| FINAL STANDINGS 1. United States 2. Australia 3. Brazil 4. Korea 5. France 6. Russia 7. Slovakia 8. Poland 9. Cuba 10. CANADA 11. New Zealand 12. Senegal | CANADIANS Cal Bouchard (Richmond, B.C.) Dianne Norman (Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.) Tammy Sutton-Brown (North York, Ont.) Kelly Boucher (Calgary, Alta.) Karla Karch (Vancouver, B.C.) Cori Blakebrough (Chatham, Ont.) Claudia Brassard-Riebesehl (Kuala Lampur, Malaysia) Stacey Dales (Brockville, Ont.) Michelle Hendry-Carpay (Terrace, B.C.) Nikki Johnson (Niagara Falls, Ont.) Teresa Kleindienst-Gabriele (Mission, B.C.) Joy McNichol (Wingham, Ont.) Bev Smith – coach Deb Huband – assistant Linda Marquis – assistant Denise Dignard – manager Dana Sinclair – therapist Alison McNeil – technical advisor |
| POOL A | AUS | FRA | BRZ | SLO | CAN | SEN | Record | ||
| Australia | —– | 69-62 | 81-70 | 70-47 | 78-46 | 96-39 | (5-0) | ||
| France | 62-69 | —– | 73-70 | 58-51 | 70-58 | 75-39 | (3-2) | ||
| Brazil | 70-81 | 70-73 | —– | 76-60 | 61-60 | 82-48 | (2-3) | ||
| Slovakia | 47-70 | 51-58 | 60-76 | —– | 68-56 | 68-32 | (2-3) | ||
| Canada | 46-78 | 58-70 | 60-61 | 56-68 | —– | 62-41 | (2-3) | ||
| Senegal | 39-96 | 39-75 | 48-82 | 32-68 | 41-62 | —– | (0-5) | ||
| POOL B | USA | KOR | POL | RUS | CUB | NZL | Record | ||
| United States | —– | 89-75 | 76-57 | 88-77 | 90-61 | 93-42 | (5-0) | ||
| Korea | 75-89 | —– | 62-77 | 75-73 | 69-56 | 101-62 | (3-2) | ||
| Poland | 57-76 | 77-62 | —– | 46-84 | 72-65 | 75-52 | (3-2) | ||
| Russia | 77-88 | 63-75 | 84-46 | —– | 72-62 | 92-54 | (3-2) | ||
| Cuba | 61-90 | 56-69 | 65-72 | 62-72 | —– | 74-55 | (1-4) | ||
| New Zealand | 42-93 | 62-101 | 52-75 | 54-92 | 55-74 | —– | (0-5) | ||
| QF | Australia 76 Poland 48 | |
| QF | Brazil 68 Russia 67 | |
| QF | United States 58 Slovakia 43 | |
| QF | Korea 68 France 59 | |
| semi | Australia 64 Brazil 52 | |
| semi | United States 78 Korea 65 | |
| 11th | New Zealand 72 Senegal 69 | |
| 9th | Cuba 65 Canada 58 | |
| 7th | Slovakia 64 Poland 57 | |
| 5th | France 72 Russia 59 | |
| Bronze | Brazil 84 Korea 73 | |
| Final | United States 76 Australia 54 | |
Canada was spanked 78-46 in their Olympic opener against Australia. The Canadians sought to press the pace and score off transition but fell behind 16-13 midway through the first half. Slowly, Australia’s depth and homecourt advantage started to take effect. Canada missed three open shots and the Australian’s lead went into double digits, 25-14 with 5:35 remaining. Canada continued to show patience on offence but had difficulty getting their shots against the much taller Australian squad. Canada held their own for 10 minutes before a three-pointer by guard Kristi Harrower turned the game into a one-sided affair. Canada ended the first half on a 6-0 run but still went into the breakdown 40-19. At the half, Canada had committed 12 turnovers compared to Australia’s two. Early in the second half, Canada went on another 6-0 run, but Australian veteran, Sandy Brondello hit a long two-pointer to put them up 46-25. Coach Bev Smith noted “I just don’t think we held our mental focus and then the game was over. Too many were laying on the floor, holding their arms or legs. You’ve got to play the game through thick and thin, good and bad. When it gets tough, you can’t go shopping. You’ve got to get going, too.” Smith said she challenged her team’s toughness after the game. Asked if they’d respond, Smith said “I don’t know. We’ll see. We’re usually pretty good at bouncing back. …I like the first 10 minutes. I thought