August 1, 2024
Takeaways from Canada’s Olympic loss to Australia
Natalie Achonwa: 'The grit that we play with is truly who we are'
With two games down at Paris 2024, Team Canada will need a lot to go right — on top of getting a win — to not repeat Tokyo 2020 and exit in the group stage.
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Showing hustle and heart at the end of their match was not enough as they fell 70-65 to Australia, dropping to 0-2 after their opening loss to France. Minnesota Lynx forward Bridget Carleton had a massive game alongside Los Angeles Sparks guard Kia Nurse, but their collective efforts and late push weren’t enough to will Canada to a win.
Here’s what we learned from Canada’s loss to Australia.
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Shooting woes continue for Canada
A much stronger performance than their opener against France, Canada still struggled as a full team as they shot just 21-of-60 from the floor, shooting 35 per cent compared to Australia’s 47.5 per cent.
Long range shots were much stronger for Canada, going 7-for-15 from three-point range, their most made threes in a game since 2016 Olympics in Rio. Bridget Carleton, who had a team leading 19 points, hit five triples in the loss.
Canada also was awarded 24 free throws in the match, hitting 16 of them for 66.7 per cent, while Australia was given eight and made six.
Turnovers, defense improve for Canada
Canada scored 20 points off Australia’s 20 turnovers, outscoring them 12-7 on the fast break, and Natalie Achonwa proved to be a top option for Canada as a ball handler.
There is still room for improvement as the Canadians still committed 16 turnovers, but they proved to fluster the Australians as they also forced 23 fouls from the Opals.
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Defensively, Canada applied pressure to Australia and rallied for 12 steals, but were unable to get the same pressure on the boards as they did against France, with Canada being out-rebounded 42-31.
“The grit that we played with, the pride that we played with… our first showing wasn’t us, and we know that we represent so much more when we put a Canada jersey on, and so I was really proud of how we came out today and how we fought,” said Achonwa post-game.
“We had some lapses in execution, but no matter what, the grit that we play with is truly who we are and I’m glad that we showed that today.”
Full team effort still needed
Carleton led Canada with 19 points, eight rebounds, four assists, three steals and one block in a team-high 33 minutes, the most points she has scored in a game at the Olympic Games, scoring seven of her 19 points in the fourth quarter. She tied Kim Gaucher for most three-pointers made in an Olympic game in senior women’s national team history.
Achonwa had four points, six rebounds, seven assists and four steals, one of the most efficient players all-around for Canada in the court against the Opals.
The rest of the starting rotation all contributed, with Kia Nurse tallying 12 points, Kayla Alexander adding 10 and Shay Colley putting up another nine points. But Canada’s bench added just 11 points, while the Opals bench added 26.
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“This is basketball. Defeat is part of the job. Two years ago we were amazing. Everybody talked about us, we were the best team in the tournament. And now we are not in that situation. We have to fight until the last minute,” said head coach Victor Lapena.
“My feeling is that we … travel to Paris because I think this team deserves it. Deserve it a lot because of Natalie Achonwa, because the new generation is coming up because they have worked a lot in the last two years to have this opportunity until the end. Yes, we have to do our job as much as possible.”
