TORONTO, ON (March 19, 2019) – The 2019 NCAA women's basketball tournament opens Friday with 23 Canadians vying for a shot at the title.

Big 12 Player of the Year Bridget Carleton will lead the Cyclones into the tournament coming off a historic season at Iowa State.  Carleton, who hails from Chatham, Ont., became the first Cyclone in program history to earn the honour after averaging a Big 12 leading-24.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.2 blocks during the regular season.  Carleton and the Cyclones enter the tournament as a No. 3 seed and will open the tournament at home in Ames on Saturday against No. 14 New Mexico State.

Shay Colley and the Michigan State Spartans are still chasing that elusive first title in program history and are looking to make their way back to the National Championship game for the first time since 2005. The Brampton, Ont. native secured first-team All-B1G honours by the coaches for the first time in her career after averaging 14.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game.  Colley, along with Carleton, represented Canada last summer at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2018.

Aislinn Konig was a key factor in the Wolfpack’s success this season and the NC State faithful surely hope they can keep it going on Saturday.  Starting all 31 games for NC State, the Surrey, BC native averaged 11 points and 3.8 assists per game.  After finishing the year with a 26-5 record, Konig and the Wolfpack are seeded No. 3 in the Greensboro region where they will face No. 14 Maine in the First Round.

Stanford sophomore Alyssa Jerome will look to help the Cardinal capture their first NCAA title since 1992 when they take the court on Saturday.  Appearing in every game this season for Stanford, Jerome averaged 3.2 points and 2.8 rebounds in 14 minutes of action.  Stanford is one of four teams to feature multiple Canadians as Barrie, Ont. native Mikaela Brewer is also a member of the Cardinal.

If there is a team that Canadian hoops fans want to rally around this year, it definitely would be the Buffalo Bulls.  Buffalo features five Canadians as Adebola Adeyeye, Hanna Hall, Oceane Kounkou, Ayoleka Sodade and Keowa Walters have the Bulls back in the tournament after capturing their second Mid American Conference title in school history last weekend.

12 of the 23 players in this year’s tournament have represented Canada internationally.  Hailey Brown, Hanna Hall, Alyssa Jerome and Aislinn Konig were all members of Canada’s historic bronze medal at the 2017 FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup.

Mackenzie Trpcic (UC Davis) and Anja Marinkovic (Florida Gulf Coast) are sitting out the 2018-19 season due to NCAA transfer rules.

Friday, March 22 - First Round

Saturday, March 23 - First Round

Sunday, March 24 - Second Round

Monday, March 25 - Second Round

Friday, March 29 - Round of 16

Saturday, March 30 - Round of 16

‍

Adebola Adeyeye – #25 F – Freshman – Buffalo Bulls – Brampton, ON

82-71 W vs. (7) Rutgers - 4 points, 5 rebounds

84-72 L vs. (2) Conneticut - 6 rebounds

‍

Chelayne Bailey – #2 G – Junior – Syracuse Orange – Pickering, ON

70-49 W vs. (14) Fordham

75-64 L vs. (6) So Dakota St.

‍

2013 FIBA Americas U16 Championship for Women, 2014 FIBA U17 World Championship for Women

‍

Mikaela Brewer – #14 F – Junior – Stanford Cardinal – Barrie, ON

79-54 W vs. (15) UC Davis

72-63 W vs. (7) Brigham Young

‍

2014 FIBA U17 World Championship for Women, 2016 FIBA Americas U18 Women's Championship

‍

Hailey Brown – #15 F – Sophomore – Michigan Wolverines – Hamilton, ON

84-54 W vs. (9) Kansas St. - 6 points, 2 rebounds

71-50 L vs. (1) Louisville - 2 points, 2 rebounds

2013 FIBA Americas U16 Championship for Women, 2014 FIBA U17 World Championship for Women, 2015 FIBA Americas U16 Championship for Women, 2016 FIBA U17 Women’s World Championship, 2016 FIBA Americas U18 Women's Championship, 2017 FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup

‍

Bridget Carleton – #21 G – Senior – Iowa State Cyclones – Chatham, ON

97-61 W vs. (14) New Mexico State - 23 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks

69-60 L vs. (11) Missouri St. - 31 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist

‍

2013 FIBA Americas U16 Championship for Women, 2014 FIBA U17 World Championship for Women, 2014 FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Women, 2015 FIBA U19 Women’s World Championship, FIBA Women's AmeriCup 2017,  FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2018

‍

Julia Chadwick – #24 F – Freshman - Robert Morris Colonials – Ottawa, ON

69-34 L vs. (1) Louisville

FIBA U18 Women's Americas Championship 2018

Shay Colley – #0 G – Junior – Michigan State Spartans – Brampton, ON

88-87 W vs. (8) Central Michigan - 13 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists

