ISTANBUL (Mar. 12, 2026) — Canada responded in dominant fashion Thursday, defeating Hungary 75–53 at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026 Qualifying Tournament at the Turkcell Basketball Development Centre in Istanbul.

With the win, Canada improves to 1–1 in the tournament pool, while Hungary falls to 1–1.

Canada controlled the game from the opening tip and never trailed, leading for more than 38 minutes while steadily extending its advantage each quarter. The Canadians built their lead to as many as 29 points late in the fourth quarter.

Shaina Pellington led the way with an efficient all-around performance, finishing with 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting, along with four assists, three rebounds and three steals in just over 21 minutes of action without committing a turnover.

“Today was a lot of fun,” said Pellington. “It was a good game for us to gain momentum after yesterday, and we’re proud of the effort we put in. We’re looking to continue building on that.”

Bridget Carleton added 12 points and six rebounds, while Kayla Alexander anchored the interior with nine points, 11 rebounds and four steals.

Canada set the tone early, building a lead in the opening quarter before Hungary mounted its only significant push of the game — an 8–0 run spanning the end of the first quarter and start of the second to tie the game at 24–24.

Canada quickly regained control and never looked back.

A decisive 10–0 run late in the third quarter pushed Canada’s lead from 48–38 to 58–38, effectively putting the game out of reach.

Head coach Nell Fortner credited the team’s defensive focus and early intensity as key factors in the bounce-back performance.

“I thought we came out with really good defensive intensity, which makes us a better team,” said Fortner. “That’s something we didn’t do yesterday to start the game, so we really honed in on it. Shaina got us off to a great start with her ability to make plays off the dribble and gave us confidence offensively, and the rest of the team followed.”

Canada’s defence set the tone throughout the contest, forcing turnovers and controlling the glass while generating balanced contributions across the roster.

Pellington said the team made a conscious effort to reset mentally after Wednesday’s loss.

“We had a conversation about moving on and accepting that we needed to be better,” she said. “Everyone stuck to their routines, we stayed connected, and we really focused on executing the game plan.”

Fortner noted the challenge of preparing for a tournament format with minimal practice time.

“What’s interesting about this tournament is that you don’t have a lot of prep time,” said Fortner. “Our first game against Türkiye was essentially our first scrimmage after two days of preparation. Today we focused on our defensive intensity and moving the ball better offensively, and I thought the group answered the bell.”

Canada will have Friday off before returning to action Saturday against Argentina. Tip-off is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. ET / 10:30 a.m. PT, live on TSN.