Canada’s women’s wheelchair basketball team continued their winning streak in the preliminary round of the world championships in Ottawa, defeating China 66-62 at TD Place to secure a 3-0 record. Veteran Kady Dandeneau from Pender Island, B.C., showcased an outstanding performance, scoring 37 points, grabbing 10 rebounds, and dishing out six assists, shooting 15-of-29 from the field. Arinn Young, hailing from St. Albert, Alta., contributed significantly with a triple double, scoring 19 points, collecting 10 rebounds, and distributing 10 assists.
The game was tightly contested, with the score tied at 30-30 at halftime. Canada maintained a slim one-point lead of 47-46 entering the final quarter following a crucial three-pointer by Dandeneau. Young’s two-pointer with 1:10 left on the clock gave Canada the lead, and Dandeneau sealed the victory in the closing seconds, converting a basket, drawing a foul, and making the subsequent free throw.
Tara Llanes, a Canadian player, expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance, highlighting the strong defense, rotations, and outstanding contributions from Young and Dandeneau. China’s Lin Suiling led her team with 19 points and 12 assists, with Zhang Xuemei adding 18 points and 13 rebounds.
Canada shot 51% from the field and 30% from beyond the arc. The team is set to face Brazil on Sunday at 2:45 p.m. ET before concluding their preliminary-round matches against Great Britain on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. ET. Llanes emphasized the team’s continuous improvement and unity, looking forward to future games.
In Group B, the United States and Paralympic champions Netherlands also hold undefeated records of 3-0. The Canadian women’s team started their campaign with wins over Spain (76-51) and Australia (79-30) earlier in the week. Meanwhile, the Canadian men’s team (2-1) had a day off due to Iran withdrawing from the tournament because of visa complications.
For live coverage of both the women’s and men’s tournaments, viewers can tune in to CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem.