Canada opens World Cup with a win over Serbia

Canada’s women’s basketball team opened up the FIBA World Cup with a statement victory over a tough Serbian squad by a final score of 67-60.

After falling behind 16-15 after one quarter of play, Canada dominated the second quarter of play and never gave up their lead. They weathered a late run by Serbia to hang on for a seven point win.

Kayla Alexander was the high-scorer collecting 13 points, seven rebounds and two blocks. Nirra Fields and Natalie Achonwa also finished in double figure with 12 and 10 points respectively. 

Kia Nurse made her return to the lineup after being sidelined for 11 months while recovering from a knee injury. She didn’t miss a beat – scoring nine points and adding 3 assists.

The preliminary phase of the FIBA ​​Women’s Basketball World Cup will continue until September 27. In Group B, in addition to Serbia, Canada will face France, Japan, Mali and the host country Australia. The quarter-finals will begin on September 29 and the final will take place on October 1. The champion of the tournament will automatically qualify for Paris 2024.

READ: HOW TEAM CANADA CAN QUALIFY FOR PARIS 2024: PART 1

Canada, ranked 4th in the world in the FIBA Standings, is the highest ranked team in Group B. They will take on 6th-ranked France on Friday.