Carleton and Team Canada aiming for Olympic berth
Canada’s national women’s basketball team, which include’s Chatham’s Bridget Carleton, will be trying to lock down an Olympic berth in the upcoming FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2024.
Canada won their first game 67-55 over Hungary on Thursday. Carleton came off the bench to lead Canada in scoring with 18 points. She added six rebounds
Canada will now face Spain (February 9, 9:30 a.m. ET) and Japan (February 11, 9:00 a.m. ET) in Sopron, Hungary. Fans in Canada can catch all the action live on Sportsnet.
To qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Canada must finish in the top three teams in the tournament.
“We are excited to announce our Canadian Senior Women’s National Team roster for the FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament,” said Víctor Lapeña, Head Coach, Senior Women’s National Team. “Facing Hungary at home, as well as world-class opponents like Spain and Japan, will be an important challenge for our team, but one we have been tirelessly preparing for over the last several weeks. I have the utmost confidence and trust in our group as we look to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.”
Before travelling to Hungary, the Senior Women’s National Team hosted a training camp in Vienna, Austria from January 31 to February 6.
Kia Nurse sustained a minor injury in practice that will keep her out of the FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2024 but she will be available for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and will participate accordingly.
A total of 16 teams will participate in the four global FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournaments, 12 of them, including the host (France) and the Winner of the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022 (USA), will qualify for the Women’s Olympic Basketball Tournament. Three additional FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournaments will be hosted in Belgium, Brazil and China.
Canada advanced to this week’s FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2024 after going undefeated in the FIBA Women’s Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament last November.
Paris 2024 would mark the Senior Women’s National Team’s fourth consecutive Olympic Games and their eighth appearance in the Women’s Olympic Basketball Tournament since the sport was added at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal.
Canada’s Senior Women’s National Team is ranked fifth in the FIBA World Ranking Women, presented by Nike, after an update to the rankings following the FIBA Women’s Continental Championships.