Canadian Senior Women’s National Team Claim Gold at 2017 FIBA Americup in Argentina
The Canadian Women’s National Team successfully defended its title at the 2017 FIBA Americup on August 13, winning its second straight gold medal at the tournament after defeating home team Argentina 67-65 in a thrilling match-up that saw two undefeated teams go head to head.
Canada got off to a slow start in the first-half and found themselves trailing by seven at halftime, an unusual situation for a team that had dominated its competition throughout the tournament. In the second half, Canada looked better on both sides of the court as they gained momentum and the lead with a 23-15 third quarter. A match-up of two highly ranked teams would not be won so easily, as Argentina made a comeback of its own to bring the game within one point. The game was won in the final moments as Canada took the win by a narrow margin, 67-65. Kia Nurse (Hamilton) led the team with 12 points, while team captain Miranda Ayim (London) and Miah-Marie Langlois (Windsor) added 10 points each. Ayim was selected to the All-Star Five of the tournament after averaging 8.2 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.
The win gives Canada its second consecutive FIBA Women’s Americup gold medal (formerly FIBA Americas Championship for Women). They defeated Cuba 82-66 in the 2015 final in Edmonton, Alberta. Canada becomes the second country to capture consecutive gold medals at this competition, joining Brazil, who managed to capture back-to-back gold medals twice (2001-2003, 2009-2011). Canada’s appearance in the finals also means that the team qualified for the 2018 FIBA Women’s World Cup in Spain next September.
Seven Ontario athletes were part of this historic, title-defending team. The list of Ontario athletes is below.
| Name | Position | Height | Hometown | Club/School |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miranda Ayim* | Forward | 6’3 | London | Basket Landes (France) |
| Bridget Carleton | Guard | 6’1 | Chatham | Iowa State (NCAA) |
| Shay Colley | Guard | 5’9 | Brampton | Michigan State (NCAA) |
| Laura Dally | Guard | 6’0 | Sarnia | University of Saskatchewan (CIS) |
| Sami Hill | Guard | 5’10 | Toronto | Virginia Tech (NCAA) |
| Miah-Marie Langlois | Guard | 5’8 | Windsor | Enisey Krasnoyarksi Kraj (Russia) |
| Kia Nurse | Guard | 6’0 | Hamilton | UConn (NCAA) |
For more information about the Canadian Senior Women’s National Team’s performances in the finals and throughout the tournament, visit the Canada Basketball website.