Windsor Express
Basketball team in Windsor, Canada
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The Windsor Express are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, competing in the Basketball Super League. The Express play their home games at the WFCU Centre.
| Windsor Express | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| Leagues | Basketball Super League | ||
| Founded | 2012 | ||
| History | Windsor Express (2012–present) | ||
| Arena | WFCU Centre | ||
| Capacity | 6,500 | ||
| Location | Windsor, Ontario | ||
| Team colours | Maroon, black | ||
| President | Dartis Willis, Sr. | ||
| Head coach | Bill Jones | ||
| Ownership | Dartis Willis, Sr. | ||
| Championships | 2 (2013–14, 2014–15) | ||
| Website | windsorexpress.ca | ||
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History
On June 28, 2012, the NBL announced that Windsor had been awarded an expansion team for the 2012–13 season. As the eighth franchise, the league created divisions and placed the Express in the Central Division. On August 1, 2012 the team nickname was officially confirmed. The Express name is partially a tribute to the Underground Railroad and to the rail yards on the banks of the Detroit River.
The team compiled a 22–18 record in its inaugural year, placing second in the Central Division and being seeded 3rd in the playoffs. It lost its only post-season series, a semifinal against the Summerside Storm, three-games-to-two.
On April 17, 2014, the Express won their first championship against the Island Storm (formerly Summerside Storm), 121–106.[1]
The Express were named the 2015 NBL of Canada Champions on April 30, 2015 when the Halifax Rainmen forfeited game 7 after events that transpired earlier in the day. Halifax opted to forfeit the game and leave Windsor, where the game was set to take place, due to an on-court altercation between the two teams earlier in the day.[2]
On May 11, 2023 it was announced that the 3 other teams the Express competed with in the NBLC would be leaving the league to form the Basketball Super League along with The president of The Basketball League, David Magley.[3] Well the Express initially held off of joining the BSL in favor of exploring other options, it was announced on August 29, 2023 that Windsor would be joining the league for its inaugural season.
Home arenas
Originally opened in 2008, the WFCU Centre is a sports-entertainment arena in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. The arena has a capacity of 7,000 when setup for basketball. The Express share the arena with the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League.[4] In 2019 The Express proposed a bid to renovate the Windsor Arena to become the new home of the Windsor Express and local recreational activities.[5] In 2021, the proposal was denied by the City.[6]
Current roster
Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationalities not displayed.
| Windsor Express roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Updated: April 24, 2023 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Season-by-season record
| Season | Coach | Regular season | Post season | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | |||
| National Basketball League of Canada | ||||||||||
| 2012–13 | Bill Jones | 22 | 18 | .550 | 3rd | 2 | 3 | .400 | Lost First Round | |
| 2013–14 | Bill Jones | 29 | 11 | .718 | 1st | 11 | 6 | .647 | Won Championship | |
| 2014–15 | Bill Jones | 21 | 11 | .656 | 1st | 11 | 7 | .611 | Won Championship | |
| 2015–16 | Bill Jones | 21 | 19 | .525 | 2nd | 5 | 4 | .556 | Lost Division Finals | |
| 2016–17 | Bill Jones | 22 | 18 | .550 | 2nd | 3 | 4 | .429 | Lost Division Finals | |
| 2017–18 | Bill Jones | 20 | 20 | .500 | 3rd | 0 | 3 | .000 | Lost Division Semifinals | |
| 2018–19 | Bill Jones | 17 | 23 | .425 | 5th | did not qualify | ||||
| 2019–20 | Bill Jones | 11 | 11 | .500 | 3rd | Season curtailed by the COVID-19 pandemic | ||||
| 2020–21 | Bill Jones | - | - | - | Did not play due to the COVID-19 pandemic | |||||
| 2022 | Bill Jones | 8 | 17 | .320 | 4th | 0 | 3 | .000 | Lost in Round 1 | |
| 2023 | Bill Jones | 12 | 15 | .444 | 3rd | 5 | 5 | .500 | Lost in Finals | |
| Basketball Super League | ||||||||||
| 2024 | Bill Jones | 15 | 11 | .577 | 5th | did not qualify | ||||
| 2024-25 | Bill Jones | 19 | 9 | .679 | 2nd | Lost in Finals | ||||
| Totals | 195 | 172 | .869 | — | 32 | 30 | .514 | 8 playoff appearances | ||