Canada didn't go undefeated in the group stage at the 2025 FIBA Women's AmeriCup, but the national team still showed flashes of dominance in the preliminary round in Santiago.
The women's national team, ranked seventh in the most recent FIBA women's world rankings, is without stars Aaliyah Edwards, Kia Nurse, and Bridget Carleton. The WNBA didn't pause its season for this major international tournament.
However, four players who represented Canada at the 2024 Olympic women’s basketball tournament are back on the roster for this event.
Canada is looking for its first Women's AmeriCup title since back-to-back championships in 2015 and 2017.
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EL SALVADOR v CANADA
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 9 | 16 | 5 | 4 | 34 |
 | 26 | 32 | 18 | 25 | 100 |
Canada began the tournament with a dominant wire-to-wire win over El Salvador, earning Nell Fortner her first win as head coach of the Canadian women's national basketball team after being hired in May.
"I thought our effort today was really good," she said to Canada Basketball postgame. "We played hard and really did what we wanted to do as far as pushing the pace and defending hard."
Minutes and points were spread nicely around the whole team, with no Canadian playing more than 27 minutes or making more than four field goals. Over half of the team's points came from the bench as well.
Tara Wallack led the team with 11 points in her national team debut, while adding six rebounds and two assists. She was one of four players to make her debut for the national team in this game.
Shay Colley had a game-high eight assists, while Yvonne Ejim led with 12 rebounds.
“I thought we were really connected on the court," said Ejim to Canada Basketball postgame. "That's the quality we've been building from the start since we were first together, and that's just going to keep getting stronger."
Canada outrebounded El Salvador 66–21, converting that into 42 second-chance points. The Canadians also held the Salvadorans to just .237 shooting from the field.
This is just the second time El Salvador has qualified for the Women's AmeriCup, and this loss extended its all-time losing streak at the tournament to five games.
CANADA v ARGENTINA
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 15 | 23 | 13 | 71 |
 | 12 | 8 | 14 | 14 | 48 |
Sunday's 23-point win was Canada's largest margin of victory over Argentina in tournament history.
Shayeanne Day-Wilson had a game-high 18 points, while Syla Swords added 11 points including three of Canada's six three-pointers—an offensive strategy appreciated by their head coach.
“We’re continuing to improve our execution,” said Fortner postgame to Canada Basketball. “We didn’t have to run a lot of sets today because we were able to exploit some other areas offensively. I want us to keep shooting the three."
“I think we just had to go out there and be tough,” said Day-Wilson postgame to Canada Basketball. “From the moment the ball went up, you could feel the intensity—we were all locked in and on the same page. We responded well, whether things were going our way or not. And that’s exactly what you need to win.”
Ejim matched her career high in rebounds with a game-high 12, while Argentina's Melisa Gretter led both teams in assists with 6.
Play down low was key for the Canadians, which outrebounded the Argentinians by 11 and put up 28 points in the paint.
Canada now holds a 9–6 all-time record against Argentina.
BRAZIL v CANADA
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 20 | 14 | 25 | 15 | 74 |
| 17 | 21 | 22 | 5 | 65 |
A tightly contested game that featured 12 lead changes fell apart for Canada in the fourth quarter.
The Canadians led by one entering the frame but was held to just five points by the defending Women's AmeriCup champions leading to their first loss of the tournament. Canada also led by as many as 10 in the second quarter.
Kamilla Cardoso and Damiras Dantas each had double doubles for Brazil, with Dantas leading the game in scoring with 20 points and rebounding with 14 boards.
Canada's bench remained one of the team's strongest characteristics in the tournament, adding another 21 points collectively.
Day-Wilson remained the team's leading scorer through the loss with another 14 points as well as a game-high 5 assists.
National team veteran Kayla Alexander posted a double double of her own with 10 points and 12 rebounds in just over 37 minutes.
It was Canada's first preliminary round loss at the tournament since a loss to Brazil in 2011.
CANADA v DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | 24 | 12 | 23 | 82 |
 | 9 | 10 | 14 | 13 | 46 |
Canada already had a second-place finish in group B locked up heading into Wednesday, but still rounded out the preliminary round with another dominant win.
The game was very close for much of the first quarter, with the Dominicans going on a 7-0 run to take a five-point lead. However, Canada went on a 15-0 run to end the frame, which eventually ended as a 25-0 run and a lead the team didn't lose.
Canada's bench put up another big performance with 51 points, led by Delaney Gibb who had a game-high 21. That included a team-leading four made three-pointers.
Alexander put up another double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds, while Day-Wilson led the game with eight assists.
The Dominicans were held to just two fast-break points and just .261 from the field.
TEAM STATISTICAL LEADERS
- Points per game: Shayeann Day-Wilson (11.8)
- Assists per game: Shayeann Day-Wilson (5.0)
- Rebounds per game: Yvonne Ejim (9.0)
- Blocks per game: Kayla Alexander (1.5)
- Steals per game: Shayeann Day-Wilson (1.3)
GROUP A STANDINGS
| Team | W | L | PD | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | +114 | Qualified for quarterfinals |
| 3 | 1 | +116 | Qualified for quarterfinals |
| 2 | 2 | -9 | Qualified for quarterfinals |
| 1 | 3 | -77 | Qualified for quarterfinals |
| 0 | 4 | -144 | Eliminated |
UP NEXT
Canada has qualified for the quarterfinals of the tournament for eight consecutive editions since the format change in 2011. With its second-place finish in Group A, Canada will play Group B's third-place finisher, Colombia, in a quarterfinal game Friday in Santiago.
The tournament champion will automatically qualify for the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup, and the top six teams will play in the qualifying tournaments. Therefore, a quarterfinal win would guarantee Canada a path to next year's World Cup in Berlin.
