Canada opens FIBA AmeriCup group play with a 100-34 win over El Salvador.
It’s a new chapter for the Canadian Senior Women’s basketball team, and they proved that in the first game of the FIBA AmeriCup.
After disappointing results at the Olympics last year, the team went through a “cultural reset” that included hiring a new coaching staff. At the helm of the program is Olympic Gold Medalist Coach Nell Fortner, who has experience, of course, at the international level, but also in the WNBA and in college. She’s an exciting leader for this team, given her winning experience, and just what this program needs to capitalize on the talent coming out of Canada these days.
As for the roster itself, the team is a mix of experienced and newer talent. Without any of their WNBA talent for this tournament, given that it’s right in the middle of the WNBA season, Canada still had no trouble assembling a deep and formidable roster.
Just listen to some of these accolades — 2025 La Liga MVP Kayla Alexander, Big-12 Freshman of the Year Delaney Gibb, Big-10 All-Freshman Syla Swords, 2025 West Coast Conference Player of the Year Yvonne Ejim. Add on Olympians Sami Hill and Shay Colley, along with NCAA standouts Phillipina Kyei, Shyanne Day-Wilson, Merrisah Russell, Tara Wallack, and international league players Niyah Becker and Emily Potter. Canada’s team is full of world-class players ready to win.
Canada was slotted into Group A for this tournament, along with El Salvador, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, and Argentina. Four out of the five teams will make it to the knockout rounds, but seeding is especially important. Canada and Brazil (who have current WNBA players Kamilla Cardoso and Damiris Dantas on the team) are Group A favourites. In Group B, Team USA is the favourite to lead the group, joined by Mexico, Colombia, Chile, and Puerto Rico. In order to avoid Team USA until the Gold Medal game, Canada will want to finish 1st overall in Group A.
They opened the tournament Saturday afternoon against El Salvador, showing off a well-rounded team effort and building upon many of the areas of improvement needed from 2024. Most notably, Canada’s three-point shooting was phenomenal against El Salvador, making 13 shots from distance as a team. The offence was well-rounded, and every single player on the roster scored in the game. Fortner made sure everyone’s legs stayed fresh by using her entire bench, something that will come in handy with 4 games in 5 days. While the rotations will likely shrink as the tournament progresses, this was a great chance for Fortner to test her options out and get to know her players in a competition setting.
In a 100-34 defeat, Canada’s offence was led by Tara Wallack, who scored 11 points in the game. Both Kayla Alexander and Sami Hill scored 10 points, and Delaney Gibb scored 9 points on 3/7 shooting from beyond the arc. Canadian standout Syla Swords scored 8 points, while Yvonne Ejim had a team-high 12 rebounds. Canada out-rebounded El Salvador 66-21, contributing to the number of second-chance opportunities they had to score.
A few weeks ago at training camp in Toronto, Nell Fortner told me that this team’s identity would flow through their defence, and that was on display today as well. On top of them crashing the glass, Canada had a great job of forcing El Salvador into shot clock violations and making them make rushed decisions offensively. They forced 16 turnovers onto El Salvador, and only allowed them to make 14 total field goals.
That 66-point differential will be major for Canada as they battle for the top spot in the group. Brazil will very likely play through Kamilla Cardoso in the post, and the more points they can score to expand the gap with Brazil, the better. Cardoso is a physical player with skilled footwork that allows her to score again and again under the basket, and Brazil will very likely rack up the points themselves.
Canada will be in action again on Sunday against Argentina at 2:10 pm. Games can be watched online on Courtside 1891. Here is Canada’s full schedule:
- Saturday June 28 vs El Salvador (W, 100-66)
- Sunday June 29 vs Argentina, 2:10 pm
- Monday June 30 vs Brazil, 2:10 pm
- Wednesday July 2 vs Dominican Republic, 5:40 pm
The quarter-finals will be on Friday, followed by semi-finals on Saturday and the medal games/finals on Sunday. It’s a quick turnaround, but Canada is confident in their chances of getting onto the podium.