Canada's women's wheelchair basketball team maintained their perfect start at the world championships in Ottawa with a 66-62 victory over China. The narrow win at TD Place on Saturday keeps the host nation undefeated in the preliminary stages.
Kady Dandeneau's 37 points anchor the 66-62 win
The victory was defined by the offensive dominance of Kady Dandeneau, who scored a game-high 37 points while contributing 10 rebounds and six assists. The contest remained a deadlock for much of the first half, with the Canadian women's wheelchair basketball team and the Chinese national team entering the locker room tied at 30-30.
The game remained precarious heading into the final stretch, as Canada held a slim 47-46 lead entering the fourth quarter thanks to a criticl three-pointer from Dandeneau. According to the report, the win was ultimately sealed in the final seconds when Dandeneau drew a foul while scoring and converted the ensuing free throw to prevent a Chinese comeback.
Arinn Young's triple-double and the Group A lead
While Dandeneau provided the scoring punch, Arinn Young delivered a comprehensive performance that anchored the Canadian defense and transition game. Young recorded a triple-double, tallying 19 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists to ensure Canada's dominance in Group A.
China put up a significant fight, led by Lin Suiling, who contributed 19 points and 12 assists, and Zhang Xuemei, who added 18 points and 13 rebounds. despite these efforts, the cohesion of the Canadian women's wheelchair basketball team proved too much for the Chinese squad, who now sit at a 1-2 record in the preliminary round.
The 3-0 race against the US and Netherlands
Canada's current undefeated streak places them in elite company as the tournament progresses. As the report says, both the United States and the Paralympic champion Netherlands are also maintaining 3-0 records in Group B, suggesting a high-stakes collision course for the knockout stages of the world championships.
The Canadian women's wheelchair basketball team must now maintain this momentum through their final preliminary matchups. They are scheduled to face Brazil on Sunday at TD Place before concluding their opening round against Great Britain on Tuesday at Carleton University.
Iran's visa issues and the Canadian men's schedule
While the women's side is thriving, the Canadian men's wheelchaiir basketball team, currently holding a 2-1 record, faced an unexpected disruption to their schedule. the team had a scheduled day off because their opponents, Iran, were forced to withdraw from the tournament entirely due to visa complications.
This withdrawal leaves several critical questions regarding the tournament's integrity and the men's standings. It remains unclear how the Iranian withdrawal will affect the points distribution for the Canadian men's team or if the tournament organizers will implement a replacement system to ensure a fair preliminary round for all Group participants.
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