91-73 L vs. (9) Michigan St. - 5 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists

‍

2012 FIBA U17 World Championship for Women, 2013 FIBA U19 Championship for Women, 2014 FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Women, FIBA Women's AmeriCup 2017,  FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2018

Savannah Dhaliwal – #5 F – Sophomore – Portland State Vikings – Surrey, BC

78-40 L vs. (2) Oregon

Louise Forsyth – #5 G – Sophomore – Gonzaga Bulldogs – Langley, BC

68-51 W vs. (12) Little Rock - 8 points, 2 rebounds

76-70 L vs. (4) Oregon State - 1 rebound

‍

2015 FIBA Americas U16 Championship for Women, 2016 FIBA U17 Women’s World Championship

Mael Gilles – #13 F – Sophomore – Rutgers Scarlet Knights – Montreal-Nord, QC

82-71 L vs. (10) Buffalo - 4 points, 3 rebounds

‍

2013 FIBA Americas U16 Championship for Women, 2014 FIBA U17 World Championship for Women, 2014 FIBA Americas U18 Championship for Women, 2015 FIBA U19 Women’s World Championship

‍

Hanna Hall – #10 G – Sophomore – Buffalo Bulls - Hamilton, ON

82-71 W vs. (7) Rutgers - 12 points, 8 assists

84-72 L vs. (2) Conneticut

‍

Taya Hanson – #0 G – Freshman – Arizona State Sun Devils – Kelowna, BC

60-45 W vs. (12) UCF - 3 points, 1 rebound

57-55 W vs. (4) Miami (FL) - 3 points, 2 rebounds

76-63 L vs. (1) Mississippi St. - 3 points, 1 rebound

‍

2015 FIBA Americas U16 Championship for Women, 2016 FIBA U17 Women’s World Championship, FIBA U18 Women's Americas Championship 2018

Alyssa Jerome – #10 F – Sophomore – Stanford Cardinal – Toronto, ON

79-54 W vs. (15) UC Davis - 5 points, 4 rebounds

72-63 W vs. (7) Brigham Young

‍

2015 FIBA Americas U16 Championship for Women, 2016 FIBA U17 Women’s World Championship, 2016 FIBA Americas U18 Women's Championship, 2017 FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup

Aislinn Konig – #1 G – Junior – North Carolina State Wolfpack – Surrey, BC

63-51 W vs. (14) Maine - 4 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists

72-57 W vs. (6) Kentucky - 8 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist

‍

2015 FIBA Americas U16 Championship for Women, 2016 FIBA U17 Women’s World Championship, 2016 FIBA Americas U18 Women's Championship, 2017 FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup

Aislinn Konig – #1 G – Junior – North Carolina State Wolfpack – Surrey, BC

63-51 W vs. (14) Maine - 4 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists

72-57 W vs. (6) Kentucky - 8 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist

‍

2013 FIBA Americas U16 Championship for Women, 2016 FIBA Americas U18 Women's Championship, 2017 FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup

Oceane Kounkou – #15 G – Freshman – Buffalo Bulls – Gatineau, QC

82-71 W vs. (7) Rutgers

84-72 L vs. (2) Conneticut

‍

Anja Marinkovic – G – Junior – Florida Gulf Coast Eagles – Toronto, ON (transfer from Detroit Mercy)

Summer Pahl – #23 G – Freshman – Mercer Bears – Kitchener, ON

66-61 L vs. (2) Iowa

‍

Anja Marinkovic – G – Junior – Florida Gulf Coast Eagles – Toronto, ON (transfer from Detroit Mercy)

Summer Pahl – #23 G – Freshman – Mercer Bears – Kitchener, ON

66-61 L vs. (2) Iowa

‍

Nadège Pluviose – #33 C – Junior – Robert Morris Colonials – Montreal, QC

69-34 L vs. (1) Louisville - 3 rebounds

‍

Ayoleka Sodade – #22 G – Senior – Buffalo Bulls – Windsor, ON

82-71 W vs. (7) Rutgers

84-72 L vs. (2) Conneticut

‍

Sage Stobbart – #11 P – Freshman – UC Davis Aggies – North Vancouver, BC

79-54 L vs. (2) Stanford - 12 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assists

‍

Mackenzie Trpcic – G – Junior – UC Davis Aggies – Hamilton, ON (transfer from University at Albany)

Keowa Walters – #23 F – Freshman – Buffalo Bulls – Toronto, ON

82-71 W vs. (7) Rutgers

84-72 L vs. (2) Conneticut

‍

Anika Weekes – #5 G – Freshman – Central Michigan Chippewas – Toronto, ON

88-87 L vs. (9) Michigan State

‍

‍