There’s more coming for Canadian basketball this summer

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It’s been a busy month for Canadian basketball. Andrew Wiggins was a key player in the Golden State Warriors’ winning the NBA title. Canada’s Bennedict Maturin and Shaedon sharpe were selected sixth and seventh respectively in the draft. Andrew Nembhard, Caleb Houstan and Caleb Houstan were at the top in the second round. Last weekend, Canada won its first-ever medal at the 3-on-3 World Cup when the women’s team captured a surprising silver in Belgium.

Here are some things to look out for in the Canadian hoops world as we enter July.

This long weekend, the men’s national team resumes its journey to Rio.

Over the next few hours, two World Cup qualifiers are scheduled: vs. Dominican Republic on Canada Day (in Hamilton) and at the Virgin Islands (on Monday). Canada is 8-1 through two qualifying windows, with four more to go. Seven teams from the Americas region are expected to make it to next year’s 32-team World Cup. This will serve as a direct qualifying event for the 2024 Olympics.

Despite a remarkable rise in the quality of Canadian NBA players (the United States is currently the only country with more men in the league), Canada has not qualified a men’s team for the Olympics since Steve Nash’s 2000 Sydney quarter-finals run. Last summer, Canada had home-court advantage to qualify for the last-chance tournament in Victoria against a group of weaker opponents. However, many of the NBA players on the team walked out and the Wiggins-led remainings lost in the semifinals against the Czech Republic.

Coach Nick Nurse decided to take a page out of the USA Basketball playbook and ask Canada’s top players to sign on to the national team for the next three years. The incentive for those who sign up is that they are guaranteed a spot on 2024’s Olympic team. Those who don’t will have to take their chances. Wiggins was reluctant, but Nurse got buy ins from 11 NBAers including standouts Jamal Murray (Shai Gilgeous Alexander), R.J. Barrett and Lu Dort Brooks.

The core group met in Toronto this week for a short training camp before the World Cup qualifiers. Gilgeous-Alexander and three other NBA players — guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker and big men Dwight Powell and Kelly Olynyk — are expected to play against the Dominican and the Virgin Islands. Murray, Barrett and Dort, Oshaebrissett, Oshae Burssett, and Khem Birch all attended camp, but they won’t be playing in this window. Cory Joseph was excused from camp for family reasons. Brooks was not able to attend as the Memphis Grizzlies requested that he stay with them in order to treat an ankle injury. His spot on Canada’s team is now up in the air.

Gilgeous-Alexander is the man to watch in the qualifiers. He will be playing for Canada on Friday night in Hamilton, his hometown. The Oklahoma City Thunder guard at 23 was injured in 56 games, but still managed to set or match career highs in points (24.5), assists (5.7) and steals (1.3) per game. Read more about SGA here.

The summer ahead is quieter for the women’s national team.

Canada has already qualified to the women’s World Cup in Australia this year, which begins Sept. 22. The fourth-ranked Canadians are going to play in a group with bronze medallist France and 2021 Olympic silver winner Japan. The other group features the powerhouse USA, which won its seventh consecutive Olympic gold last summer.

Next weekend, the Canadian team is holding a training camp in Toronto as part of the WNBA all stars break. Three members of this squad are on the WNBA roster. Forward Bridget Carleton is scoring 4.9 points per game off the Minnesota Lynx’s bench. Natalie Achonwa, Natalie’s teammate, is scoring 6.2 points per game but has missed six games due to a hamstring strain. As she continues to recover from an ACL tear sustained last year in the playoffs, Guard Kia Nursing of the Phoenix Mercury is not expected to play this season. The regular season of the WNBA runs through August 14, with the start three days later of the playoffs.

A number of younger players from the national team will represent Canada at an under-23 showcase event that will be held in Toronto July 5-10. Merissah Russ and 2021 Olympians Laeticia Amihere (Aaliyah Edwards), Shaina Pellington and Shaina Peterington are all on the roster for this women’s Globl Jam tourney. All four of them played for NCAA schools last year. Canada has a men’s team.