OTTAWA, ONT. (August 9, 2025) – Team Canada tipped off the 2025 IWBF Americas Cup with a competitive 70-62 battle against Brazil in Bogotá, Colombia, on Saturday afternoon.
“We knew that Brazil was going to come out strong,” said Élodie Tessier. “They are a very physical team and have been playing together for a long time. I’m proud of what the girls accomplished today. We can see the growth of the team.”
Elise Froese, one of five athletes making their Senior Women’s National Team (SWNT) debut, paced Canada with 20 points and seven rebounds.
Tessier added 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists, while Arinn Young chipped in a double-double of 14 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.
“We brought a very young team to the Americas Cup to give some new athletes an opportunity,” Tessier added. “We’re growing well together. The new athletes are learning a lot from the veterans – it’s very exciting to see what they can accomplish the rest of the tournament.”
Offensively, Canada shot 50 per cent from the field and capitalized on eight points off Brazilian turnovers.
The SWNT came out strong, leading 18-14 after the opening quarter on 8-for-12 shooting, while holding Brazil to 43 per cent from the field. Tessier paced the early offence with 10 points, and Melanie Hawtin, Young and Froese had two points each.
Canada trailed 36-30 at half, shooting 55 per cent and holding Brazil to 18-of-34. Tessier led all Canadian scorers with 12 points through two quarters.
The SWNT battled back in the third, outscoring Brazil 20-17 and cutting the deficit to three points. Froese sparked the offence in the frame with eight points, including a stretch of six straight, keeping Canada within striking distance.
Team Canada is back in action on Sunday when they resume Group B action against El Salvador at 12:15 p.m. EDT/9:15 a.m. PDT.
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.
In the women’s division, the top two teams will secure a direct berth to Ottawa 2026, while the third- and fourth-place finishers will advance to the Repechage Tournament. On the men’s side, the top three teams will qualify, with the fourth- and fifth-place teams advancing to the Repechage.
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.
Complete statistics from Saturday’s game against Brazil 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.
-30-
Media Contact
Dhiren Mahiban
Communications & Digital Media Manager
Wheelchair Basketball Canada
C: 416-574-6682
dmahiban@wheelchairbasketball.ca