The Women's Basketball team made it to the Quarter Finals but just couldn't get it done against France. The technical folks will analyse the performance from every aspect.
What was achieved? Competed with the best women basketball players in the world, were never really embarrassed, finished in the quarter finals and motivated thousands of young women across Canada to pick up a basketball. Oh and Canada moved up to be ranked #6 by FIBA.
The Coaches may second guess themselves but why? Were there better players available? Did they need more height, more composure, more consistent shooting.........
Being ranked #6.....now that is an accomplishment for the TEAM (players, coaches and support crew and Basketball Canada)
What the Olympic tournament showed was that women's basketball is evolving very quickly across the world and Canada is right in the mix. With continued development at all levels Canada will be extremely competitive for years to come.
What's next for the coaches, the players, the support team and Basketball Canada and women's basketball in Canada?
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"To play the game is good; to win the game better; but to love the game best.These women gave  & soul 2 game & country!" Bev Smith |
Lizzane Murphy has been with the team Canada program for 11 years and is 32years old. Plays Pro Ball in France. (Angers (France))
Shona Thorburn has been with the team Canada program for 11 years and is 34 years old. Plays Pro Ball in France. (Nantes Reze (France))
Tamara Tatham has been with the team Canada program for 11 years and is 31 years old. Will play her Pro Ball this year in Russia. (Dynamo Novosibirsk)
Miranda Ayim has been with the team Canada program for 11 years and is 28 years old. She will play her Pro Ball in France. (Basket Landes )
Miah-Marie Langlois has been with the team Canada program for 6 years and is 25 years old. Miah will be playing in Russia again but with a new team. (Enisey
Krasnoyarsk (Russia)
Nayo-raincock Ekunwe has been with the team Canada program for 5 years and is 25 years old. Will be playing her Pro Ball with BENDIGO SPIRIT (Australia)
Katherine Plouffe has been with the team Canada program for 6 years and is 24 years old. Katherine will be returning to her team in France (Nantes Reze Basket (France
Michelle Plouffe has been with the team Canada program for 7 years and is 24 years old. Michelle will also be returning to her team in France (Mondeville (France)
Natalie Anchowa has been with the team Canada program for 6 years and is 24 years old. Natalie plays Pro Ball in the WNBA with the Indiana Fever. Drafted to play in Korea Keb Hana
Nirra Fields has been with the team Canada program for 7 years and is 23 years old. Nirra played the better part of the 2016 season with the WNBA Pheonix Mercury and will play the 2016-17 Winter season in Turkey.
Kia Nurse has been with the team Canada program for 5 years and is 20 years old. Kia returned to the University of Connecticut for her Junior year.
In all likelihood three or four of the older players will not be available, as players, for the run up to the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
From the Development Team; Ruth Hamblin was drafted and played for Dallas in the WNBA and will play the Winter Season for the Perth Lynnx Australia, Jamie Weisner was drafted and played with the Washington Mystics of the WNBA. (she has returned to Oregon State University to further her education) and Adut Bulgat was drafted by the NY Liberty of the WNBA was with the team all season. Recently returned to Edmonton playing for the Shinhan S-Birds in Korea.
Kayla Alexander has played in the WNBA for 3 seasons with San Antonio Stars and played Winter Pro Ball in Russia and in 2016/17 will be in France. (http://tangobourgesbasket.com/)
Dakota Whyte is playing in Lulea Sweden -
Karly Roser is playing for TG Neuss (Germany)
The profiles of the Team Canada Developmental Team. Plus lots more talent coming up in the U18/19 and U16/17 The future for the 2020 Olympics looks very positive!!!
COACHES:
Lisa Thomaidis has returned to the University of Saskatchewan (Saskatoon) where she is coming off a Championship season. Bev Smith returned to her job as ED of Emerald Kids Sport in Eugene Oregon.
Shawnee Harle returned to her
business Winning Matters.
Steve Baur continues in his role with Basketball Canada working full time during the non-national team season. His duties at this time include reporting to the Olympic Committee, performance analysis and running the database, and monitoring of the athletes
Still no formal announcement on whether the SWNT will return to Edmonton as the National Training Centre.
An exciting side bar is that every player on the SWNT, not attending school, is making a living playing Pro Basketball. Players are in France, Russia, Turkey, Australia, Korea, Sweden and Germany and the WNBA in the USA.
Congratulations to Basketball Canada for building an outstanding women's basketball program for which we should all be proud.
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