The Canadian women’s basketball team emerged victorious against Mexico with a final score of 83-53 in the FIBA Women’s Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament held in Guadalajara. This win brings Canada closer to securing a spot in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Additionally, Canada has clinched the sole berth in the FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2028, which is the last phase of qualification for the upcoming Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Leading the charge for Canada was Kayla Alexander, contributing 14 points along with four rebounds and three assists. Agot Makeer also made a significant impact, scoring 13 points on a 5-of-7 shooting performance and adding three rebounds and assists each without any turnovers.
The Canadian women’s team displayed a dominant performance throughout the tournament, finishing with a perfect 5-0 record. They secured victories against Senegal, the Philippines, Mexico, and New Zealand before claiming their final triumph over the host nation.
Head coach Nell Fortner expressed her pride in the team’s achievement, 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 to the team’s success, while Yvonne Ejim delivered a remarkable performance with a 10-point, 17-rebound double-double. Ejim also added two assists and a block, achieving a game-high efficiency rating of 22 and a plus-32 rating.
Fortner highlighted the defensive strategy employed against Mexico, 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.”