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The Canadian women opened their Wheelchair Basketball World Cup with a resounding victory in Ottawa on Wednesday.
Led by Arinn Young’s game-high 18 points and Cady Dandeneau’s 17-point, 14-rebound double-double, Canada cruised to a 76-51 win at TD Place.
Canada quickly regrouped after trailing 21-15 after the first quarter, took control and effectively put the result out of reach by the final frame.
“We were just really nervous in front of the fans,” Young said of the team’s slow start. “We quickly realized what was going on, acknowledged those feelings, and it gave us peace again.”
Spain entered the competition as three-time European Championship bronze medalists, finishing eighth at the 2024 Paralympics in Paris, where Canada finished fourth.
In Group A, China beat Australia 48–37 and Great Britain beat Brazil 78–41.
This year the men’s and women’s competitions will be held in Ottawa.
The Canadian women next face Australia on Thursday at 2:30 pm ET at Carleton University.
Later Wednesday, the Canadian men are scheduled to play Morocco at 7:30 p.m. at TD Place.
Watch Canada take on Spain at the 2026 IWBF Wheelchair Basketball World Championships in Ottawa.