TORONTO (Mar. 19, 2026) — Canada Basketball announced Thursday the coaching staff for the 2026 U17 Women’s National Team ahead of the U17 Women’s National Team Selection Camp Fuelled by Gatorade, set for March 27–30 at Brock University.

Jessica Roque has been named head coach, marking her first appointment as a head coach within Canada Basketball’s women’s high-performance program.

Roque, who helped Canada capture bronze at the 2023 FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup as an assistant coach, brings a wealth of experience at both the U SPORTS and international levels. Now in her fifth season as head coach of the Waterloo Warriors, Roque led the Warriors to a 15-8 record in 2023-24,  making their second OUA semifinal appearance in 37 years.

Prior to joining Waterloo in 2020, Roque spent four seasons as lead assistant coach at Toronto Metropolitan University, helping guide the program to two U SPORTS Final 8 appearances.

With the national program, Roque has held multiple roles across Canada Basketball’s pathway, including serving as a performance analyst with the Junior Women’s National Team program. Most recently, she was an assistant coach with the U16 Women’s National Team, helping Canada secure a silver medal at the 2025 FIBA U16 Women’s AmeriCup.

Joining Roque on the bench are assistant coaches Robyn Fleckenstein and Hali Burns, both of whom also return from last year's U16 Women's AmeriCup coaching staff.

Fleckenstein is in her eighth season as head coach of the Mount Royal Cougars after previously coaching the Augustana Vikings from 2017–19. She also spent four seasons as an assistant coach with the University of Alberta Pandas. Burns  joined Canada Basketball’s women’s high-performance staff a year ago, leading development with Canada's age group national teams and elite youth programs. She brings more than 15 years of coaching and program administration experience, with previous roles at Kia Nurse Elite, the University of Toronto, Lincoln Prep and Mohawk College.

Canada will compete at the FIBA U17 Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026, taking place July 11–19 in Brno, Czechia.

The pathway toward international competition will begin with the selection camp, where top athletes from across the country will compete for a spot in the final roster. Selected athletes will advance to a final preparation camp ahead of competition this summer.

U17 Women’s National Team Coaching and Support Staff:

Jessica Roque — Head Coach
Robyn Fleckenstein — Assistant Coach
Hali Burns — Assistant Coach
Mireille Beland — Delegate
Taylor Prescott — Team Manager
Kailyn Fraser — Therapist
Joey Gelinas — Performance Analyst / Video