TORONTO (July 2, 2024) – Canada Basketball and the Canadian Olympic Committee have announced the roster of Team Canada women’s basketball athletes nominated to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The athletes are:
Natalie Achonwa (Guelph, Ont.)
Kayla Alexander (Milton, Ont.)
Laeticia Amihere (Mississauga, Ont.)
Bridget Carleton (Chatham, Ont.)
Shay Colley (Brampton, Ont.)
Aaliyah Edwards (Kingston, Ont.)
Yvonne Ejim (Calgary, Alta.)
Nirra Fields (Montreal, Que.)
Sami Hill (Toronto, Ont.)
Kia Nurse (Hamilton, Ont.)
Cassandre Prosper (Montreal, Que.)
Syla Swords (Sudbury, Ont.)
Canada Basketball’s senior women’s national team successfully qualified for their fourth consecutive Olympic Games by finishing third in one of four FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualification Tournaments this past February. Paris 2024 will be Team Canada’s eighth appearance in the Olympic women’s basketball tournament since it debuted at Montreal 1976. It will be the first time in 24 years (Sydney 2000) that Canada’s women’s and men’s basketball teams will compete together at an Olympic Games.
“It’s always an incredible honour to represent my country at an Olympic Games,” said Natalie Achonwa, team co-captain. “Regardless of the tournament or competition, the pride I feel putting on a Canada jersey is always the same. And knowing this is my last time in that jersey, I want to cherish every second of this journey. As a team, our focus and messaging have been the same all quad. We’re all invested in the grind and putting in the work together now to be our absolute best when the lights come on in Paris.”
Achonwa, who is set to become Canada’s first four-time Olympian in women’s basketball, will provide a veteran presence as the team pursues its first medal at the Olympic Games. Achonwa played nine seasons in the WNBA with the Indiana Fever and Minnesota Lynx and received the Dawn Staley Community Leadership Award in 2020.
Canada’s four current WNBA players – Laeticia Amihere, Bridget Carleton, Aaliyah Edwards and Kia Nurse – will join the team later this month. This will be the second Olympic Games for Amihere, Carleton, and Edwards and the third for Nurse, who represented Canada at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. Canada’s roster features seven players with WNBA experience, including co-captain Kayla Alexander, who was selected eighth overall by San Antonio in the 2013 WNBA Draft and played nine seasons in the league.
“I am looking forward to competing alongside my teammates at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games,” said Alexander, who made her Olympic debut in Tokyo. “It’s a dream to represent Canada playing a sport I love at the highest level. So I thank God for allowing me the privilege of representing my country again. The journey is never easy, or smooth sailing, but it’s made me that much more appreciative of this opportunity.”
Four Canadians – Yvonne Ejim, Sami Hill, Cassandre Prosper and Syla Swords – will make their Olympic debut with Canada later this month in Paris. Swords is the daughter of Shawn Swords, who proudly represented Canada in Sydney in 2000. At 18 years old, she will become the youngest basketball player to ever play for Canada at the Olympic Games.
“We’re excited about the team we’ve built to proudly represent Canada this summer in Paris,” said Víctor Lapeña, Head Coach, Canada’s Senior Women’s National. “After finishing fourth in the last World Cup, we’re looking to take that next step as a program. Eight players on the team have previously represented Canada at the Olympic Games, and this experience will undoubtedly prove invaluable in key moments throughout the tournament. As we prepare for the Games over the next several weeks, we will continue to prioritize getting better as a group every day until the end of the Olympics.”
Since being named head coach of Canada’s Senior Women’s National Team in 2022, Víctor Lapeña has led the team to a 17-7 record in FIBA competitions. Previously, Lapeña was an assistant coach with Spain’s women’s team, which captured an Olympic silver medal at Rio 2016.
Canada’s best Olympic result in women’s basketball was a fourth-place finish at Los Angeles 1984. Currently fifth in the FIBA rankings, Canada also finished fourth at the most recent FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in 2022. Last week, Canada defeated Portugal 91-65 in an exhibition game in Victoria, B.C. The team will now travel overseas to Belgium and Spain as they continue their training camp and exhibition schedule before arriving in France.
“I am proud of and extremely grateful to all the athletes and staff who have committed to our Canadian women’s national team and contributed to our program’s fourth consecutive Olympic qualification,” said Denise Dignard, Team Leader/General Manager / Executive Vice-President, Women’s High Performance. Our players’ unwavering and long-term commitment to represent Canada has been key to our success over the years. I also want to thank all the coaches across Canada who have helped develop our athletes and supported our women’s program, enabling them to become world-class Olympians. As we take this next step of competing at the Olympics, we look forward to Canadians uplifting and supporting all the dedicated women of our Canadian women’s national team program.”
The women’s basketball tournament will take place from July 27 to August 11 (Day 1 to 16). Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille will host the preliminary phase before the final phase shifts to Paris and Bercy Arena. Canada’s first tournament game will be on July 29 (11:15 a.m. ET / 9:15 a.m. MT) against host France.
‘’The Olympic women’s basketball team brings together renowned athletes with significant professional and Olympic experiences,’’ said Bruny Surin, Team Canada’s Paris 2024 Chef de Mission. ‘’This team has a deep understanding of the game, the players are resilient and have exceptional technical skills. They have dribbled through challenges to compete in Paris, ready to create history. I can’t wait to hear the swish of their baskets and watch them set their sights on their first Olympic podium.’’
Team Canada’s women’s basketball team for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games also includes the following coaches and support staff:
Coaches
Víctor Lapeña (Zaragoza, Spain) – Head Coach
Steve Baur (Thornhill, Ont.) – Associate Head Coach
Noelle Quinn (Los Angeles, California) – Lead Assistant Coach
Carly Clark (Halifax, N.S.) – Assistant Coach
Murriel Page (Louin, Mississippi) – Assistant Coach
Support Staff
Kristina Alvero (Toronto, Ont.) – Team Manager
Kristin Anstey (Edmonton, Alta.) – Team Physician
Tracy Blake (Toronto, Ont.) – Physiotherapist
Lauren Buschmann (St. Catharines, Ont.) – Director, Sport Science / IST Lead
Nick DeAdder (Wolfville, N.S.) – Video Analyst
Denise Dignard (Port Cartier, Que.) – Team Leader / General Manager / Executive Vice-President, Women’s High Performance
Muad Issa (Mississauga, Ont.) – Media Attaché / Senior Manager, Digital Content
Michael MacKay (Truro, N.S.) – Performance Director
Nate McKibbon (Hamilton, Ont.) – Video / Performance Analyst
Brandi Mills (Cape Breton, N.S.) – Team Manager / Coordinator, Women’s Basketball Operations
Patrice Pepin (Quebec City, Que.) – Physiotherapist
Matt Walker (Newcastle, Ont.) – Media Attaché / Director, Communications & Content
Prior to being named to Team Canada, all nominations are subject to approval by the Canadian Olympic Committee’s Team Selection Committee following its receipt of nominations by all National Sport Organizations.
The latest Team Canada Paris 2024 roster can be found here.
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MEDIA CONTACTS:
Matt Walker, Director, Communications & Content
Canada Basketball
C: 289-244-9993
E: mwalker@basketball.ca
Tara MacBournie, Program Manager, Sport Communications
Canadian Olympic Committee
C: 647-522-8328
E: tmacbournie@olympic.ca