TORONTO (June 16, 2026) – Canada Basketball announced today the coaching staff that will lead Canada’s Senior Women’s National Team through its summer training camps and competition schedule ahead of the FIBA Women’s Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament 2026 in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Nell Fortner continues as head coach after leading Canada to a bronze medal at the FIBA Women’s AmeriCup 2025 in Santiago, Chile last summer. Joining Fortner on the bench will be assistant coaches Christie Sides, Noelle Quinn, Murriel Page, and Marlo Davis.

"Our goal at the beginning of this Olympic quad was to establish a strong culture and foundation for sustained success, and that vision remains unchanged,” said Steve Baur, Vice-President and General Manager, Women’s High Performance. “This coaching staff brings a tremendous amount of experience at both the international and professional levels, along with a deep understanding of our athletes and what it takes to compete for medals. 

“The continuity and leadership within this group will be invaluable as we continue building toward our long-term goals."

Sides returns to Canada Basketball after helping guide the Senior Women’s National Team to a bronze medal at the FIBA Women’s AmeriCup 2025 and serving on the coaching staff during the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026 Qualifying Tournament in Istanbul, Türkiye earlier this year. Most recently, Sides served as head coach of the WNBA’s Indiana Fever, leading the franchise to its first playoff appearance since 2016.

Quinn joins the coaching staff after serving as head coach of Breeze Basketball Club during their inaugural season of Unrivaled. A former WNBA champion as both a player and coach, Quinn most recently spent five seasons as head coach of the Seattle Storm after previously helping guide the franchise to a WNBA championship as an associate head coach in 2020.

Page returns for her fourth consecutive summer with the Senior Women’s National Team after serving as an assistant coach at both the FIBA Women’s AmeriCup 2025 and as part of Canada's coaching staff during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games cycle. A former WNBA All-Star and third overall pick in the 1998 WNBA Draft, Page recently joined the coaching staff at LSU after previous stops at Miami, Mississippi State, Georgia Tech, Central Michigan and Florida.

Davis returns to Canada’s Senior Women’s National Team coaching staff after making his FIBA senior team debut at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026 Qualifying Tournament in Istanbul, Türkiye earlier this year. A key contributor within Canada Basketball’s age-group pathway, Davis most recently served as head coach of the U19 Women’s National Team and led Canada to a silver medal at the FIBA U18 Women’s AmeriCup 2024. He was also a member of the coaching staff that helped Canada capture bronze at the FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup 2023 under Carly Clarke.

Canada will open its summer with a training camp in Montréal before travelling to Victoria, B.C., for a second camp and exhibition game against reigning NCAA national champion UCLA on July 22 as part of W’HOOP IT UP at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre.

The team will then travel to Guadalajara, Mexico, for the FIBA Women’s Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament 2026 from Aug. 17-23. The tournament represents the first step on the Road to LA 2028, with the winner advancing directly to the FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournaments in March of 2028.

"This summer represents the first step on our journey toward LA 2028,” Baur added. “While our focus is on the opportunity in front of us in Guadalajara, it's also an important chance for our staff and athletes to continue building on what we've already lived together as a program. Every camp, every competition and every experience helps strengthen the foundation we're creating, and having a coaching staff with this level of experience and continuity will be critical as we continue moving toward our long-term goals."

The draw for the FIBA Women’s Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament 2026 will take place June 20 at the Patrick Baumann House of Basketball in Mies, Switzerland.

Canada enters the summer ranked seventh in the FIBA World Ranking Women, presented by Nike.

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