OSTEND, BELGIUM (February 4, 2020) – Canada Basketball is pleased to announce the Senior Women’s National Team roster for the FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
“All of our players have worked really hard to earn this opportunity,” said Lisa Thomaidis, Head Coach, Senior Women’s National Team. “We’re excited to get started in a couple days and face a tough opponent in Belgium on their home soil so we’ll be ready for the crowd on hand.”
The Versluys Dôme in Ostend, Belgium will host one of four FIBA Women's Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournaments from February 6-9, 2020.
Canada will face Belgium (February 6, 2:35 PM ET), Sweden (February 8, 2:35 PM ET) and Japan (February 9, 12:05 PM ET). Click here for the full tournament schedule.
The two (2) highest placed teams and Japan, as Host of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, will qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Women’s Olympic Basketball Tournament.
The 16 top teams from the FIBA Women's Pre-Qualifying Tournaments will compete in the FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournaments 2020, taking place in February 2020, have been split into four groups.
The remaining 12 nations have been selected to compete in the following three host cities: Australia, Brazil, France and Puerto in Bourges, France; China, Great Britain, South Korea and Spain in Belgrade, Serbia (formerly Foshan, China); Mozambique, Nigeria, Serbia and USA in Belgrade, Serbia.
For more information about the Women's National Team Competition System, click here.
A full list of athletes, coaches and team schedule can be found below.
Canada is currently ranked a program-high 4th worldwide in the FIBA World Ranking Presented by NIKE and have participated in the past two Olympic Games (London 2012, Rio 2016).
SENIOR WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM FIBA WOMEN'S OLYMPIC QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT ROSTER
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" width="746"><tbody><tr><td nowrap="nowrap"><p><strong>Name</strong></p></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><p><strong>Position</strong></p></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><p><strong>Height</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Hometown</strong></p></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><p><strong>Club / School</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td nowrap="nowrap"><p>Natalie Achonwa</p></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><p align="center">Forward</p></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><p align="center">6'3"</p></td><td><p>Guelph, ON</p></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><p>Indiana Fever (WNBA) / Bourges (France)</p></td></tr><tr><td nowrap="nowrap"><p>Kayla Alexander</p></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><p align="center">Forward</p></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><p align="center">6'4"</p></td><td><p>Milton, ON</p></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><p>Chicago Sky (WNBA)</p></td></tr><tr><td nowrap="nowrap"><p>Laeticia Amihere</p></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><p align="center">Forward</p></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><p align="center">6'4"</p></td><td><p>Mississauga, ON</p></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><p>South Carolina (NCAA)</p></td></tr><tr><td nowrap="nowrap"><p>Miranda Ayim</p></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><p align="center">Forward</p></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><p align="center">6'3"</p></td><td><p>London, ON</p></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><p>Basket Landes (France)</p></td></tr><tr><td nowrap="nowrap"><p>Bridget Carleton</p></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><p align="center">Guard</p></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><p align="center">6'1"</p></td><td><p>Chatham, ON</p></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><p>Minnesota Lynx (WNBA) /</p><p>Townsville Fire (Australia)</p></td></tr><tr><td nowrap="nowrap"><p>Kim Gaucher</p></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><p align="center">Guard</p></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><p align="center">6'1"</p></td><td><p>Mission, BC</p></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><p>Mondeville (France)</p></td></tr><tr><td nowrap="nowrap"><p>Sami Hill</p></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><p align="center">Guard</p></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><p align="center">5'10"</p></td><td><p>Toronto, ON</p></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><p>Donau-Ries (Germany)</p></td></tr><tr><td nowrap="nowrap"><p>Miah-Marie Langlois</p></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><p align="center">Guard</p></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><p align="center">5'8"</p></td><td><p>Windsor, ON</p></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><p>Dynamo Novosibirsk (Russia)</p></td></tr><tr><td nowrap="nowrap"><p>Kia Nurse</p></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><p