The Canadian women’s basketball team emerged victorious over Mexico with a score of 83-53 in the FIBA Women’s Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament held in Guadalajara. This win propels Canada closer to qualifying for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Additionally, Canada secured the sole spot in the FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2028, the final qualification stage for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Kayla Alexander led the Canadian team with 14 points, accompanied by four rebounds and three assists. Agot Makeer contributed 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting, adding three rebounds and three assists without any turnovers.
The Canadian women dominated the tournament, achieving a perfect 5-0 record with victories over Senegal, the Philippines, Mexico, and New Zealand before clinching the title against the host nation in the final match.
Head coach Nell Fortner expressed her satisfaction with the team’s performance, stating, “The goal all summer long was to win this tournament, and we did that. We did it in fine fashion today. I’m super proud of my team. We had young players and veterans who had to come together and play for the first time. I thought we really gelled well, and it all came to fruition today.”
Syla Swords contributed 12 points, while Yvonne Ejim delivered a noteworthy performance with a 10-point, 17-rebound double-double. Ejim also tallied two assists and a block, achieving a game-high efficiency rating of 22 and a plus-32 rating.
Fortner highlighted the team’s defensive strategies, stating, “We played them differently defensively, and it really shut down their offense. We switched on screens and focused on limiting their three-point shots. Our objective was to restrict them to no more than six, and they went 5-for-26. That was the difference. Our defense fueled our offense, and it proved effective today.”