Canada women’s basketball team opens AmeriCup with decisive victory over hosts Mexico
Within seconds of Canada’s opening game at the 2023 FIBA Women’s AmeriCup on Sunday, it became abundantly clear that Canada intended to do everything it could to put pressure on the host Mexican team.
Just five seconds into the game in León, guard Shay Colley exploded across the field on a jump-ball victory from center Kayla Alexander to bring in Canada’s first two points of the night – a lead the Canadians didn’t relinquish on away to an 83-57 victory.
That relentless pressure was all over the field in the first frame, with Canada outrunning Mexico 8-1 at the offensive end, forcing six turnovers to take a 23-7 lead into the second quarter.
🇨🇦 @acekonig sinks the triple ☄️#AmericCupW i @CanBball pic.twitter.com/LtZCeu4OFd
Mexico weathered the storm in the second to bring the score within 13, but Canada beat the host team 49-36 the rest of the way.
Colley kept the pace from her hot start and led Canada with 19 points, while Montreal guard Nirra Fields racked up 14 points and four steals, earning an exclamation mark with a spectacular one-and-one layup in the first half.
That’s talent @NirraFields 😮💨 #AmericCup i @CanBball 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/UhFfT7r3FI
“A win is a win, but we have high standards for ourselves, so we need to regroup and come back tomorrow,” Colley told Canada Basketball.
The 32-year-old Alexander – the oldest member of a young team – had 10 points and amassed an astonishing 18 rebounds, 10 of them on the offensive end, setting the tone for a Canadian team that held onto the lead in total rebounds 66-44 and offensive rebounds 35-7.
The 2021 Olympian from Milton, Ont., brings a plethora of experience to a Canadian team that lacks key WNBA players such as Kia Nurse of the Seattle Storm, Atlanta Dream rookie Laeticia Amihere and Minnesota Lynx teammates Bridget Carleton and Natalie Achonwa.
Calgary forward Yvonne Ejim, 21, also had 12 points and six rebounds in her debut with the senior women’s team.
Prosper struggled offensively, shooting 3-for-12 from the field for six points, but fit right into Canada’s stifling defense and forced three steals.
Edwards similarly shot just 3-for-10, finishing with nine points, eight rebounds and two assists.
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Mexico were led by guard Sofia Pyan by 10 points, while striker Mariana Valenzuela unfortunately left the game with only a minute left with an apparent knee injury.
“Canada is a top five team in the world,” Mexican head coach Lindsey Harding told Canada Basketball. “They go to every Olympic Games. We knew this would be a tough task for us, but it is also a good benchmark for us to see where we want to be, where we want to go. This is what a top team looks like.”
The fresh legs certainly helped the Canadian squad get off to a strong start, as they were the last of the 10 teams in the tournament to start their first game, with Mexico beating the Dominican Republic 69-62 on Saturday.
No. 10 Puerto Rico can present No. 5 Canada its toughest test in round-robin play, already topping the group standings at 2-0 after a 63-62 victory over No. 32 Colombia on Saturday, followed by a 73-47 victory at No. 35 Dominican Republic on Sunday.
Group A consists of Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, Venezuela and the No. 1 US team in the world.
The top four teams in each group will advance to the quarter-finals on Friday, with the tournament concluding with the gold medal game on Sunday.
Compete for a spot at the 2024 Olympics
The top team outside the US at the tournament will advance directly to the February Olympic Qualifier, while other teams will be relegated to a pre-Olympic Qualifier in the fall.
The Americans already qualified for the 2024 Olympic Games by winning the World Cup in October, beating the Canadian team 83-43 in the semifinals along the way.
Canada has amassed 12 medals (three gold, two silver, seven bronze) in the 17 appearances of the now biennial tournament, dating back to 1989. The Canadian team’s fourth-place finish in 2021 marked Canada’s first time finishing off the podium. since 2007.
Canadian list
Guards:
- #1 Aislinn Konig — Langley, BC
- #2 Shay Colley — Brampton, Ont.
- #4 Sami Hill — Toronto
- #12 Syla swords — Sudbury, Ont.
- #21 Nirra Fields — Montreal
- #30 Taya Hanson — Kelowna, BC
Forward:
- #3 Merissah Russel — Ottawa
- #8 Cassandre Prosper — Montreal
- #9 Yvonne Ejim — Calgary
- #24 Aaliyah Edwards — Kingston, Ont.
Centers:
- #10 Emily Potter- winnipeg
- #14 Kayla Alexander — Milton, Ont.
