Canada’s women’s wheelchair basketball team improved to 3-0 in the preliminary round at the world championships in Ottawa with a 66-62 win over China on Saturday at TD Place.
Veteran Kady Dandeneau of Pender Island, B.C., led the way once again with a game-high 37 points to go along with 10 rebounds and six assists while shooting 15-of-29 from the field. Arinn Young also delivered another strong performance for Canada with a triple double.
Young, from St. Albert, Alta., scored 19 points while adding 10 rebounds and 10 assists to help Canada secure the Group A win. The game was tied 30-30 at halftime and ultimately went down to the wire, as Canada only led 47-46 entering the final quarter following a clutch three-pointer from Dandeneau.
Young made a two-pointer with 1:10 left to play for a one-point lead and Dandeneau sealed the win in the final seconds, drawing a foul while scoring before hitting the ensuing free throw.
“Obviously, we’re really pumped about how we played and what our game plan was,” Canadian player Tara Llanes said in a press release. “Like in any game, you have some blips, but overall, I felt like our defence was strong, we made some good rotations and went out there, and Young and Dandeneau lit it up, so that’s what we need.”
Ottawa 2026 IWBF Women’s Wheelchair Basketball World Championships: Canada vs. China
Lin Suiling led China (1-2) with 19 points and 12 assists, with Zhang Xuemei adding 18 points and 13 rebounds.
Canada shot 51 per cent (25/47) from the field and 30 per cent (3/10) from beyond the arc.
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China defeated Canada in the women’s bronze-medal match at the 2024 Paralympics in Paris.
The Canadian women will next face Brazil on Sunday at 2:45 p.m. ET at TD Place before wrapping up their preliminary-round schedule against Great Britain at Carleton University on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. ET.
“I think we just keep building on this,” Llanes added. “Mids and littles keep getting more into the action and being able to create some things, and I think we’ll be unstoppable.”
The United States and Paralympic champion Netherlands are also undefeated with 3-0 records in Group B.
The women’s team opened their world-championship campaign with a 76-51 win over Spain on Wednesday before defeating Australia 79-30 on Thursday.
The Canadian men’s team (2-1) had the day off because Iran, their scheduled opponents, had to withdraw from the tournament due to visa issues.
Watch live coverage of the women’s and men’s tournaments on CBCSports.ca and CBC Gem.
