EDMONTON — They are 12 playing as one. When the Canadian national women’s basketball team tries to explain their rise amongst the ranks of the world’s elite, it always comes back to their belief that in any given moment, anyone on their roster can deliver what they need, when they need it.
No stars; shared responsibility, team success.
Tellingly, in the biggest game of their summer so far they were led in scoring by Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe, who is in her first summer with the national team, but was ready when called upon and delivered 18 points on eight shots in Canada’s taut 83-66 win on Saturday over Brazil in the semifinals of the FIBA Americas Women’s Championship.
"It’s huge in terms of the identity of this team," said Canadian head coach Lisa Thomaidis. "A few players have gotten a lot of attention, but we believe we have 12 first-line players and on any given night different people can step up and that was evident tonight."
The win advances Canada into the final against Cuba on Sunday night at the Saville Community Centre and the winner of that game earns the ultimate prize: A spot in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.
While Gaucher or Kia Nurse might qualify as the team’s highest profile players – Gaucher is in her 15th summer with the team and led Canada in scoring at the 2012 Olympics, while 19-year-old Nurse proved herself with an epic 33-point outing against the U.S. in the finals at the Pan Am Games – it’s not a team that caters to any particular player.
They use the equal-opportunity Princeton offence and run other teams ragged with their constant ball movement and cutting. It’s no coincidence that they came into the semifinals with 11 players averaging at least five points a game and none more than 12 – that’s the plan.
How perfect that at their time of need it was their depth and willingness to share the spotlight that paid off so well at such a crucial moment?
For example, Miranda Ayim isn’t the national team’s highest profile player, but she also played liked one of its brightest stars on Saturday night, seemingly part of every play that mattered, her 14 points on five shots to go along with four rebounds barely capturing her contribution. When Canada was nervous to start it was Ayim, a 28-year-old from London, Ont., who got them rolling with an early jumper and six first quarter points.
When Brazil proved Canada’s toughest opponent and refused to let the loud sold-out crowd get them off their game, Ayim was there too, grabbing an offensive rebound off a miss by WNBA rookie Natalie Achonwa and feeding Miah-Marie Langlois for a lay-up and then scoring one of her own to give Canada a 34-28 lead midway through a tight second quarter.
But it wasn’t just Ayim, who is a starter, gaining that role after playing sparingly at the Olympics in 2012.
On a night when Nurse was struggling offensively – Canada’s leading scorer was just 1-of-8 through three quarters and finished 2-of-10 – the bench was at the heart of a third quarter run that stretched Canada’s 49-45 lead at halftime to 70-55 after three quarters.
Raincock-Ekunwe scored 13 of her 18 points in the second half, eight of those in the midst of an 18-9 run in the third. Katherine Plouffe was also huge, stepping up when Achonwa left the game after being smacked in the face, inadvertently (she would return). Plouffe chipped in four points, a pair of offensive rebounds that led to Canadian scores, and an assist. By the time Raincock-Ekunwe scored on a put back late in the third Canada was suddenly up 67-53 with most of their starters on the bench. They had stretched a 45-39 halftime lead to 70-55 heading into the 4th quarter.
"She [Raincock-Ekunwe] is such an exceptional athlete, sometimes when I watch her I’m amazed at some of the rebounds she can get," Gaucher said of her 23-year-old teammate. "But that’s what you have with our team. Any single one of our 12 players can go off for that on any given night and that’s why I think we’re such a dangerous team in our tournament because you can’t guard one or two of us, we’ve got 12."
Did Gaucher mind spending long stretches on the bench when the game was still in the balance? Not at all – it means the team is functioning as it should.
"It’s awesome. It gives me so much satisfaction," says Gaucher, who finished with nine points and four rebounds. "It’s so much fun when you watch these players. I remember Nayo coming into training camp three or four years ago and she couldn’t run our offence at all, she was lost out there and you look at her out there tonight, confident and aggressive. She’s one of the prettiest players to watch, she’s so smooth and she doesn’t even realize it."
For her part Raincock-Ekunkwe credits the team’s coaching staff for enabling her to deliver when called on.
"It feels great, the coaches push me and motivate me and tell me to attack, they know I can do it, having them believe in me pushed me to attack tonight and take it to Brazil," said the Toronto native who played professionally in Germany last season. "It’s great being on a team knowing that everyone can go on and contribute and evenly distribute points, rebounds and assists."
Canada had blown Brazil out in the semifinals of the Pan Am Games in July, but Brazil came with reinforcements, adding Nadia Colhado, a veteran post player fresh from the WNBA and longtime international star Iziane Marques Castro, who has led them in scoring with 15.8 per game. Colhado has been second with 13.5 per game, while leading the team in rebounding.
Both were factors – they led Brazil in scoring and rebounding, respectively on Saturday night – but were no match for the Canadian collective.
The job isn’t quite done yet – they still have to deal with Cuba, who stole Canada’s gold medal at the 2013 Americas Championship, but they have to feel good about their chances after laying a 49-point pasting on them on Thursday. A win on Sunday night means a trip to Rio.
On a night when three years of planning and preparation were on the line, with the climax of a magical summer approaching, Canada relied on a formula that hasn’t let them down yet: Twelve as one, so far undefeated.