysdale National Player of the Week last week after a dominant 27-point performance in an upset win over Stanford. Ejim last suited up for the Senior Women’s National Team this past summer when she won bronze with Canada at the FIBA Women’s AmeriCup 2023.