TORONTO (July 2, 2024) – Canada Basketball and the Canadian Olympic Committee have announced the Team Canada women’s basketball roster nominated to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. The athletes are:
Natalie Achonwa (Guelph, ON)
Kayla Alexander (Milton, ON)
Laeticia Amihere (Mississauga, ON)
Bridget Carleton (Chatham, ON)
Shay Colley (Brampton, ON)
Aaliyah Edwards (Kingston, ON)
Yvonne Ejim (Calgary, AB)
Nirra Fields (Montreal, QC)
Sami Hill (Toronto, ON)
Kia Nurse (Hamilton, ON)
Cassandre Prosper (Montreal, QC)
Syla Swords (Sudbury, ON)
Canada Basketball’s Senior Women’s National Team qualified for its fourth consecutive Olympic Games by finishing third in one of three FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournaments in February. Paris 2024 will be Team Canada’s eighth appearance at the women’s Olympic basketball tournament since the competition was first held in Montreal in 1976. It will also be the first time in 24 years (Sydney 2000) that Canada’s women’s and men’s basketball teams will compete at the same Olympic Games.
“It’s always a huge honour to represent my country at an Olympic Games,” said Natalie Achonwa, team co-captain. “No matter what tournament or competition it is, the pride I feel when I put on a Canada jersey is always there. Knowing that this will be my last time in this jersey, I want to enjoy every second of it. As a team, our approach and mentality have been the same for the past four years. We’ve all been committed to working together to be at our best when we step into the spotlight in Paris.”
Achonwa, who will become the first Canadian to compete in a fourth women’s Olympic tournament, brings a wealth of experience to the team as it seeks its first Olympic medal. Achonwa played nine seasons in the WNBA with the Indiana Fever and Minnesota Lynx and was awarded 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. Amihere, Carleton and Edwards will be making their second Olympic appearances while Nurse, who represented Canada at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, will be making her third appearance. 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 look forward to competing at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris alongside my teammates,” said Alexander, who made her Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020. “It’s a dream come true to represent Canada playing a sport I love and at the highest level. I thank God for the privilege of representing my country again. The road to get here is never easy or smooth, but it makes me even more grateful for 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 at Sydney 2000. At 18, she will become the youngest basketball player in history to suit up for Canada at an Olympic Games.
“We are excited about the team we have built to proudly represent Canada this summer in Paris,” said Victor Lapeña, head coach of Canada’s senior women’s national team. “After finishing fourth at the last World Cup, we will look to take another step forward as a program. Eight players on the team have represented Canada at the Olympic Games in the past and that experience will certainly come in handy in key moments of the tournament. As we continue our preparation for the Games in the coming weeks, we will continue to look to improve collectively every day until the end of the Olympic Games.”
Since being named head coach of Canada’s senior women’s national team in 2022, Victor Lapeña has led the team to a 17-7 record in FIBA competition. Lapeña previously served as an assistant coach for the Spanish women’s team that won Olympic silver at Rio 2016.
Canada’s best Olympic finish in women’s basketball was a fourth-place finish at Los Angeles 1984. Currently ranked fifth in the FIBA standings, Canada also finished fourth at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022. Last week, Canada beat Portugal 91-65 in an exhibition game in Victoria, B.C. The team will now travel overseas to Belgium and then Spain to continue training and exhibition games before heading to France.
“I am proud 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 representing Canada has been key to our success over the years. I would also like to thank all the coaches across Canada who have helped develop our athletes and supported our women’s program, allowing them to become world-class Olympians. As we take the next step towards competing at the Olympic Games, we look forward to Canadians supporting and cheering on all the dedicated women in the Canadian Women’s National Team program.”
The women’s basketball tournament will run from July 27 to August 11 (Days 1 to 16). The Pierre-Mauroy stadium in Lille will host the preliminary round games, followed by the final round games at the Arena Bercy in Paris. Canada’s first game at the tournament will be played on July 29 (11:15 a.m. ET / 9:15 a.m. MT) against host France.
“The Women’s Olympic Basketball Team brings together renowned athletes with significant professional and Olympic experience,” said Bruny Surin, Team Canada’s Chef de Mission for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. “This team understands the game, the players are resilient and have exceptional technical skills. They dribbled through the challenges to compete in Paris, ready to make history. I can’t wait to hear the swish of their baskets and see them stand on their first Olympic podium.”
Team Canada’s women’s basketball team for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris also includes the following coaches and support staff:
Coaches
Víctor Lapeña (Zaragoza, Spain) – Head Coach
Steve Baur (Thornhill, ON) – Associate Head Coach
Noelle Quinn (Los Angeles, CA, United States) – Head Assistant Coach
Carly Clark (Halifax, NS) – Assistant Coach
Murriel Page (Louin, MS, United States) – Assistant Coach
Support Staff
Kristina Alvero (Toronto, ON) – Team Manager
Kristin Anstey (Edmonton, AB) – Team Physician
Tracy Blake (Toronto, ON) – Physiotherapist
Lauren Buschmann (St. Catharines, ON) – Director, Sport Science / ESI Lead
Nick DeAdder (Wolfville, NS) – Video Analyst
Denise Dignard (Port-Cartier, QC) – Team Leader / General Manager / Senior Vice President,
high performance women
Muad Issa (Mississauga, ON) – Press Officer / Senior Manager, Digital Content
Michael MacKay (Truro, NS) – Director of Performance
Nate McKibbon (Hamilton, ON) – Video/Performance Analyst
Brandi Mills (Cape Breton, NS) – Team Manager/Coordinator, Women’s Basketball Operations
Patrice Pepin (Quebec, QC) – Physiotherapist
Matt Walker (Newcastle, ON) – Press Secretary / Director of Communications and Content
Prior to being confirmed as members of Team Canada, all nominated athletes are subject to approval by the Canadian Olympic Committee’s Team Selection Committee, once all nominations have been received from national sport organizations.
You can view the updated Team Canada roster for Paris 2024 by clicking here.
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MEDIA CONTACTS
Matt Walker, Director of Communications and Content
Canada Basketball
Cell. : 289-244-9993
Email: [email protected]
Tara MacBournie, Program Manager, Sports Communications
Canadian Olympic Committee
Cell. : 647-522-8328
Email: [email protected]
