TORONTO, ON (June 28, 2016) - Canada Basketball is pleased to announce the 18 athletes that have been invited to participate in the Women's National Team Phase 2 camp in Edmonton, AB from June 29th -July 12th.
"We made very good progress in phase 1 re-connecting our national team athletes and assessing our senior team and systems," said Denise Dignard, Director, Women's High Performance. "We look forward to hosting China in these important pre-Rio exhibition games."
Fresh off of their 4-1exhibition run in France and Spain, the 2015 back-to-back gold medalist will reunite on June 29th for the second phase of training.
Canada will host China for the Edmonton Grads International Classic (EGIC) from July 9th-11th at the Saville Community Sports Centre. China recently qualified for the Olympics in the last-chance tournament and will again face Canada in Olympic pool-play. Tickets for the EGIC are now available, click here to purchase.
The final Olympic roster will be announced during phase 3 of training camp, which tips-off July 22nd in Toronto, ON. The team will then head to the U.S. for the 2016 USA Basketball Showcase before heading to Rio de Janeiro for the Olympic Games from August 5th -22nd.
The full list of athletes, staff and schedule as of Phase 2:
<table border="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td><div>NAME</div></td><td><div>POSITION</div></td><td><div>HEIGHT</div></td><td><div> HOMETOWN</div></td><td><div>2015-16 CLUB/SCHOOL</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Natalie Achonwa*</div></td><td><div>Power Forward</div></td><td><div>6'3</div></td><td><div>Guelph, ON</div></td><td><div>Indiana Fever (WNBA)</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Miranda Ayim</div></td><td><div>Power Forward</div></td><td><div>6'3</div></td><td><div>London, ON </div></td><td><div>Basket Landes (France)</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Adut Bulgak* </div></td><td><div>Centre</div></td><td><div>6'4'</div></td><td><div>Edmonton, AB</div></td><td><div>New York Liberty (WNBA)</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Bridget Carleton </div></td><td><div>Guard </div></td><td><div>6'1</div></td><td><div>Chatham, ON</div></td><td><div>Iowa State (NCAA)</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Laura Dally</div></td><td><div>Guard </div></td><td><div>6'0'</div></td><td><div>Sarnia, ON </div></td><td><div>Saskatchewan (CIS)</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Nirra Fields </div></td><td><div>Guard </div></td><td><div>5'6'</div></td><td><div>Montreal, QC</div></td><td><div>Phoenix (WNBA)/UCLA (NCAA)</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Kim Gaucher</div></td><td><div>Shooting Guard </div></td><td><div>6'1' </div></td><td><div>Mission, BC</div></td><td><div>Mondeville (France)</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Ruth Hamblin* </div></td><td><div>Centre</div></td><td><div>6'6'</div></td><td><div>Houston, BC</div></td><td><div>Dallas Wings (WNBA)</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Miah-Marie Langlois </div></td><td><div>Point Guard</div></td><td><div>5'8' </div></td><td><div>Windsor, ON</div></td><td><div>Dynamo-Guvd Novosibirsk (Russia)</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Lizanne Murphy </div></td><td><div>Small Forward</div></td><td><div>6'1'</div></td><td><div>Beaconsfield, QC</div></td><td><div>Angers (France)</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Kia Nurse </div></td><td><div>Point Guard</div></td><td><div>6'0' </div></td><td><div>Hamilton, ON</div></td><td><div>UConn (NCAA)</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Katherine Plouffe </div></td><td><div>Small Forward</div></td><td><div>6'3'</div></td><td><div>Edmonton, AB</div></td><td><div>Nantes Reze (France)</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Michelle Plouffe</div></td><td><div>Small Forward</div></td><td><div>6'3'</div></td><td><div>Edmonton, AB</div></td><td><div>Mondeville (France)</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Emily Potter </div></td><td><div>Centre</div></td><td><div>6'4'</div></td><td><div>Winnipeg, MB</div></td><td><div>Utah (NCAA)</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe</div></td><td><div>Forward</div></td><td><div>6'2' </div></td><td><div>Penticton, BC</div></td><td><div>Wasserburg (Germany)</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Tamara Tatham</div></td><td><div>Small Forward</div></td><td><div>6'1'</div></td><td><div>Brampton, ON</div></td><td><div>Townville Fire (Australia)</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Shona Thorburn </div></td><td><div>Point Guard</div></td><td><div>5'10' </div></td><td><div>Hamilton, ON</div></td><td><div>Nantes Reze (France)</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>Jamie Weisner* </div></td><td><div>Guard </div></td><td><div>5'9'</div></td><td><div>Clarkston, WA</div></td><td><div>Connecticut Sun (WNBA)</div></td></tr></tbody></table>
*Athletes currently in WNBA season will be unavailable
2016 SENIOR COACHES & STAFF
