Cooking food for the men’s team, and always showing up, she is a cornerstone in the team’s success.
Photo by Ella Baird.
In the 2024–2025 season, the UVic Vikes men’s basketball team secured the national U Sports title. After their celebration, the team members uplifted their greatest supporter, Elena Cruz, by gifting her a personalized national championship ring.
Cruz has been a dedicated admirer of basketball at UVic since her son, Shadynn Smid, joined the roster in 2022. The team says she shows unwavering support for all members, and that her passionate cheering can be heard in any gym that she steps into.
Going above and beyond her role as the team’s biggest fan, Cruz prepares homemade food for the entire team after every game.
“They are working so hard for us, for the university. If I can make them happy … then I am happy too,” Cruz said. She noted that her culinary efforts take teamwork at home, adding, “My husband is so supportive … I would not be able to do it if it was just me.”
Fifth year forward for the Vikes, Ethan Boag, is one of the many players who have gotten to know Cruz over the seasons. He appreciates her presence — whether he is on the court battling for a championship, or with his team post-game, refuelling with Cruz’s comfort food.
“She is always the loudest fan out there,” Boag said. “It is awesome to have a home-cooked meal … especially for guys who are far from home … every weekend.”
To show their appreciation for the work that Cruz does, the team got together and secretly designed a custom ring, engraved with her name and her son’s jersey number. It was a unanimous decision to give her the ring, as a gesture of gratitude for the woman who provides the team with “constant support and constant love.” Love that, according to Boag, is “consistent, if we win or lose.”
“They appreciate me … and it meant so much to me that … they thought about me with this,” Cruz said. “I wear that ring every game.”
For Cruz, her dedication to the team stems from a personal motherly promise that “no one will be hungry in [her] presence,” she said.
“This year, she always gives us fist bumps before the game with her ring on,” Boag said.
