SOCIAL MEDIA: WBB on Twitter | WBB on Facebook | WBB on Instagram
TORONTO, Ontario, Canada – Canada Basketball announced its roster for the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2018 and UCLA's Nirra Fields has made the team. Fields, who has been a staple of the Canadian Senior Women's National Team since 2015, is currently playing professionally in Poland for Energa Torun. Fields played for the Bruins from 2012-13 to 2015-16 seasons and was a three-time All-Pac-12 selection. She was also drafted as the 32nd pick overall and in the third round of the 2016 WNBA Draft by the Phoenix Mercury, becoming the first UCLA player since Lindsey Pluimer in 2008 (2nd round by Washington Mystics) to be drafted by the WNBA.
"After a very competitive training camp, we have a roster that we're really excited about," said Lisa Thomaidis, Head Coach, Senior Women's National Team. "We're looking forward to this next stage of training and competition, where we'll be able to measure ourselves against some of the best teams in the world prior to competing at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup."
Currently ranked a program-high 5th in the FIBA World Ranking Presented by NIKE, Canada qualified for their fourth consecutive FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup after winning their second consecutive FIBA Women's AmeriCup title last summer (2017) with Fields being named the MVP. She averaged 14.5 points and 2.0 assists per game. You can watch her highlights by clicking here.
This will be Canada's ninth appearance at the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup (known from 1953 to 2014 as the FIBA World Championship for Women). Canada's fifth place finish at the 2014 FIBA World Championship for Women was the highest since a pair of third-place finishes in 1979 (Seoul, Korea) and 1986 (Moscow, Soviet Union).
Canada is in Group A for the 18th edition of FIBA's flagship women's event and will face Greece (Sept. 22), Korea (Sept. 23) and France (Sept. 25) in the Group Phase. Click here for the competition schedule.
The FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup is the biggest international women's basketball competition and brings together the 16 best teams from across FIBA's four regions - Africa, Americas, Asia and Europe.
This year's event will take place in Spain from September 22-30, 2018 in San Cristóbal de la Laguna and Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Prior to the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup, Canada will travel to Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Connecticut for a two-game exhibition series against Japan (Sept. 7) and USA (Sept. 8). Before arriving in Tenerife, Canada will face France, USA and Senegal in a four-team tournament in Antibes, France (Sept. 15-17).
A full list of athletes, coaches and team schedule can be found below.
SENIOR WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM FIBA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL WORLD CUP 2018 ROSTER
|
Name |
Position |
Height |
Hometown |
Club / School |
|
Natalie Achonwa |
Power Forward |
6'3" |
Guelph, ON |
Indiana Fever (WNBA) |
|
Kayla Alexander |
Forward |
6'4" |
Milton, ON |
Indiana Fever (WNBA) |
|
Miranda Ayim |
Forward |
6'3" |
London, ON |
Basket Landes (France) |
|
Bridget Carleton |
Guard |
6'1" |
Chatham, ON |
Iowa State (NCAA) |
|
Shay Colley |
Point Guard |
5'9" |
Brampton, ON |
Michigan State (NCAA) |
|
Guard |
5'6" |
Lachine, QC |
Energa Torun (Poland) |
|
|
Kim Gaucher |
Shooting Guard |
6'1" |
Mission, BC |
Mondeville (France) |
|
Ruth Hamblin |
Centre |
6'6" |
Houston, BC |
Castor Braine (Belgium) |
|
Miah-Marie Langlois |
Point Guard |
5'8" |
Windsor, ON |
Novosibirsk Dynamo (Russia) |
|
Kia Nurse |
Guard |
6'0" |
Hamilton, ON |
New York Liberty (WNBA) |
|
Michelle Plouffe |
Forward |
6'4" |
Edmonton, AB |
Lyon (France) |
|
Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe |
Forward |
6'2" |
Toronto, ON |
Bourges (France) |