Canadian Senior Women's Basketball Olympic Roster Announced
Tokyo 2020 Olympic roster is set for Team Canada
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The Canadian Senior Women’s National Basketball Team released their Olympic roster Tuesday night. This will be the third straight Olympic appearance for Team Canada Canada is currently ranked fourth in the world with a roster that is a mix of veterans and youth.
The roster is led by head coach Lisa Thomaidis who has been the head coach for Team Canada since 2013. She is also the head coach of the Saskatchewan University women’s basketball team.
Under the leadership of Thomaidis, Team Canada won gold medals at the 2015 Pan American Games and at the 2017 Women’s AmeriCup. They won a silver medal at the 2013 Women’s FIBA Americas Championship. They came in fifth place at the 2014 FIBA Women’s World Championship and recently came in seventh place at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
This will be the third straight Olympics for Miranda Ayim, Kim Gaucher, and Natalie Achonwa, and will be the second straight Olympics for Nirra Fields, Kia Nurse, and Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe. Kayla Alexander, Laeticia Amihere, Bridget Carleton, Shay Colley, Aaliyah Edwards, and Shaina Pellington are all making their first Olympic appearance.
Thomaidis recently told the media that her roster was good enough to compete for a podium finish. “Our roster is made up of veterans that play solid defense, and we added some new players that add a new and exciting style of play. We have veterans that know how to win medals and there is a wide variety of talent. When you put it all together, it’s a good combination for a top finish.”
Veteran Ayim, who has been on the senior national team since 2010, knows that some of the veterans that she is playing alongside like Achonwa and Nurse were teenagers when she first started with the program. Now to see the new young faces like Amihere and Edwards, it has come full circle. Playing with a mix of new players and veterans in Tokyo is exciting for her.
Gaucher, who is the oldest player on the team at age 37 and has been playing on the senior national team since 2006, had an obstacle of her own that she recently overcame. She is currently a mom of a three-month-old infant daughter, Sophie, and is still breastfeeding her child. Families are not permitted to come to join the athletes in Tokyo because of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and before a recent ruling came to light, babies were also not allowed.
This meant that Gaucher had to be away from Sophie for an extended period of time, which wouldn’t be feasible. She put out an Instagram video asking for help in this matter. Gaucher also spoke to the media about it all.
“Yes, initially, I was worried about how I was going to deliver the milk for Sophie,” Gaucher said. “I’m not big on social media, so when I posted that video, it was because I was running out of time and needed help. When it became viral, I was kind of overwhelmed. I’m so glad that I can bring Sophie with me now because I can keep my mind on the competition and not have to worry about how she is doing.”
Gaucher also joked on how she announced her retirement about four times now, and that she won’t do that anymore.
Joining the veterans, Alexander was named to her first Olympic team at the age of 30. She told reporters that she had doubts on whether she was ever going to make the team.
“Yea, I mean, there was a point in which I thought to myself, maybe I won’t ever be on the team, Alexander said. “There are lingering doubts, for sure.”
Alexander also acknowledged that it was a tough year to train because of the pandemic and that they also had some virtual training camps. She also said she plans to soak in everything Tokyo has to offer as a first-time Olympian.
“Oh yes, for sure,” Alexander said. “I plan on taking it all in and enjoying it all.“
Team Canada is currently training in the Toronto Raptors temporary training facilities in Tampa, Florida. Players who are currently playing in the WNBA (Nurse, Carleton, Achonwa) will join the team in Kariya City, Japan for the final pre-Olympic training camp. Canada will open their Olympic tournament play against Serbia on July 26.
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