TORONTO (March 4, 2026) – Canada Basketball announced Wednesday the 12 athletes who will represent Canada at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026 Qualifying Tournament, set for March 11–17 in Istanbul, Turkiye.

The tournament marks the final step on the road to the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026 in Berlin, Germany this September.

Canada will compete in the Turkiye Qualifier alongside host Turkiye, Hungary, Argentina, Japan and Australia. With Australia already qualified as the 2025 FIBA Women’s Asia Cup champion, the remaining three World Cup berths will be awarded to the highest-finishing teams following round-robin play.

Canada will open tournament play against host Turkiye on March 11. Tip-off is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. ET / 10:30 a.m. PT. All of Canada’s games will be broadcast live on TSN.

Kayla Alexander headlines the roster following a record-setting summer that saw her reach the 50-games played milestone with the Senior Women’s National Team while breaking the all-time rebounding record for both the FIBA Women’s AmeriCup and Canada’s Senior Women’s National Team across all competitions.

The roster features eight Olympians, including three-time Olympian Kia Nurse and 2022 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup All-Star Bridget Carleton. The team will be led by head coach Nell Fortner, joined by assistant coaches Christie Sides, Carly Clarke and Marlo Davis.

Senior Women’s National Team Roster:

Kayla Alexander – Milton, Ont.
Niyah Becker – Winnipeg, Man.
Bridget Carleton – Chatham, Ont.
Shay Colley – Brampton, Ont.
Faith Dut – Surrey, B.C.
Aaliyah Edwards – Kingston, Ont.
Yvonne Ejim – Calgary, Alta.
Sami Hill – Toronto, Ont.
Shaina Pellington – Pickering, Ont.
Kia Nurse – Hamilton, Ont.
Merissah Russell – Ottawa, Ont.
Tara Wallack – Surrey, B.C.

Canada enters the tournament ranked No. 7 in the latest FIBA World Rankings presented by Nike, and is seeking their sixth consecutive appearance at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.

For more information, visit FIBA.Basketball.