10 Ontario women’s basketball athletes set to compete at Tokyo 2020 Olympics
The Tokyo 2020 Olympics will be held from July 23 to August 8 in Tokyo, Japan. The Games will include four basketball events: men’s basketball, women’s basketball, men’s 3×3 basketball, and women’s 3×3 basketball. Canada Basketball’s senior women’s national team will represent Canada in Tokyo, and are currently ranked #4 in the FIBA World Rankings presented by NIKE.
Canada’s women’s basketball team will compete in Group A with Spain, Korea and Serbia. Their first matchup of the tournament is set for Monday, July 26 vs. Serbia. The Canadian women’s basketball team is coached by Lisa Thomaidis, with assistants Steve Baur and Carly Clarke.
| Date | Time (EST) | Matchup | Where to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday, July 26 | 4:20AM | Serbia v. Canada | CBC |
| Wednesday, July 28 | 9:00PM | Canada v. Korea | CBC |
| Saturday, July 31 | 9:00PM | Canada v. Spain | CBC |
10 Ontario athletes have been named to the Canadian women’s basketball team roster, plus two alternates:
| Name | Honetown | Club / School |
|---|---|---|
| Natalie Achonwa | Guelph, ON | Minnesota Lynx (WNBA) |
| Kayla Alexander | Milton, ON | Dynamo Novosibirsk (RU) |
| Laeticia Amihere | Mississauga, ON | South Carolina Gamecocks (NCAA) |
| Miranda Ayim | Chatham, ON | Basket Landes (FR) |
| Bridget Carleton | Chatham, ON | Minnesota Lynx (WNBA) |
| Shay Colley | Brampton, ON | Charnay (FR) |
| Aaliyah Edwards | Kingston, ON | UConn Huskies (NCAA) |
| Kia Nurse | Hamilton, ON | Phoenix Mercury (WNBA) |
| Shaina Pellington | Pickering, ON | Arizona Wildcats (NCAA) |
| Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe | Toronto, ON | ASVEL Fem. (FR) |
| ALT: Sami Hill | Toronto, ON | Nantes (FR) |
| ALT: Merissah Russell | Ottawa, ON | Louisville Cardinals (NCAA) |
The women’s basketball quarterfinals will be held on August 4, the semifinals on August 6, the bronze medal game on August 7, and the gold medal game on August 8. Group B includes Nigeria, host Japan, France and the United States. Group C includes Australia, Puerto Rico, China and Belgium.
It was announced on Monday that women’s basketball athlete Miranda Ayim (Chatham, ON) will be a co-flag bearer at the opening ceremony on Friday, July 23. This will be Ayim’s third Olympics. Ayim previously announced her plans to retire after these Games.
Tokyo 2020 marks the Olympic debut of 3×3 basketball. The men’s and women’s 3×3 tournaments both begin on July 27. While there won’t be any Canadians competing in 3×3 in Tokyo, it will still be exciting to watch the debut.
The Olympic Games will be aired across CBC, CBC Gem, TSN and Sportsnet.
Congratulations Miranda & good luck to all Ontario basketball athletes competing at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics!
Links
Tokyo 2020 Olympic Schedule & Roster (Canadian Olympic Committee)
Canada’s Tokyo 2020 women’s basketball team announced (Canada Basketball)
Basketball’s Ayim, rugby’s Hirayama to carry Canadian flag into unique Tokyo 2020 opening ceremony (CBC)
Here’s how to watch the 3,775 hours of Olympic coverage from CBC, partners (CBC)