we went after them. Then I thought we auto-deflated.” Stacey Dales said the squad made a lot of simple mistakes. “You can’t afford five-minute spells of poor play. In the good times, we played great defence. In the bad times, we lost track of some of their scorers. Against a team like Australia, you can’t do that.” Lauren Jackson paced Australia with 18 on 6-10 from the floor, 6-6 from the line, 8 boards, 4 steals and 2 blocks. Sandra Brondello added 18 on 7-12 from the floor and 4-4 from the line. Trisha Fallon scored 9, Kristi Harrower 8, along with 5 assists, Raechael Sporn 6, along with 4 boards, Michelle Brogan 6, Joanne Hill 4, Annie La Fleur 3, Carla Boyd 2, Jennifer Whittle 2, along with 7 boards, and Michelle Timms 2, while Shelley Sandie was scoreless. Australia hit 26-52 from the floor, 2-6 from the arc and 20-21 (.952) from the line, while garnering 31 boards, including 5 on the offensive glass, 14 assists, 14 fouls, 12 turnovers, 10 steals and 8 blocks. Tammy Sutton Brown paced Canada with 13 on 5-10 from the floor, 3-5 from the line, 9 boards and 2 steals. Stacey Dales added 13 on 5-10 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc and 4 boards. Dianne Norman added 6 on 3-11 from the floor and 3 boards. Cal Bouchard added 5 on 1-2 from the floor and 1-2 from the arc. Kelly Boucher scored 5 on 2-7 from the floor, 0-2 from the arc and 1-2 from the line. Teresa Gabriele added 4, while Michelle Carpay, Karla Karch, Nikki Johnson, Cori Blakebrough, Claudia Brassard-Riebesehl and Joy McNichol were scoreless. Canada hit 18-47 (.383) from the floor, 2-9 (.222) from the arc and 4-7 (.571) from the line, while garnering 25 boards, including 7 on the offensive glass, 9 assists, 21 fouls, 23 turnovers, 4 steals and 2 blocks.
In their second game, Canada evened their record at 1-1 with a 62-41 pounding of Senegal. The Canadians speed and size advantage proved the difference as they took a 26-9 lead and rumbled to a 36-19 lead heading into the lockers. Canada’s full court press rattled Senegal into 19 turnovers. Cal Bouchard led Canada with 18 points. Michelle Hendry added 12 points and Kelly Boucher 11. Prior to the game, Senegalese coach Osseynou Ndiaga Diop had said a victory would be a miracle. Indeed. Allah did not deliver. The game opened with a three-point swisher by guard Cal Bouchard, Canada’s first and only WNBA draftee. By half-time, the score was 36-19 and it never got close. Canada had needed a big win to boost spirits after a 32-point loss in its first game against Australia on Saturday and pre-Olympic spankings from USA and France. Senegal could not penetrate a fine Canadian defence, which forced them to turn over the ball 19 times for 17 points. Nor could they stop a steady stream of baskets at the other end, despite the efforts of their only professional and tallest member, 192-cm Detroit Shock forward Astou Ndiaye. Senegal had little answer for Bouchard, who scored 18 on 4-8 from the floor, 3-4 from the arc, 1-1 from the line, 4 boards and 2 steals. Michelle Carpay added 12 on 6-9 from the floor and 6 boards. Kelly Boucher notched 11 on 4-7 from the floor, 1-6 from the arc, 5 boards and 3 assists. Stacey Dales scored 8 on 4-6 from the floor, 2 assists and 2 steals. Nikki Johnson added 6 on 3-4 from the floor. Dianne Norman notched 5 on 2-7 from the floor and 8 boards. Tammy Sutton Brown added 2, along with 6 boards and 4 blocks, while Karla Karch, Cori Blakebrough, Teresa Gabriele, Claudia Brassard-Riebesehl and Joy McNichol were scoreless. Canada hit 23-43 (.535) from the floor, 4-19 (.211) from the arc and 4-6 from the line, while garnering 38 boards, including 7 on the offensive glass, 9 assists, 18 fouls, 15 turnovers, 9 steals and 5 blocks. Khardiata Diop paced Senegal with 7 on 3-3 from the floor, 1-3 from the line, 2 assists and 2 steals. Astou Ndiaye added 6 on 2-10 from the floor, 2-4 from the line and 8 boards. Mame Maty Mbengue notched 6 on 2-5 from the floor and 2-2 from the line. Fatima Ndiaye added 6, Coumba Cisse 5, Bineta Diouf 4, Adama Diakhate 2, Marieme Lo 2, Mboricka Fall 2 and Awa Gueye 1, while Ndialou Paye and Yacine Khady Ngom were scoreless. Senegal shot 13-40 (.325) from the floor, 1-8 (.125) from the arc and 12-21 (.571) from the line, while garnering 23 boards, including 3 on the offensive glass, 7 assists, 11 fouls, 19 turnovers, 6 steals and 1 block.
Canada then dropped a 70-58 decision to a hard-nosed, defensive French team. The first half was game of runs. Canada opened with a 7-0 run but France countered with three of their own as they tied the game of 15. Canada sought to aggressively drive the ball at the hoop but France switched defences to a zone midway through the first half. Canada inched ahead 31-27 on timely perimeter shooting and led 33-30 at the half. Both teams started slowly in the second half with France double-team Tammy Sutton-Brown in the low post. With the score tied at 46, France deflated the Canadians as Audrey Sauret nailed a three pointer. “It shouldn’t have deflated us,” Diane Norman later said. “We still have these mental lapses.” At 6:48, France took the lead at 53-50 and didn’t look back. Canada rushed their shots down the stretch and France controlled the tempo. They were very deliberate with their halfcourt offensive sets and quickly extended their lead to 65-55. Coach Bev Smith was pleased. “If you would have told me two weeks ago that we would have taken France to the wire, I wouldn’t have believed you.” Norman said Canada missed a golden opportunity. “We had a chance today to turn it up a notch, but we didn’t go for the jugular. It feels good that we’re playing better but we’d still like to produce.” Catherine Melain paced France with 21 on 7-15 from the floor, 7-9 from the line and 5 boards. Isabelle Fijalkowski added 13 on 5-13 from the floor and 6 boards. Audrey Sauret Gillespie added 9, Laetitia Moussard 9, Nicole Antibe 8, along with 6 boards, Yannick Souvre 6, along with 4 boards and 4 assists, and Nathalie Lesdema 4, while Laura Savasta, Sandra Le Drean, Edwige Lawson-Wade, Stephanie Vivenot and Dominique Tonnerre were scoreless. France hit 23-54 (.426) from the floor, 3-9 from the arc and 15-22 (.682) from the line, while garnering 26 boards, including 11 on the offensive glass, 11 assists, 20 fouls, 8 turnovers, 6 steals and 6 blocks. Stacey Dales paced Canada with 17 on 8-14 from the floor, 1-2 from the line, 5 boards and 2 assists. Dianne Norman added 13 on 5-6 from the floor, 3-5 from the line, 13 boards and 3 assists. Kelly Boucher scored 8 on 1-4 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc, 3-6 from the line and 2 boards. Tammy Sutton-Brown added 8 on 2-7 from the floor, 4-8 from the line, 9 boards and 2 blocks. Cal Bouchard added 3, Karla Karch 3, Michelle Carpay 2, Nikki Johnson 2 and Teresa Gabriele 2, while Cori Blakebrough, Claudia Brassard-Riebesehl and Joy McNichol were scoreless. Canada hit 17-43 (.395) from the floor, 3-13 (.231) from the arc and 15-25 (.600) from the line, while garnering 38 boards, including 15 on the offensive glass, 9 assists, 23 fouls, 15 turnovers, 2 steals and 2 blocks.
