ISTANBUL (Mar. 14, 2026) — Canada delivered a dominant performance Saturday, defeating Argentina 75–41 at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026 Qualifying Tournament at the Turkcell Basketball Development Centre in Istanbul.

With the victory, Canada improves to 2–1 in tournament play, while Argentina falls to 1–2.

Canada seized control almost immediately, opening the game with a decisive 19–1 run in the first quarter and never looking back. The Canadians held Argentina to just 22 first-half points while building a commanding 45–22 halftime lead.

Aaliyah Edwards led Canada with a double-double, recording 11 points and a game-high 15 rebounds in just over 19 minutes of action. Shay Colley paced all scorers with 13 points while adding five assists, shooting an efficient 50 per cent from both two- and three-point range and going perfect from the free-throw line.

“Really proud of how we came out today,” said Edwards. “There was an emphasis on getting on the boards and scoring in the paint. The last time we faced Argentina it went to double overtime, so we wanted to make sure that didn’t happen again and that we played our game from the jump.”

Head coach Nell Fortner praised the team’s focus and physicality from the opening tip.

“I thought we came out with great intensity and were really focused on defence,” said Head Coach, Nell Fortner. “Aaliyah did a great job establishing us inside with a strong presence.”

Canada outshot Argentina 43.3 per cent to 24.6 per cent from the field and more than doubled their opponent on the boards, finishing with 58 rebounds compared to Argentina’s 25. Canada also collected 19 offensive rebounds, creating numerous second-chance opportunities.

“The rebounding discrepancy is exactly what you want — rebounding wins, and we definitely controlled the boards today.”

Canada will continue tournament play tomorrow against Japan. Tip-off is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. ET / 7:30 a.m. PT, with the game airing live on TSN.

A victory would automatically qualify Canada for the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026 in Berlin.