EDMONTON, Canada – The Road to Rio can start anywhere. That green and yellow brick Brazilian road for this very special and talented 2015 Canadian Women’s National team started in Toronto at the Pan Am games in mid July and ended here last night at the Saville Community Sports Center with a determined 82-66 victory over Cuba. With the FIBA Americas Women’s Championship win Canada assured itself direct entry to the 2016 Rio Olympics without having to travel to parts unknown to qualify – it was done here.
This Road to Rio wasn’t unplanned, it was calculated like a military operation with years of preparation. It was no coincidence that the year of the Pan Am Games being in Toronto Canada gets a 71-68 win over Cuba. Canada won that game but lost the last quarter as the Cuban guards dominated that game. The Canada win put them on course for a 81-73 gold medal victory against the USA. Next is the FIBA Americas Women’s Championship, 28th days later and further north, another gold but more importantly the finalization of a plan to make Canadian Women’s basketball a global force. Throw in the Canadian u16s gold medal finish at the FIBA u16 Americas tournament with the USA in attendance and you have a program looking up.
Canada Coach Lisa Thomaidis tells the Media about the impact of winning the FIBA Americas Championship for the Team Canada program and this team.
Until this gold medal game was over and in the book there was no pre-game jousting, no hype, nothing the Canadians were fully aware the last time they were facing Cuba in the FIBA Americas final back in 2013 and it ended badly. Cuba which lost to Canada in the prelim 53-40 stunned them three days later in Mexico by taking a 53-50 heart breaking win from the Canadians.
Tonight’s final was a repeat of their Pool final where Canada blew the game open fast and furious with hard defense and jumped out 5-2 but then Cuba used its experienced guard play and physical defense to jump back for a 11-5 lead. Both teams went at each other in man-to-man defense with a lot of grabbing and pushing being tolerated by the officials. Cuban guard Oyanaisy Gelis got her second foul with 3:45 in first quarter and had to come out after an impactful 2 pts and 2 assists and big defense. Then Cuba’s wing Leidys Oquendo (33 years old) was on fire getting Cuba up 18-10 but Canada responded to trail 22-19 at end of the first quarter. Cuban wing Yamara Amargo got her 2nd foul with 5min in 2nd quarter down 32-24. By halftime down 45-39 Cuba had Gelis, Amargo, guard Francy Ochoa with two foul each and Oquendo with 3 fouls on the floor.
Canada Coach Lisa Thomaidis sitting at the Media table with tornament MVP Kia Nurse and captain Kim Goucher talks about how Cuba came out strong with new sets and different play from their last game in Toronto.
Cuba, despite the fouls, came out strong and went on a 9-0 run to take a came out in the third quarter roaring back to tie the game at 44 and take a small lead then another tie at 50 before Canada ran off a 16-4 run to finish out the third quarter with a 65-54 lead and 10 minutes from the championship. Cuba could not contain Canada from three runs of 11-0, 12-3 and 21-8 across the game.
All purpose guard Kia Nurse (UConn) led Canada with 20 points which got double figures from forward Natalie Achonwa (12pts), guard Miah-Marie Langlois (11 pts, 8 assists) and forward Miranda Ayim (11 pts). Canada had 52 of its 82 points in the paint as Cuba could not defend the drive past the first quarter. Coach Lisa Thomaidis bench contributed with 8 of 10 players scoring more than 2 points each. Cuba could not aggressively rebound as they did in Toronto and fouls enabled Canada to pull down 10 offensive rebounds. Oquendo finished with 25 pts, post Clenia Noblet got 16 points, 10 rebounds and Amargo finished with 13 points.
Canada Coach Lisa Thomaidis discusses how this team hasn’t peaked yet and their improvement over the course of the past year to prepare for this summer of winning gold at the Pan Am Games and the FIBA Americas Championships.
This is Canada’s first gold medal at FIBA Americas Women’s Championships since 1995 when all-time Canada star and assistant Coach Bev Smith played on the team. Canada won this year’s 15th Pan Am Games, their first gold ever in that event and look to improve on their 8th place finish in London 2012 and their best finish in 1984 (4th).
Canada Coach Lisa Thomaidis talks about the excitement for this team coming out of the FIBA America’s Championships and go to the Olympics in Rio and be in conversation as one of the top teams in the world.
Canada Coach Lisa Thomaidis talks about how proud she is of her FIBA Americas Championship squad.
BRONZE: While the FIBA Americas Women’s final was a repeat of the Pool A final, the Bronze medal game was the repeat of Pool B with Rio-qualified Brazil facing an Argentina team that won the Pool after a surprising 73-69 win. It like another Argentina start getting up on Brazil 18-13 after the first quarter and 30-24 at halftime. Brazil again tried to came back again in the third and fourth quarters but Argentina counted this getting stellar work from Celia Fiorotto (13 pts) and Gisela Vegas (12 pts). No close finish or OT this time. Gilmara Justino led Brazi with 16 points.
Brazil, which finished third in 2013 failed to medal, lost to Argentina in both the Pool B final and the Bronze medal game in 2015. It seems the automatic qualification for Rio as host country will take the sting out of this performance.
ALL TOURNAMENT: Meli Gretter (Argentina) Yamara Amargo (Cuba) Clenia Noblet (Cuba) Tamara Tatham (Canada), MVP Kia Nurse (Canada) (In order below on right)
FIBA Americas MVP Canadian guard Kia Nurse talks about her team and their incredible summer of success qualifying for the Olympics next year in Rio.
AFTERTHOUGHTS: Standing near the Canadian bench long after the crowd thinned out leaving only players, parents and well-wishers was “The Godmother” of Canada Women’s Basketball Bev Smith. If anyone could appreciate this journery it was her. The former Oregon star and three-time Olympican and Coach for Team Canada have been working with the program from her college days in the 1980s. If anyone could own the calm of this momeny, it was her.
“A long time getting here,” smiled Smith. “I am so proud of what this team has done. They worked hard and (Head Coach) Lisa Thomaidis have been good for them too. In Toronto when we won the champiosnship we didn’t even cut down the nets. It was only a part of our goal to win this tournament. Well, we cut them down tonight.”
NEXT STOP: After an all-night flight home its a 11-hour stop before heading to Porto, Portgual via Lisbon to watch the FIBA Europe u16 A Division championships featured some of the best young talent in Europe. The other batch of talent just finished the Euro u16 B Division championships last week in Eastern Europe. The dean of Europe basketball, Dan Bowmaker of Blue Star Europe will be guiding me through the event.
