WNBA: Canadian stars ready for impactful 2024 Paris Olympics

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While a lot of the talk about women’s Olympic basketball rightfully has been about Team USA, there is another country building a pretty strong team: Canada.

After a disappointing early exit at the Tokyo Olympics, the Senior Canadian Women’s National Team redeemed themselves with a historic fourth-place finish at the FIBA World Cup in September 2022. Yet, their Olympic hopes were nearly dashed in February when they almost did not make it out of the Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Sopron, Hungary. It took a more than 20-point comeback victory from Spain to help Canada squeeze into the Olympics.

Now that Canada is going to Paris, they are more motivated than ever to do well. There are many returning players, as well as the potential for some new faces to make the squad. And though the final roster has not yet been officially announced, the WNBA’s four Canadians are all but a lock to make the team.

Bridget Carleton, Kia Nurse, Aaliyah Edwards and Laeticia Amihere are still with their WNBA teams, but will most likely join Canada closer to the Olympic Games.

Bridget Carleton (Minnesota Lynx)

Minnesota Lynx v Washington Mystics — Bridget Carleton.

Bridget Carleton is having a fantastic year with the Minnesota Lynx, and the guard out of Chatham, Ontario is in peak form heading into the Olympics.

She scored a team high 23 points in the Lynx’s Commissioner’s Cup Championship victory, shooting 6-for-8 from 3-point range and helping Minnesota secure the win over the New York Liberty. She’s recently shifted into the starting lineup for the Lynx, and their head coach Cheryl Reeve has emphasized time and time again how much trust she has in Carleton.

Carleton is shooting 44 percent from 3 this season, something that will surely come in handy heading into the Olympics. The thing that Canada struggled with in the Olympic Qualifying tournament was shooting, especially from distance. Carleton’s hot streak will help get them going once she joins the team.

As she gets a little more professional experience, Carleton’s responsibilities on the national team increase as well. She is a part of the next generation of veterans on Canada’s team, and in Paris she will hopefully show off her leadership.

Kia Nurse (Los Angeles Sparks)

Indiana Fever v Los Angeles Sparks — Kia Nurse.

Kia Nurse has been having a good season with her new team in LA. With a young roster, Nurse has stepped up as one of the Los Angeles Sparks’ vet leaders—something she has been on the Canadian team over the past few years.

Now a few years post-ACL recovery, Nurse is looking more like herself, shooting well from 3-point range and being a strong defensive presence for the Sparks. She sat out of February’s Qualifying Tournament with an injury, which was one of the reasons the team struggled. They missed her defense, her shooting and her on-court leadership. Heading into the Olympics, Nurse will be a huge part of the effort.

Aaliyah Edwards (Washington Mystics)

Washington Mystics v Indiana Fever — Aaliyah Edwards.

The Canadian rookie has been balling in the DMV this season. Aaliyah Edwards was drafted No. 6 overall to the Washington Mystics in this year’s draft, and with Washington’s lengthy injury list, she has been playing a lot of minutes.

Fans who have followed Edwards from her days at UConn and with the Canadian national team knew

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While a lot of the talk about women’s Olympic basketball rightfully has been about Team USA, there is another country building a pretty strong team: Canada.

Bridget Carleton, Kia Nurse, Aaliyah Edwards and Laeticia Amihere are still with their WNBA teams, but will most likely join Canada closer to the Olympic Games.