Bella Coola twins Annika and Ayanna Parr commit to the UNBC Timberwolves

The UNBC Timberowolves have made a big recruiting splash with 'double' the impact. UNBC Timberwolves Women's Basketball head coach Sergey Shchepotkin announced today that twin sisters Annika and Ayanna Parr (Bella Coola, B.C.) have committed to the Green and Gold for 2026-27 and beyond.

Annika and Ayanna are members of the Nuxalk Nation and have both been playing basketball since the age of five.

Annika, a point guard, stands 5'9" and lists shooting and dribbling as two of her biggest strengths. She's a three-time MVP, a two-time leading scorer, and a three-time champion with Acwsalcta high school. In previous provincial tournaments she's earned both all-star and Top Defensive Player honours while finishing third in 2024 and second in 2025. She's captured all-star honours in three previous zone championship tournaments along with two MVP honours. Her plan is to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology degree and one day wants to become a physiotherapist. She carries a 4.0 GPA.

"I'm impressed by Coach Sergey's basketball knowledge and his commitment to developing disciplined, well-rounded players," shared Annika who visited UNBC in late December alongside Ayanna. "I'm also excited about my future teammates' strong work ethic and competitiveness of my future teammates."

Ayanna, a shooting guard, is 5'8" and prides herself on consistent shooting, positivity and her ability to draw fouls. During play with Acwsalcta high school, Ayanna was a three-time first-team all-star and was also named Most Inspirational Player twice. She's a two-time provincial first-team all-star and earned both all-star and MVP honours during Zone playoffs. Academically she also carries a 4.0 GPA and plans to become an occupational therapist once her time at UNBC is done.

"Basketball has been my passion since a very young age; teaching me about discipline, teamwork, and perseverance," added Ayanna who credits UNBC's culture, energy and their father's persuasion for swaying her and her sister to commit to UNBC.

It also helped that coach Shchepotkin aggressively recruited both sisters, providing an opportunity for both to make an immediate impact next season, while continuing their incredible twin basketball journey together.

"We are very excited to have Annika and Ayanna committed to UNBC," said Sergey Shchepotkin. "They love the game, and their talent and competitiveness is noticeable right away. It's exciting to think about the energy, positivity and overall impact that they will inject into our lineup next year as our young team continues to grow together."

UNBC Athletics is thrilled to welcome Annika and Ayanna Parr to the UNBC Timberwolves family.