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Post Up: Katherine Plouffe

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Aug 4, 2015

The Senior Women's National Team is coming off a great start to the summer having won the Gold Medal at the Pan Am Games in Toronto. The next step for them is to qualify for the 2016 Olympics Games in Rio de Janeiro by winning the FIBA Americas Tournament taking place in Edmonton. Leading up to the Americas Tournament we spoke to our SWNT members and they gave us their thoughts on a few things and here's what they had to say. To buy tickets for the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship for Women, click here.

Katherine Plouffe answers: Are we in the golden age of the Women's game in Canada?

Katherine's Profile

This is an interesting question. Mostly because it's coming from the view that women's basketball in Canada has never been good.

First, yes I think that women's basketball is gaining popularity in Canada. Having competitions on home soil is huge for the country and for getting the attention of young ladies looking for something to aspire to in their sport, as well as for the viewers who don't know anything about the Women's National Team. The talent pool is growing starting from a younger age and that is exciting for the continuing generations of Team Canada athletes. As for the audience and supporters, exposure is the main thing that this team needs in order to get a growth in support of the team and the sport. It's not a problem for men's teams because there is already a huge market for them.

But if we look back to previous years of women's basketball, we see that there had been success. Bev Smith, one of the assistant coaches currently, and other great players, were part of a run that got Canada on the podium at World Championships. And if we look back far enough, we see the most successful basketball program ever - the Edmonton Grads women's team. Although they were in the era with different rules, it's pretty cool to look into - especially as this is their 100th year anniversary of the start of their great era (1915).

I love that people are talking about women's basketball! It's bringing people and communities into our awareness that we had no connection to. I think people will come to love our team because we love getting connected to fans and supporters. I have great examples on the team as a younger player, but at the same time I know that I am an example to many other younger players. Our unity as a team is what is going to propel us forward. That is something that sets us apart from other national teams. We are there as representatives of our families, cities, and country, and we put our egos aside for the big picture goal that is before us. How cool would it be if that characteristic was present in young teams everywhere? Not just to be great skilled players, but to be awesome teammates as well. That's what I would love to see going forward.