Canada name training camp squad, prepare for European tour
TORONTO (2015 FIBA Americas Women's Championship) - Canada's women are on a hot streak.
They made it to the Quarter-Finals at the 2012 Olympics in London and reached the title game of the 2013 FIBA Americas Women's Championship in Mexico before finishing fifth at last year's FIBA Women's World Championship in Turkey.
Now, as the host nation of the Pan American Games in Toronto (16-20 July) and the 2015 FIBA Americas Women's Championship in Edmonton (9-16 August), the Canadians have a chance to build on the momentum, and show the home faithful how just far they have come and how far they can go.
The squad is about to hit the ground running at a training camp at the Saville Community Centre in Edmonton, from 10-24 May.
Twenty-two players have been invited.
Canadian Women's National Team announces Phase One tryout roster: http://t.co/uCGsBCemnn pic.twitter.com/UqCR9uGE4V
— Canada Basketball (@CanBball) May 5, 2015
Judging from last year's World Championship in Turkey, the future is bright for Canada.
Led by coach Lisa Thomaidis, the team excelled in Ankara and Istanbul.
Not surprisingly, the majority of the players who featured in last year's World Championship squad have been invited to the training camp.
Among them are the University of Connecticut's NCAA title-winning guard Kia Nurse, Swedish league MVP Miah-Marie Langlois, UCLA guard Nirra Fields, Miranda Ayim of Toulouse, Kim Gaucher of Sopron, Katherine and Michelle Plouffe of Arad and Arras, respectively.
At the training camp, Canada will take a long look at Natalie Achonwa, their star forward who cruelly had her NCAA women's career cut short by injury in the 2014 post-season.
The injury ruled her out of the World Championship.
A Canada squad will follow the training camp with a trip to Europe for a tournament in La Rioja, Spain 28-30 May, with Poland, Great Britain and Spain the opponents.
The Canadians will then head north to Lille, France, and square off against the Poles again, as well as Italy and France.
List of the 22 players invited to participate in Canadian women's national team phase one tryouts: Natalie Achonwa, Kayla Alexander, Miranda Ayim, Krysten Boogaard, Adut Bulgak, Shay Colley, Quinn Dornstuader, Nirra Fields, Kim Gaucher, Saicha Grant-Allen, Ruth Hamblin, Miah-Marie Langlois, Lizanne Murphy, Kia Nurse, Katherine Plouffe, Michelle Plouffe, Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe, Tamara Tatham, Shona Thorburn, Jamie Weisner, Dakota Whyte and Korissa Williams.
Go to fibaamericas.com for all the latest news about the 2015 FIBA Americas Women's Championship.
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