The Canadians then all but eliminated themselves from the playoffs by dropping a 68-56 decision to the Slovak Republic. Despite shooting poorly in the first half, Canada only trailed 29-28 at the half. But an early second-half scoring surge from Slovakian three-point guns Marcela Kalistova and Zuzana Zirkova soon left a deflated Canadian side in the dust. The Slovakians ripped off a 12-1 run early in the second half to put the game out of reach. Slovakia extended the run to 22-5 and their aggressive defence in the post and full-court pressure proved too much for the Canadians to handle. “They came out a lot stronger than we did in the second half. They stepped it up and we didn’t match them,” said post Tammy Sutton-Brown. The Slovak Republic led 29-28 at the half. Renata Hirakova paced the Slovak Republic with 16 on 5-7 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc, 3-4 from the line and 5 boards. Marcela Kalistova added 15 on 4-4 from the arc and 3-6 from the line. Zuzana Zirkova added 11 on 1-6 from the floor, 2-3 from the arc, 3-4 from the line, 3 boards and 2 assists. Martina Godalyova added 9, along with 5 boards, Alena Kovacova 9, Anna Kotocova (Janostinova) 6 and Martina Gyurcsi 2, while Livia Libicova, Slavka Frniakova, Katarina Polakova, Jana Lichernova and Dagmar Hutkova were scoreless. The Slovak Republic hit 16-37 (.432) from the floor, 7-11 (.636) from the arc and 15-23 (.652) from the line, while garnering 29 boards, including 12 on the offensive glass, 11 assists, 23 fouls, 13 turnovers, 5 steals and 2 blocks. Tammy Sutton-Brown paced Canada with 16 on 4-7 from the floor, 8-8 from the line and 7 boards. Dianne Norman added 15 on 3-5 from the floor, 2-3 from the arc, 3-11 from the line and 10 boards. Kelly Boucher notched 8 on 1-4 from the floor, 2-3 from the arc, 3 boards and 2 assists. Nikki Johnson scored 7 on 2-3 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc and 2 boards. Stacey Dales added 5 on 1-4 from the floor, 1-3 from the arc and 2 boards. Theresa Gabriele scored 5 on 2-2 from the floor, 1-2 from the line and 3 boards, while Joy McNichol, Claudia Brassard-Riebesehl, Cori Blakebrough, Cal Bouchard, Karla Karch and Michelle Carpay were scoreless. Canada hit 13-33 (.394) from the floor, 6-17 (.353) from the arc and 12-24 from the line, while garnering 30 boards, including 14 on the offensive glass, 7 assists, 21 fouls, 16 turnovers, 3 steals and 3 blocks.
