It's go time.
Team Canada women's basketball begins its 2021 Olympics on July 26 with a group-play matchup against Serbia. The team has its sights set on earning its first Olympic medal. The men's team, which failed to qualify for 2021, has the lone basketball medal — a silver way back in 1936.
CANADA OLYMPICS: Daily schedule | Medal count
Canada's women's team shares a group with world No. 3-ranked Spain but should make it out of the group stage easily. It's ranked fourth in the world and has a number of notable names on the roster, including WNBA stars Kia Nurse, Bridget Carleton and Natalie Achonwa. Miranda Ayim, Canada's co-flag bearer from the opening ceremony, is also set to play a key role.
One player to keep an eye on is Aaliyah Edwards. The 19-year-old is coming off her freshman year at UConn, where she was the 2021 Big East Sixth-Woman of the Year and named to the All-Freshman Team.
Here's everything you need to know as Team Canada goes for gold at the 2021 Summer Olympics:
Canada women's basketball roster
Head coach: Lisa Thomaidis
| NO. | NAME | HOMETOWN | POS. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shaina Pellington | Pickering, Ont. | Guard |
| 5 | Kia Nurse | Hamilton, Ont. | Guard |
| 6 | Bridget Carleton | Chatham, Ont. | Guard |
| 7 | Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe | Toronto, Ont. | Forward |
| 8 | Kim Gaucher | Mission, B.C. | Shooting guard |
| 9 | Miranda Ayim | London, Ont. | Forward |
| 11 | Natalie Achonwa | Guelph, Ont. | Power forward |
| 13 | Shay Colley | Brampton, Ont. | Guard |
| 14 | Kayla Alexander | Milton, Ont. | Forward |
| 15 | Laeticia Amihere | Mississauga, Ont. | Forward |
| 21 | Nirra Fields | Montreal, Que. | Guard |
| 24 | Aaliyah Edwards | Kingston, Ont. | Forward |
Alternates: Sami Hill (Toronto, Ont.), Aislinn Konig (Langley, B.C.), Merissah Russell (Ottawa, Ont.), Jamie Scott (Pasco, Wash.)
How to watch Canada women's basketball team
- TV channels: CBC
- Live streams: CBC Gem, CBC's Tokyo 2020 website, CBC Olympics app
CBC will be the broadcast home of the Tokyo Olympics in Canada. The coverage will be 'round the clock, as the network will air four, six-hour programs covering all things Olympics and events featuring Team Canada. CBC will show live and tape-delayed coverage of the major events. Partners TSN and Sportsnet will also have select events.
Streamers will also have plenty of ways to watch the games in Canada. CBC Gem and the CBC Olympics app will both provide streaming options for Canadians and CBC.ca will provide live events, highlights and replays of various CBC-aired sports throughout the Olympics.
Audiences will also be able to watch CBC’s coverage through Amazon Prime Video, television service providers Bell, Rogers, Shaw and Telus and through connected TV devices Apple TV, FireTV, Google Chromecast and Roku TV (via the CBC TV and CBC Gem apps).
Canada women's basketball schedule
Team Canada begins group play on Monday, July 26. The top two teams from each group and the two best third-place teams advance to the quarterfinals based on seeding and will play in the knockout stage.
| Date | Matchup | Time (ET) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon., July 26 | vs. Serbia | 4:20 a.m. | L, 72-68 |
| Wed., July 28 | vs. South Korea | 9 p.m. | W, 74-53 |
| Sat., July 31 | vs. Spain | 9 p.m. | L, 76-66 |
| Tue., Aug. 3/Wed., Aug. 4 | Quarterfinal | TBD | |
| Fri., Aug. 6 | Semifinal | TBD | |
| Sat., Aug. 7 | Bronze/Gold | TBD |
Full women's basketball Olympic schedule
Group play schedule
| Date | Group | Matchup | Time (ET) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun., July 25 | A | South Korea vs. Spain | 9 p.m. | Spain, 73-69 |
| Mon., July 26 | A | Serbia vs. Canada | 4:20 a.m. | Serbia, 72-68 |
| Mon., July 26 | B | Japan vs. France | 9 p.m. | Japan, 74-70 |
| Tues. July 27 | B | Nigeria vs. United States | 12:40 a.m. | USA, 81-72 |
| Tues. July 27 | C | Australia vs. Belgium | 4:20 a.m. | Belgium, 85-70 |
| Tues., July 27 | C | Puerto Rico vs. China | 8 a.m. | China, 97-55 |
| Wed., July 28 | A | Canada vs. South Korea | 9 p.m. | Canada, 74-53 |
| Thu., July 29 | A | Spain vs. Serbia | 4:20 a.m. | Spain, 85-70 |
| Thu., July 29 | C | Belgium vs. Puerto Rico | 9 p.m. | Belgium, 87-52 |
| Fri., July 30 | B | United States vs. Japan | 12:40 a.m. | USA, 86-69 |
| Fri., July 30 | B | France vs. Nigeria | 4:20 a.m. | France, 87-62 |
| Fri., July 30 | C | China vs. Australia | 8 a.m. | China, 76-74 |
| Sat., July 31 | A | Canada vs. Spain | 9 p.m. | Spain, 76-66 |
| Sun., Aug. 1 | A | South Korea vs. Serbia | 8 a.m. | TBD |
| Sun., Aug. 1 | B | Nigeria vs. Japan | 9 p.m. | TBD |
| Mon., Aug. 2 | B | France vs. United States | 12:40 a.m. | TBD |
| Mon., Aug. 2 | C | China vs. Belgium | 4:20 a.m. | TBD |
| Mon., Aug. 2 | C | Australia vs. Puerto Rico | 8 a.m. | TBD |
Quarterfinals
| Date | Matchup | Time (ET) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tue., Aug. 3 | TBD | 9 p.m. | TBD |
| Wed., Aug. 4 | TBD | 12:40 a.m. | TBD |
| Wed., Aug. 4 | TBD | 4:20 a.m. | TBD |
| Wed., Aug. 4 | TBD | 8 a.m. | TBD |
Semifinals
| Date | Matchup | Time (ET) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fri., Aug. 6 | QF 1 winner vs. QF 2winner | 12:40 a.m. | TBD |
| Fri., Aug. 6 | QF 3 winner vs. QF 4 winner | 7 a.m. | TBD |
Bronze-, gold-medal games
| Date | Matchup | Start time (ET) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat. Aug. 7 | Bronze-medal game | 3 a.m. | TBD |
| Sat., Aug. 7 | Gold-medal game | 10:30 p.m. | TBD |
Joe Rivera contributed to this story.