Canada Basketball announces list of players invited to tryout for senior women’s national team

From Canada Basketball release:

Canada Basketball is proud to announce the players who have been invited to attend the Senior Women’s National Team tryout. The 29 invited athletes will join the Senior Women’s National Team (SWNT) staff and Canada Basketball personnel at McMaster University’s David Braley Athletic Centre for the May 17-19 tryout.

The SWNT is coming off a very successful season having played against several of the best teams around the globe. On Canada Day, the team qualified for the London Olympic Games through a thrilling 71-63 victory over Japan at the FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Women. The victory paved the way for Team Canada’s return to the Olympic stage following a 12-year absence.

At the London Games, the SWNT showed determination and resolve in two hard-fought victories over host Great Britain and a strong Brazilian team. Their three single-digit losses in group-play came against the strongest squads in London: France would capture the silver medal, Australia took home the bronze and Team Russia finished in fourth place.

The Canadians’ run at the Games came to a close when they took-on eventual gold medalists Team USA in a quarter-final match-up. The show of skill and the strength of character that Team Canada displayed at the Games endeared them to basketball fans across the nation.

At the helm of the program will be a familiar face in an unfamiliar role. After 11 years as head coach of the SWNT, Surrey, B.C. native Allison McNeill retired from the program last December. Long-time SWNT assistant coach Lisa Thomaidis was named the new head coach in March after Canada Basketball’s thorough search for the right individual to build upon McNeill’s success. In the end, the Dundas, Ont. native proved to be the leader they needed and the voice they wanted.

The 29 tryout invitees will feature both new and familiar faces as the SWNT comes together under the guidance of new leadership. The challenge for Thomaidis and her coaching staff will be to find the right blend of veteran leadership and youth to fulfill their vision of Team Canada.

The first test for the 2013 edition of the team will come in the form of an exhibition series as the SWNT travels to Prague to face the Czech Republic National Team. The team’s preparatory summer tour will span the globe with tournaments in Serbia, France, China and Brazil featuring some of the best teams in the world. The busy summer season will build toward the 2013 FIBA Americas Championships as the team begins its journey to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.


2013 Senior Women’s National Team Tryout Invitees

Name Position Hometown 2012-13 Club/School
Natalie Achonwa Forward Guelph, Ont. Notre Dame (NCAA)
Kayla Alexander Centre Milton, Ont. Syracuse (NCAA)
Miranda Ayim Forward London, Ont. Orduspor (Turkey)
Janelle Bekkering Forward Taber, Alta. BBC Kangoeroes-B (Belgium)
Krysten Boogaard Centre Regina Sask. Training in Canada
Justine Colley Guard East Preston, N.S. St. Mary’s (CIS)
Nirra Fields Guard Montreal, Que. UCLA (NCAA)
Ruth Hamblin Centre Houston, B.C. Oregon State (NCAA)
Kalisha Keane Forward Ajax, Ont. Training in Canada
Miah-Marie Langlois Guard Windsor, Ont. Windsor (CIS)
Lizanne Murphy Forward Beaconsfield, Que. Aix-en-Provence (France)
Kia Nurse Guard Hamilton, Ont. St. Thomas More C.S.S.
Krista Phillips Centre Saskatoon, Sask. Dandenong (Australia)
Courtnay Pilypaitis Guard Orleans, Ont. Training in USA
Katherine Plouffe Forward Edmonton, Alta. Marquette (NCAA)
Michelle Plouffe Forward Edmonton, Alta. Utah (NCAA)
Emily Potter Forward Winnipeg, Man. Glenlawn Collegiate
Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe Forward Vernon, B.C. Simon Fraser (NCAA-2)
Karly Roser Guard Hamilton, Ont. Northwestern (NCAA)
Kendell Ross Forward Sarnia, Ont. Training in USA
Stephany Skrba Forward Thornhill, Ont. Bourges (France)
Kim Smith Guard Mission, B.C. Tarbes (France)
Alisha Tatham Guard Brampton, Ont. Basel (Switzerland)
Tamara Tatham Forward Brampton, Ont. Halle (Germany)
Shona Thorburn Guard Hamilton, Ont. Aix-en-Provence (France)
Jamie Weisner Guard Clarkston, Wash. Oregon State (NCAA)
Taryn Wicijowski Forward Regina, Sask. Utah (NCAA)
Korissa Williams Guard Amherstburg, Ont. Windsor (CIS)
Emma Wolfram Forward Kamloops, B.C. South Kamloops Senior Secondary


2013 Senior Women’s National Team Schedule

Event Dates Location
Tryout by Invitation May 17-19 Hamilton, Ont.
Training Camp May 20-24 Hamilton, Ont.
Exhibitions vs. CZE May 28-29 Prague, Czech Republic
Tournament (SRB, ITA, MON) May 31 – June 2 Belgrade, Serbia
Tournament (FRA, ESP, TUR) June 7-9 Paris, France
Tournament (CHN, BRA, PUR) July 5-12 TBC, China
Tournament (BRA, PUR, TBC) August 15-18 TBC, Brazil
FIBA Americas Championships September 21-28 Xalapa, Mexico


Senior Women’s National Team May Training Location

McMaster University – David Braley Athletic Centre
Hamilton, Ont.
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