align="center">Guard</p></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><p align="center">6'0"</p></td><td><p>Hamilton, ON</p></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><p>New York Liberty (WNBA) / </p><p>Canberra Capitals (Australia)</p></td></tr><tr><td nowrap="nowrap"><p>Shaina Pellington</p></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><p align="center">Guard</p></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><p align="center">5'8"</p></td><td><p>Pickering, ON</p></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><p>Arizona (NCAA)</p></td></tr><tr><td nowrap="nowrap"><p>Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe</p></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><p align="center">Forward</p></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><p align="center">6'2"</p></td><td><p>Toronto, ON</p></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><p>New York Liberty (WNBA) / </p><p>Nadezhda Orenburg (Russia)</p></td></tr><tr><td nowrap="nowrap"><p>Jamie Scott</p></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><p align="center">Guard</p></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><p align="center">5'10"</p></td><td><p>Clarkston, WA</p></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><p>Dynamo Novosibirsk (Russia)</p></td></tr></tbody></table>
SENIOR WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM FIBA WOMEN'S OLYMPIC QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT COACHES & STAFF
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" width="584"><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Name</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Position</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Hometown</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Affiliation</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Lisa Thomaidis</p></td><td><p>Head Coach</p></td><td><p>Dundas, ON</p></td><td><p>University of Saskatchewan</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Steve Baur</p></td><td><p>Assistant Coach</p></td><td><p>Wolfville, NS</p></td><td><p>Canada Basketball</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Carly Clarke</p></td><td><p>Assistant Coach</p></td><td><p>Halifax, NS</p></td><td><p>Ryerson University</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Max Hirst</p></td><td><p>Coordinator, Performance Analysis</p></td><td><p>Collingwood, ON</p></td><td><p>Canada Basketball</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Lauren Buschmann</p></td><td><p>Sports Scientist & IST Manager</p></td><td><p>St. Catharines, ON</p></td><td><p>Canada Basketball/CSI-Ontario</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Rhonda Shishkin</p></td><td><p>Physiotherapist</p></td><td><p>Saskatoon, SK</p></td><td><p>University of Saskatchewan</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Danielle Dobney</p></td><td><p>Athletic Therapist</p></td><td><p>Toronto, ON</p></td><td><p>York University</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Patrice Pepin</p></td><td><p>Physiotherapist</p></td><td><p>Quebec City, QC</p></td><td><p>N/A</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Bryce Tully </p></td><td><p>Mental Performance Coach</p></td><td><p>Halifax, NS</p></td><td><p>CSC-Atlantic</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Marni Wesner </p></td><td><p>Lead Physician </p></td><td><p>Edmonton, AB</p></td><td><p>University of Alberta</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Anne Marie Thuss</p></td><td><p>Team Manager</p></td><td><p>Hamilton, ON</p></td><td><p>McMaster University</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Glen Grunwald</p></td><td><p>President & CEO</p></td><td><p>Franklin Park, IL</p></td><td><p>Canada Basketball</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Denise Dignard</p></td><td><p>Director, WHP</p></td><td><p>Port Cartier, QC</p></td><td><p>Canada Basketball</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Mike MacKay</p></td><td><p>Performance Manager, WHP</p></td><td><p>Truro, NS</p></td><td><p>Canada Basketball</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>Matt Walker</p></td><td><p>Communications Manager</p></td><td><p>Ancaster, ON</p></td><td><p>Canada Basketball</p></td></tr></tbody></table>
SENIOR WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM FIBA WOMEN'S OLYMPIC QUALIFYING TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
<table border="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>DATE</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>ITEM</strong></p></td><td><p align="center"><strong>TIME (ET)</strong></p></td><td><p> <strong>LOCATION</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>February 6</p></td><td><p>Canada vs. Belgium</p></td><td><p align="center">2:35 PM</p></td><td rowspan="3"><p align="center"><strong>FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament </strong></p><p align="center">Ostend, Belgium</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>February 8</p></td><td><p>Canada vs. Sweden</p></td><td><p align="center">2:35 PM</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>February 9</p></td><td><p>Canada vs. Japan</p></td><td><p align="center">12:05 PM</p></td></tr></tbody></table>