OTTAWA, ONT. (August 14, 2025) – Team Canada finished the IWBF Americas Cup on a winning note, downing Argentina 63-51 on Thursday in Bogotá, Colombia, to secure the bronze medal.
“I think during our pool, when we played Brazil, it was a tough game – they showed us what competing is like, especially for our younger athletes,” said Puisand Lai, who had six points, three assists and three rebounds in the win. “I think as the tournament went on, we kept building, and as we went into the last game, we knew we had it, we came out with fire.
“It was tough, but we gave everything we had and we grinded through. I’m happy that we came away with this medal.”
Arinn Young led the charge for the Senior Women’s National Team, posting a game-high 26 points, 16 rebounds and four assists. Élodie Tessier poured in 11 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, while Elise Froese provided a spark off the bench with eight points and six rebounds.
Young, who averaged 28.7 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 6.3 assists over six games in Bogotá, was named a tournament all-star during Thursday’s medal ceremony.
With five athletes making their SWNT debut at the Americas Cup, Lai credited the veteran leadership for the success in Bogotá.
“We had a big group of new athletes, so a lot of new experiences for a lot of them, but I think our veterans stepped it up,” Lai explained. “Our captains, Arinn and Élodie, did an excellent job leading, guiding us through game plans, what we need to work on and keeping our spirits up – a lot of technical knowledge too.
“I thought we all helped each other in different ways, but also showed each other how to compete.”
Canada opened strong, jumping out to a 10-4 advantage at the game’s first timeout and led 20-9 after the opening period.
Young set the tone with 10 points and five rebounds in the first, while Tessier and Froese chipped in four apiece.
Argentina responded in the second quarter with six unanswered points to cut the deficit to six, but the SWNT held their ground, outscoring their opponent 14-12 the rest of the way to take a 34-26 lead into halftime.
Young paced Canada at the break with 14 points and seven rebounds, while Bethany Johnson added six points off the bench, and Tessier, Froese, and Lai each had four.
The third quarter saw Canada edge Argentina 17-14, carrying a 51-40 advantage into the fourth.
The Americas Cup is a qualification tournament for the 2026 IWBF Wheelchair Basketball World Championships, which will take place in Ottawa, Ont., from Sept. 9–19, 2026.
The United States and Brazil secured spots for Ottawa 2026, and Argentina, along with Colombia, advanced to the Repechage Tournament with their respective finishes in Bogotá.
As the host nation, Canada has already qualified for the 2026 World Championships. The SWNT captured gold at the 2022 Americas Cup in São Paulo, Brazil.
The men’s division at the Americas Cup begins play on Friday with the top three teams qualifying for Ottawa 2026, and the fourth- and fifth-place teams advancing to the Repechage.
Complete statistics from Thursday’s bronze medal game against Argentina can be accessed here.
Select images from the 2025 IWBF Americas Cup are available through the IWBF here.
About Wheelchair Basketball Canada
Wheelchair Basketball Canada (WBC) is the national sports governing body responsible for the organization of the sport in Canada. It is a non-profit, charitable organization committed to excellence in developing, supporting, and promoting wheelchair basketball programs and services from grassroots to high performance for all Canadians. Wheelchair basketball is a fast-paced, hard-hitting, competitive sport in which Canada is held in high esteem worldwide for winning six gold, one silver, and one bronze medal over the last nine Paralympic Games. WBC will host the 2026 IWBF Wheelchair Basketball World Championships from September 9-19, 2026.
For more information on WBC, please visit Wheelchairbasketball.ca, or follow along via social media on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
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