TORONTO, ON (May 31, 2016) - Twelve athletes were selected from the first phase
of women’s national team training camp to travel to Europe for a five-day tournament in France and Spain in preparation for the 2016 Olympic Games including Winnipeg's Emily Potter.
“We’re going to play some teams that are top-ranked in the world and who are peaking to make the Olympics, so it will be a great learning experience,” said Lisa Thomaidis, head coach, women’s national team. “This tournament will give us an understanding of where we’re at – a benchmark, and then stuff to build upon.”
Bridget Carleton (Iowa State), Laura Dally (University of Saskatchewan) and Emily Potter (University of Utah) join 9 members of the 2015 gold medal squad and will travel with the senior team for the first time. Carleton played on the 2015 U19 team and Dally on the 2015 development team. Potter played with the development team in 2014.
“We’re pleased with Bridget, Laura and Emily’s progress and to provide them with the opportunity to compete at a high level of international basketball will only continue their development,” said Denise Dignard, director, women’s high performance. “It’s key for us to foster our pipeline of athletes and continue to build the next generation of talent in Canada.”
The five-game tournament tips-off Saturday, June 4th against 3rd-ranked Spain. Canada, currently 9th in FIBA World Rankings, will then face-off against 13th-ranked Cuba, 4th-ranked France, 2nd-ranked Australia and 8th-ranked China.
Canada will re-group on June 28th in Edmonton for the second phase of training, where they will host China for the Edmonton Grads International Classic (EGIC) from July 9th-11th at the Saville Centre. Tickets are now available, click here to purchase.
The final phase of training will begin July 22 in Toronto, ON, where the final Olympic roster will be confirmed. The team will then head to the U.S. for an exhibition tournament before heading to Rio de Janeiro for the Olympic Games from August 5 -21.
The full European Exhibition staff list, roster and schedule follows. Follow Canada Basketball on Twitter for game streaming details and live game coverage.
2016 EUROPEAN EXHIBITION ROSTER
| NAME | POSITION | HEIGHT | HOMETOWN | CLUB/SCHOOL |
| Miranda Ayim | Power Forward | 6’3” | London, ON | Basket Landes (France) |
| Bridget Carleton | Guard | 6’1 | Chatham, ON | Iowa State (NCAA) |
| Laura Dally | Guard | 6’0” | Sarnia, ON | Saskatchewan (CIS) |
| Kim Gaucher | Shooting Guard | 6’1” | Mission, BC | Mondeville (France) |
| Miah-Marie Langlois | Point Guard | 5’8” | Windsor, ON | Dynamo-Guvd Novosibirsk (Russia) |
| Lizanne Murphy | Small Forward | 6’1” | Beaconsfield, QC | Angers (France) |
| Katherine Plouffe | Small Forward | 6’3” | Edmonton, AB | Nantes Reze (France) |
| Michelle Plouffe | Small Forward | 6’3” | Edmonton, AB | Mondeville (France) |
| Emily Potter | Centre | 6’4” | Winnipeg, MB | Utah (NCAA) |
| Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe | Forward | 6’2” | Penticton, BC | Wasserburg (Germany) |
| Tamara Tatham | Small Forward | 6’1” | Brampton, ON | Townville Fire (Australia) |
| Shona Thorburn | Point Guard | 5’10” | Hamilton, ON | Nantes Reze (France) |
2016 SENIOR COACHES & STAFF
| Name | Hometown | Affiliation | Role |
| Lisa Thomaidis | Dundas, ON | University of Saskatchewan | Head Coach |
| Shawnee Harle | Calgary, AB | n/a | Assistant Coach |
| Bev Smith | Eugene, OR | n/a | Assistant Coach |
| Steve Baur | Sackville, NS | Canada Basketball | Assistant Coach |
| Dipesh Mistry | Markham, ON | Ryerson University | Performance Analyst |
| Joan Mlynarczyk | Toronto, ON | n/a | SW Physiotherapist & Therapy Lead |
| Danielle Dobney | Toronto, ON | McGill University | Athletic Therapist |
| Chris DalCin | Toronto, ON | n/a | Basketball Scientist |
| Sarah Kim | Toronto, ON | n/a | Lead Physician |
| Marni Wesner | Edmonton, AB | University of Alberta | Edmonton Lead Physician |
| Peter Jensen | Toronto, ON | n/a | Sport Psychologist |
| Susan Cockle | Edmonton, AB | n/a | Sport Psychologist |
| Anne Marie Thuss | Hamilton, ON | McMaster University | Team Manager |
| Elaine Sun | Thornhill, ON | Canada Basketball | Team Manager |
2016 SUMMER SCHEDULE
| June 1-9 |
Spain Tournament
France Tournament
| Spain & France |
| June 26-July 8 | Phase 2 camp | Saville Centre, Edmonton |
| July 9-11 |
Edmonton Grads International Classic vs Team China
Game Times:
| Saville Centre, Edmonton |
| July 22-26 | Phase 3 Training | TBC, Toronto |
| July 27-31 | Phase 3 Exhibition | TBC, USA |
| August 5-21 | Olympic Games | Rio De Janeiro, Brazil |
Schedule, staffing and athletes subject to change.
ABOUT THE EDMONTON GRADS INTERNATIONAL CLASSIC
2016 marks the 2nd Edmonton Grads International Classic (EGIC), an event highlighting the relationship between Canada Basketball’s Women's National Team and the City of Edmonton. The tournament will take place from July 9-11th at the Saville Community Sports Centre.
Named after the legendary Edmonton grads women's basketball team - a team which swept four consecutive Olympic Games from 1924 to 1936 on their way to compiling an insurmountable 96.2 winning-percentage over 35 years – the EGIC will reconnect current players with Canada's rich history in women's basketball.