<table border="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td nowrap="nowrap"><div>Name</div></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><div>Hometown</div></td><td><div>Affiliation</div></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><div>Role</div></td></tr><tr><td nowrap="nowrap"><div>Lisa Thomaidis</div></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><div>Saskatoon, SK</div></td><td><div>University of Saskatchewan</div></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><div>Head Coach</div></td></tr><tr><td nowrap="nowrap"><div>Shawnee Harle</div></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><div>Calgary, AB</div></td><td><div>n/a</div></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><div>Assistant Coach</div></td></tr><tr><td nowrap="nowrap"><div>Bev Smith</div></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><div>Eugene, OR</div></td><td><div>n/a</div></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><div>Assistant Coach</div></td></tr><tr><td nowrap="nowrap"><div>Steve Baur</div></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><div>Sackville, NS</div></td><td><div>Canada Basketball</div></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><div>Assistant Coach</div></td></tr><tr><td nowrap="nowrap"><div>Dipesh Mistry</div></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><div>Markham, ON</div></td><td><div>Ryerson University</div></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><div>Performance Analyst</div></td></tr><tr><td nowrap="nowrap"><div>Joan Mlynarczyk</div></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><div>Toronto, ON</div></td><td><div>n/a</div></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><div>SW Physiotherapist & Therapy Lead</div></td></tr><tr><td nowrap="nowrap"><div>Danielle Dobney</div></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><div>Toronto, ON</div></td><td><div>McGill University</div></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><div>Athletic Therapist</div></td></tr><tr><td nowrap="nowrap"><div>Chris DalCin</div></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><div>Toronto, ON</div></td><td><div>n/a</div></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><div>Basketball Scientist</div></td></tr><tr><td nowrap="nowrap"><div>Sarah Kim</div></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><div>Toronto, ON</div></td><td><div>n/a</div></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><div>Lead Physician</div></td></tr><tr><td nowrap="nowrap"><div>Marni Wesner</div></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><div>Edmonton, AB</div></td><td><div>University of Alberta</div></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><div>Edmonton Lead Physician</div></td></tr><tr><td nowrap="nowrap"><div>Peter Jensen</div></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><div>Toronto, ON</div></td><td><div>n/a</div></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><div>Sport Psychologist</div></td></tr><tr><td nowrap="nowrap"><div>Susan Cockle</div></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><div>Edmonton, AB</div></td><td><div>n/a</div></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><div>Sport Psychologist</div></td></tr><tr><td nowrap="nowrap"><div>Anne Marie Thuss</div></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><div>Hamilton, ON</div></td><td><div>McMaster University</div></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><div>Team Manager</div></td></tr></tbody></table>
2016 SUMMER SCHEDULE
<table border="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td><div>DATE</div></td><td><div>EVENT</div></td><td><div>LOCATION</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>June 26-July 8</div></td><td><div>Phase 2 camp</div></td><td><div>Saville Centre, Edmonton</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>July 9-11</div></td><td><div>Edmonton Grads International Classic vs Team China<br>Game Times:</div><ul><li><div>Saturday, July 9th @ 7:00 p.m. MST</div></li><li><div>Sunday, July 10th @ 4:00p.m. MST</div></li><li><div>Monday, July 11th @ 7:00 p.m. MST</div></li></ul></td><td><div>Saville Centre, Edmonton<br> </div></td></tr><tr><td><div>July 22-26</div></td><td><div>Phase 3 Training</div></td><td><div>TBC, Toronto</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>July 27-31</div></td><td><div>2016 USA Basketball Showcase<br>Game Times:</div><ul><li><div>July 27th vs Australia @ 5 p.m. ET</div></li><li><div>July 29th vs United States @ 7:00 p.m. ET</div></li><li><div>July 31st vs France @ 1:30 p.m. ET</div></li></ul></td><td><div>Newark, Bridgepoint & New York, USA</div></td></tr><tr><td><div>August 5-21</div></td><td><div>Olympic Games</div></td><td><div>Rio De Janeiro, Brazil</div></td></tr></tbody></table>
Schedule, staffing and athletes subject to change.
For More Information & Media Requests, contact:
Maria-Leena Clarke, mclarke@basketball.ca
Blythe Gutelius, communications@basketball.ca
ABOUT THE EDMONTON GRADS INTERNATIONAL CLASSIC
2016 marks the 2nd Edmonton Grads International Classic (EGIC), an event highlighting the relationship between Canada Basketballâ??s Women's National Team and the City of Edmonton. The tournament will take place from July 9-11th at the Saville Community Sports Centre.
Named after the legendary Edmonton grads women's basketball team - a team which swept four consecutive Olympic Games from 1924 to 1936 on their way to compiling an insurmountable 96.2 winning-percentage over 35 years the EGIC will reconnect current players with Canada's rich history in women's basketball. For more information visit basketball.ca or click here to purchase tickets.