EDMONTON, AB – The preliminary rounds are set for the 2015 FIBA Americas Women’s Championship, which takes place in Edmonton, Alberta from August 9 - 16.

“We’re extremely proud to be hosting this international event with our partners City of Edmonton, Province of Alberta, and Sport Canada. It’s an incredible opportunity for our national team to compete for an Olympic berth on home soil,” said Michele O’Keefe, Executive Director, Canada Basketball.

“It also provides a platform to foster alignment within our national structure, working with Basketball Alberta, the Saville Centre and the University of Alberta, to support and celebrate our women’s national team.”

The official draw ceremony took place this afternoon at city hall. Officials from FIBA Americas were onsite to make the selections:

Dominican Republic, Cuba, Chile, Puerto Rico and Canada will compete in Group A, with US Virgin Islands, Argentina, Ecuador, Venezuela and Brazil, in Group B.

After their 5th place finish in the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Turkey (the best finish in 20 years), Team Canada hopes to ride off the momentum in Edmonton this summer.

“This draw is a great kick-off to what will be an incredible event for our senior team. It’s a privilege to compete on home soil, especially on our home court in Edmonton,” said Denise Dignard, Director of Women’s High Performance. “We welcome our FIBA Americas counterparts to Canada and look forward to showcasing Team Canada to the world.”

Province of Alberta, City of Edmonton and Sport Canada have been instrumental partners in the bid process to earn the right to host the event in Canada.

“The City of Edmonton is pleased to be a part of this official draw and play host to this exciting international event,” said Mayor Don Iveson from the City of Edmonton. “Edmonton has a long and proud history of women’s basketball and we’re proud to be home to Canada’s Senior Women’s National Basketball Team. We encourage Edmontonians to celebrate sport and show their support for Team Canada.”

The games will be held at Saville Community Sports Centre (SCSC) the official training grounds of the Canadian Women’s National Team. The ten teams will compete over 8-days, with the champion qualifying directly to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

This is the second time Canada has played host to this event. The first time was in Hamilton, Ontario in 1995 where Canada took the gold. Ticket information will be announced later this month. People interested in volunteer opportunities can apply here.

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For more information, please contact:

<table border="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td><p>Bailey Williams</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Manager, Communications</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Canada Basketball</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>647-460-7976</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><a href="mailto:bwilliams@basketball.ca">bwilliams@basketball.ca</a></p></td></tr></tbody></table>

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