Despite capturing their second win of the tournament by nipping Brazil 61-60, The Canadians rallied from 15 down to win it in the final 29 seconds of play. Brazil went on a 17-0 run to take a 48-34 lead with 11:59 remaining in the game. But the determined Canadian squad chipped away and scored the last six points of the game, including two free throws by Cal Bouchard to win the game 61-60. A turnaround jump shot by Brazil’s Janeth Arcain with three seconds to play bounced off the rim. Brazil led 31-28 at the half. Janeth Dos Santos Arcain paced Brazil with 19 on 7-13 from the floor, 5-6 from the line and 4 boards. Claudia Maria Neves added 11 on 1-3 from the floor, 3-8 from the arc and 5 assists. Helen Luz notched 10 on 2-3 from the floor and 2-9 from the arc. Kelly Santos added 6, along with 7 boards, Cintia Silva Dos Santos 5, along with 5 boards, Alessandra Oliveira 5 and Marta De Souza Sobral 4, while Adriana Aparecida Dos Santos, Adrianinha Pinto, Lilian Christina Lopes Goncalves, Ilisaine David and Silvia Andrea Santos Luz were scoreless. Brazil shot 19-37 (.514) from the floor, 5-23 (.217) from the arc and 7-14 from the line, while garnering 26 boards, including 7 on the offensive glass, 11 assists, 14 fouls, 9 turnovers, 3 steals and 4 blocks. Stacey Dales paced Canada with 16 on 7-15 from the floor, 2-2 from the line, 10 boards and 2 assists. Tammy Sutton-Brown added 9 on 4-6 from the floor, 1-1 from the line, 4 boards and 3 blocks. Cal Bouchard added 9 on 2-3 from the floor, 1-1 from the arc, 2-2 from the line, 8 boards, 3 assists and 2 steals. Claudia Brassard-Riebesehl added 7 on 3-4 from the floor and 1-2 from the line. Dianne Norman scored 6, Kelly Boucher 6, Michell Carpay 6 and Nikki Johnson 2, while Karla Karch, Cori Blakebrough, Theresa Gabriele and Joy McNichol were scoreless. Canada hit 22-46 (.478) from the floor, 3-11 (.273) from the arc and 8-9 (.889) from the line, while garnering 34 boards, including 11 on the offensive glass, 13 assists, 17 fouls, 17 turnovers, 3 steals and 4 blocks.
Canada finished in a three-way tie for the fourth and final spot in the medal round in Pool A with Brazil and Slovakia all with a (2-3) record. The top two of the three teams advanced on goal average (points for in games among those teams, divided by points allowed). Brazil finished with a 1.12 goal average, while Slovakia had .969 and Canada .914.
In the ninth-place playoff, Canada was clipped 67-58 by Cuba. Canada trailed 57-50 with five minutes remaining in the game, when Stacey Dales sparked a 7-2 run. She hit four points brought Canada within two points with only 2:36 left on the clock. But Cuba’s 2-3 zone defence stayed strong and they held on for the victory. Cuba led 35-34 at the half. Yakelyn Plutin Tizon paced Cuba with 13 on 6-10 from the floor, 1-3 from the line, 7 boards and 3 steals. Maria Elena Leon Molinet added 13 on 3-7 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc, 4-4 from the line, 4 boards and 3 steals. Yamile Martinez Calderon notched 13 on 6-9 from the floor, 1-1 from the line and 10 boards. Tania Seino Barbon added 9, Licet Castillo Iglesias 9, Cariola Hechavarria Garcia 4, Taimara Suero Coronado 4 and Milaida Enriquez Parrado 2, while Lisdeivi Victores Pompa, Gricel Herrera Mendez, Yulizeny Soria Baro and Dalia Henry Hernandez were scoreless. Cuba hit 22-42 (.524) from the floor, 3-10 from the arc and 14-20 (.700) from the line, while garnering 31 boards, including 7 on the offensive glass, 6 assists, 21 fouls, 25 turnovers, 9 steals and 1 block. Tammy Sutton-Brown paced Canada with 14 on 5-11 from the floor, 4-6 from the line, 9 boards and 2 steals. Stacey Dales added 12 on 3-11 from the floor, 1-2 from the arc, 3-6 from the line and 2 assists. Dianne Norman scored 10 on 3-9 from the floor, 4-5 from the line, 9 boards, 4 assists and 4 steals. Cal Bouchard added 8 on 3-6 from the floor, 0-4 from the arc, 2-2 from the line and 2 assists. Nikki Johnson added 5, Michelle Carpay 4, Kelly Boucher 3 and Theresa Gabriele 2, while Karla Karch, Cori Blakebrough, Claudia Brassard-Riebesehl and Joy McNichol were scoreless. Canada hit 17-47 (.362) from the floor, 3-15 (.200) from the arc and 15-21 (.714) from the line, while garnering 25 boards, including 11 on the offensive glass, 12 assists, 21 fouls, 17 turnovers, 9 steals and 1 block.