Canadian women whip Mexico 83-53, net Olympic pre-qualifying basketball tourney crown

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“The goal all summer long was to win this tournament, and we did that,” said Canadian head coach Nell Fortner. “We did it in fine fashion today. I’m super proud of my team. We had young players and veterans who had to come together and play together for the first time.

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“I thought we really gelled well, and it all came to fruition today.”

Syla Swords, who scored a dozen points for Canada in the final, was named the tournament’s MVP. Teammate Yvonne Ejim, who had 10 points and 17 rebounds in the final, joined her on the tournament’s all-star team.

Swords averaged 14.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists and one steal across Canada’s five victories. The 20-year-old shot 48.1 per cent from three-point range during the tournament.

“It’s exciting, but that’s not really why I play for Canada,” Swords said of her individual honour. “Coach started our game today by asking who we play for, and the response was immediately: Canada.

“When we started training camp at the beginning of June, we wanted to go 5-0. We didn’t just want to win the tournament; we wanted to go undefeated. We took it one game at a time, and I think we did it in great fashion.”

Mexico’s Anisa Jeffries, New Zealand’s Emilia Shearer and Brazil’s Bella Nascimento completed the All-Star Five.

By winning the tournament, Canada advances to one of the FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournaments in February 2028, the final stage of qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 23, 2026.

The Canadian Press