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The Canadian women’s wheelchair basketball team fell just short of its first world title since 2014 with a 77-76 loss to the United States on Saturday in Ottawa.
Despite another stellar performance from tournament scoring leader Kady Dandeneau, Canada was unable to slow down the Americans in the battle of undefeated teams at TD Place.
The silver is Canada’s first medal at the wheelchair basketball world championships since the women won gold in 2014 in Toronto.
The Canadian women lost by one point to the United States in the gold medal game at the IWBF Wheelchair Basketball World Championships.
Dandeneau, from Pender Island, B.C., scored a game-high 34 points while adding 13 rebounds and five assists, finishing the tournament with 243 points across eight games.
Fellow Canadian standout Arinn Young posted a triple-double with 30 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, including a pair of three-pointers. The Legal, Alta., native finished second behind Dandeneau with 206 total points.
Canada started strong, outscoring the Americans 27-20 in the opening quarter, but the U.S. quickly closed the gap with an 18-14 advantage in the second to lead 41-38 at halftime. The game remained close with both teams nailing shots, but the Americans ultimately outscored Canada by two points in the third and fourth quarters.
Lindsey Zurbrugg led the U.S. with 26 points, while fellow two-time Paralympic medallist Ixhelt Gonzalez scored 15, including some key free throws in the second half.
The reigning Paralympic champion Netherlands beat Great Britain 63-50 for bronze earlier Saturday.
Canada’s men’s team was eliminated from medal contention with a loss to Poland in the Round of 16 on Monday.
Australia faces Italy in the men’s gold-medal game on Saturday at 4:45 p.m. ET, with live coverage on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem.
Canada finished fourth in both the men’s and women’s tournaments at the Paris 2024 Paralympics and has not won a Paralympic medal since the men captured gold in 2012 in London.
Watch Canada take on the United States in the women’s gold medal game at the IWBF Wheelchair Basketball World Championships in Ottawa.
