After hitting a key three-pointer to key Windward School to the state Division IV championship a few months ago in Sacramento, is back on court--this time on the international stage.
Canada scored four points and made three steals in 14 minutes Monday to help the USA Women's U16 National Team to a 71-54 victory over Brazil in its first game of the 2011 FIBA Americas U16 Championship in Merida, Mexico.
Mercedes Russell of Springfield High School in Oregon led the United States with 21 points and set single-game records with 15 rebounds and five blocked shots. As a team, the U.S. set a new single-game record for rebounds (58) and tied the high mark for blocks (11).
With the United States leading 12-11, Canada stole the ball and scored a fast-break layup to spark her team to a five-point lead going into the second quarter.
Canada, a 5-6 guard, was named to the U16 national team May 30. As a freshman in 2010-11, she started 15 games, averaging 12.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 7.0 steals for Windward, which went 28-4 and won both the CIF Southern Section Division 4A title and the Division IV state title. Canada shot 47.0 percent from the field, 54.0 percent from three-point range and 71.0 percent from the foul line.
Canada was selected to the 2011 Cal-Hi Sports All-State Freshman Team and was named Southern Section Divison 4A Co-Player of the Year. She also ran track at Windward, finishing fifth in CIF in the 400-meter relay.
The U.S. continued pool play with games against Argentina on Tuesday and Venezuela on Wednesday. The top two teams from each preliminary round group advanced to Friday's semifinals. The top three teams in the tournament earn berths in the 2012 FIBA U17 World Championship.
Canada's Windward teammate is on the 2011 USA Basketball Women’s U19 World Championship Team, which will meet for a training camp July 11-15 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs to begin preparations for its Group B preliminary round game against Japan on July 21.
