The Canadian women’s basketball team emerged victorious with an 83-53 win over Mexico in the FIBA Women’s Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament in Guadalajara. This triumph brings Canada closer to securing a spot in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Canada has also clinched the sole entry into the FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2028, the final qualifying stage for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Kayla Alexander led Canada with 14 points, accompanied by four rebounds and three assists. Agot Makeer contributed 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting, along with three rebounds and three assists, all without a turnover.
The Canadian team dominated the tournament, achieving a perfect 5-0 record by defeating Senegal, the Philippines, Mexico, and New Zealand before claiming victory over the host country for the second time 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 together 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 recorded a notable double-double with 10 points and 17 rebounds. Ejim also added two assists and a block, achieving a game-high efficiency rating of 22 and a plus-32 rating.
Fortner highlighted the team’s defensive strategy, stating, “We played them differently defensively, and it really shut down their offense. We switched on screens and focused on stopping them from hitting threes. Our goal was to hold them to no more than six, and they went 5-for-26. That was the difference. Our defense creates our offense, and it did that in a big way today.”
