Breaking Down Team Canada's Roster
The Canadian Olympic women's basketball team has many veterans and rookies taking part in this year's Olympics. Find out who they are in this breakdown!
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Earlier this month, the Canadian Olympic Committee unveiled who will be on Team Canada’s Senior Women’s Basketball Team for the upcoming Paris Games. It consists of eight veterans with prior Olympic experience and four rookies who will be making their Olympic debuts.
Co-captain Natalie Achonwa provides a veteran presence as Team Canada’s first-ever four-time Olympian in women’s basketball. Achonwa, who has 15 years of international experience as well as WNBA stints with the Indiana Fever and the Minnesota Lynx, made history in 2009 at the age of 16 when she became the youngest player ever selected to play for the national team. She made her Olympic debut in 2012 and has represented Canada in each Olympics since then. The veteran showed she still has plenty of gas left in the tank, nearly averaging a double-double (9.3 points and 9.7 rebounds per contest) over the team’s three Olympic Qualifying Tournament games back in February. Achonwa will be looking to bring home that elusive Olympic medal in what will be her last international tournament.
Co-captain Kayla Alexander is making her second Olympic Games appearance. She spent seven years in the WNBA, playing for the Minnesota Lynx, Indiana Fever and the San Antonio Stars. Alexander has been a double-double machine for Team Canada, averaging a double-double in each of the team’s previous three international competitions. That includes last year’s FIBA Women’s AmeriCup, where she led the tournament in rebounding (a competition that included the WNBA’s leading rebounder Angel Reese).
The roster also consists of current WNBA players Kia Nurse (Los Angeles Sparks), Aaliyah Edwards (Washington Mystics), Bridget Carleton (Minnesota Lynx) and Laeticia Amihere (Atlanta Dream). Nurse, who led Team Canada in scoring at the Tokyo Olympics and got off to a strong start with the Sparks this season, will try and recapture that magic in Paris. Edwards has shown flashes of brilliance in her rookie season with the Mystics and will shore up the interior for Team Canada. Carleton provides perimeter shooting – the Lynx guard has been deadly from long distance this season, knocking down 43.5% of her attempts from deep this season (sixth in the league). Former South Carolina standout and current Dream forward Laeticia Amihere offers Team Canada versatility and athleticism off the bench. .
Other veteran presences include guard Nirra Fields, who will be playing in her third Olympic Games and accrued some WNBA experience with the Phoenix Mercury. The 5-foot-7 guard led Canada in scoring en route to the team’s bronze medal at the 2023 AmeriCup. Shay Colley will be making her second Olympic Games appearance. She also impressed at last year’s AmeriCup, averaging 10.4 points per game and 3.9 assists per game at the
Four players will be making their Olympic debuts. They are Yvonne Ejim, Sami Hill, Cassandre Prosper and Syla Swords. At 18 years old, Swords will make history when she becomes the youngest player to represent Team Canada at an Olympics. Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Yvonne Ejim will try to pick up where she left off with Gonzaga where she averaged 19.7 points per game on an uber-efficient 60.1% from the field. Hill and Prosper will provide depth at the guard and wing positions, respectively.
Team Canada head coach Victor LaPena has led the team since 2022 and has compiled a record of 17-7 in FIBA competitions. The team’s lead assistant coach is Seattle Storm head coach Noelle Quinn.
Currently ranked fifth in the world in the FIBA world rankings, Team Canada is vying for the country’s first-ever Olympic medal in women’s basketball. It won’t be easy, as they are in a group for the preliminary rounds that includes host Australia and France, who are ranked second and seventh, respectively, in the FIBA world rankings.
Canada opens Olympic play against France on July 29 at 11:15 a.m. Eastern. They then face Australia on Aug. 1 at 7:30 a.m. Eastern and wrap up their preliminary group schedule against Nigeria on Aug. 4 at 7:30 a.m. Eastern.
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