Canada loses to U.S. in women’s wheelchair basketball world championship final

Kady Dandeneau scored 34 points but it still wasn’t enough as Canada suffered a heartbreaking 77-76 loss to the United States on Saturday in the gold-medal game of the women’s wheelchair basketball world championship.

Canada hadn’t won a medal at a world championship since 2014, when the tournament was last held on Canadian soil.

Both teams entered the final with perfect 5-0 records in group play.

Dandeneau led the way for Canada, going 15-for-34 with 13 rebounds. Arinn Young also chipped in 30 points, going 10-for-22 with 10 rebounds.

Lindsey Zurbrugg led the way for the Americans. with 26 points.

The U.S opened a seven-point lead, 71-64, with just over three minutes remaining in regulation. Canada came back to tie the game 76-76 with 39.1 seconds remaining.

The U.S. took a one-point lead on a Courtney Ryan free throw with 20.8 seconds remaining.

It was a one-point game heading into the fourth quarter, with Canada leading 60-59.

The U.S. had a solid third quarter going 10-for-18, outscoring Canada 21-19.

Canada held a 41-38 lead at the half.

Young led the way for Canada with 22 first-half points and six assists. She was an impressive 8-for-8 from the line.

Zurbrugg had 15 points for the U.S. in the opening half.

Most noticeably was Canada’s advantage at the foul line where they went 9-for-9, compared to the Americans going 2-for-3.

Canada jumped out to a 27-20 lead after the first quarter. Young went four-for-five from the floor, including two three-pointers.

Canada last met the United States in a gold-medal game at a major competition at the 2023 Parapan American Games in Santiago, Chile, where they took silver.

This marked the first time Canada hosted the men’s and women’s world championships together.

The tournament featured 17 different countries, 15 teams on the men’s side and 12 on the women’s.

Canada’s men’s team went 1-3 in the tournament.