TORONTO, Canada — Kia Nurse is Canada’s newest breakout star in women’s basketball.
But in her first year as a starting guard for UConn last season, she had to be satisfied with being an important defensive piece but less featured double figure scorer on Geno Auriemma’s college women’s basketball dynasty that won another national championship.
Her teammates – Breanna Stewart, the versatile 6-4 forward reigning national Player of the Year, and mercurial All American point guard Moriah Jefferson had far more star power on the Huskies and were the two biggest names this United State’s Pan Am team..
But Nurse, who is all of 19 and the youngest member of the Canadian senior team, temporarily put them both in the background Monday night when she exploded for a sensational 33 points as her country defeated the United States, 81-73, to win its first gold medal ever in men’s or women’s international competition. Nurse shot 10 for 17 from the field and knocked down 11 of 12 free throws. She also had six rebounds and three assists. It was one of the greatest games ever played by someone wearing a Canadian jersey and brought back fond memories of the great Bev Smith, a world class player in the 80’s who is now on the Canadian coaching staff.
“It was definitely something I didn’t imagine,” Nurse said. “I felt a little down in the warm-up today, a little energy-less. Then I guess I chugged a Powerade, that must have helped. It was an incredible game.”
It may have even helped Nurse gain some equal footing in her own home, where big brother Darnell was a first round draft pick of the NFL Edmonton Oilers in 2013. “I come from a competitive family I have been raised in competitive way, watching my brother do all those crazy tings himself and trying to one up him. It was a good feeling.”
“Kia has a heart of a champion,” Canadian coach Lisa Thomaidis said. “The biggest games, she rises to the occasion. She was unbelievable, just unbelievable. “That was a pretty darn impressive performance, especially with the magnitude of the game. To have that kind of performance, I mean come on. Being 19 or 20, whatever she is right now, it’s just astounding. It’s unimaginable really. It’s amazing composure from quite a player.”
Coming into the game Nurse’s best scoring game came when she had 12 in the opener against Venezuela. She had that in the second quarter alone when Canada rallied from an 23-12 point deficit to take a two-point lead on a 3-pointer by Nurse with 46 seconds left in the second quarter. Reimer hit two free throws with 11 seconds left to enable the U.S. to go into the locker room at halftime tied with Canada at 36-36..
The gifted backcourt of Nurse and Nirra Fields (UCLA), fueled at times by stifling defense that allowed them to score in in transition, jumping out to a surprise 62-44 lead. But there was still some drama. The U.S. cut the lead to 62-55 with an 11-0 run in the fourth quarter. before Nurse took the game over. again“”I was just hoping to get the momentum switched,” she said when asked about her willingness to take over games. “I know the U.S. had a momentum going on for a little while there. Just a matter of staying with what I do well and my teammates helped me do that.”
Her driving layup in traffic broke a nearly four minute scoring drought that started the final quarter as the U.S. crept closer. Then she found Natalie Achonwa for a seemingly clinching jumper with just under two minutes left, just moments after she checked back in following getting her head rocked in a heavy collision with Jefferson. It wasn’t easy– a pair of late turnovers helped the U.S. cut it to 78-73. But Achonwa– playing in her first tournament since tearing the anterior cruciate ligament of her last knee last year, made a free throw with 18 seconds to play pushed it back to six and then Nurse ended it on the line, knocking down a pair of free throws.
After the final buzzer, the near sellout crowd of 3,300 at the Ryerson Centre began chanting “MVP, MVP” in appreciation of Nurse’s brilliance on the floor
“She was unbelievable,” Stewart said. “That’s what she does, she attacks. And whether it was the 3-point shots or driving for the basket, that’s what she does, and that’s what she does at UConn. She put Canada on her back tonight and led them to this win.
“From start to finish, she was scoring, and we didn’t have an answer for her.”
This was a huge step forward for Canada, which won the U16s in Mexico earlier in the summer and will try to earn a spot in the 2016 Rio summer games with this same team at the FIBA Americas Olympic qualifier in Edmonton later this summer. And it was a break out game for Nurse, Canada’s newest star and the female equivalent to Andrew Wiggins. Nurse was a high school prodigy who led St. Catherine’s to three straight Canadian championships in high school. At age 17, she was invited to try out for he national team mainly for the experience. But she played so well, coaches opted to keep her on the roster and she contributed on a team that finished fifth in the World championships in Istanbul.
Canada’s coaching staff came into this game with a brilliant game plan. They keyed on Stewart– the tournament’s leading scorer–, limiting her touches and making it difficult for her to find space for shots she usually knocks down. They frustrated the Americans by constantly shifting defenses, particularly when they went zone. And they looked to push the ball ahead, forcing 18 turnovers beating the Americans up the floor off steals for easy layups.
This was not one of America’s finest hours. Granted, they were missing injured guard Tiffany Mitchell, who might have giving them a much needed perimeter threat. But Canada out rebounded the taller Americans, 39-35, and six blocked shots and benefited from a dysfunctional U.S. team had just five assists out of a stagnant offense. Stewart finished with 17 points and 9 rebounds, but she only got five shots in the first three quarters and never came to life offensively until midway through the fourth quarter after the U.S. fell behind 62-44. “She came into the game as the leading scorer in the tournament,” Thomadis said. “So you’d be crazy not to key on her. We just tried to get away space and make it difficult for her to get off shots.”
The flag waving Canadian fans loved it.
“It was an unbelievable atmosphere,” Thomaidis said. “We’ve been in other gyms where countries are cheering like this for the team we are playing against. To finally get the opportunity to be the home team and to come out with a win in a real important event was just phenomenal.”
Afterwards, Auriemma, who made the trip north, found his way to center court to spend time with both Stewart and Nurse in a heartwarming moment. then gave Jefferson a big hug. Last night, he was a winner either way. But there was no doubt in his or anyone else’s mind that the best team won.
USA Coach Lisa Bluder talks about the performance of Canada star and UConn starter Kia Nurse after her 33 point performation in the Pan Am Games championship.
