Sydney, Australia –
WNBA players Natalie Achonwa, Bridget Carleton and Kia Nurse lead Canada’s roster for the upcoming FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.
Canada Basketball on Monday announced its roster for the tournament, which begins Thursday in Sydney, after a training camp in Edmonton and a series of exhibition games in Australia earlier this month.
Canada is in a difficult Group B for the World Cup. They will open against Serbia on September 22 local time (or September 21, 11:00pm ET). They then play France, Japan and hosts Australia before concluding the group stage against Mali.
The top four teams in each group advance to the quarterfinals, with the winners advancing to the semifinals and medal round.
The Canadian team, eliminated in the preliminary round of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, is fourth in the FIBA Women’s World Ranking.
“After weeks of training camp and exhibition games, our team is more than ready to compete in the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup,” said Canada head coach Victor Lapena.
“With a roster that boasts a range of experiences, from Olympic veterans to several players about to make their senior team debut, our goal is not only to be competitive, but also to embrace an aggressive style of basketball play and proudly represent Canada every step of the way.”
Roster:
Natalie Achonwa, forward, Guelph, Ontario; Kayla Alexander, forward, Milton, Ont.; Laeticia Amihere, forward, Mississauga, Ontario; Bridget Carleton, Guard, Chatham, Ontario; Shay Colley, Guard, Brampton, Ontario; Nirra Fields, Guard, Montreal; Mael Gilles, Warden, Montreal; Taya Hanson, Guard, Kelowna, BC; Sami Hill, Guard, Toronto; Aislinn King, Guard, Langley, BC; Phillipina Kyei, forward, Calgary; Kia Nurse, Guard, Hamilton.