The Canadian WNBA invasion is starting to take form.
Similar to the NBA, Canada’s numbers are continuing to rise year-over-year with the country now boasting a record five players under contract — the third most international players in the top women’s basketball league.
One of the emerging talents in the WNBA and Canada’s senior women’ national team is Chatham, Ontario born Bridget Carleton.
The 21st pick of the 2019 draft registered a career high 25 points as the Minnesota Lynx defeated the New York Liberty 92-66 to win their third straight game. The former Big Ten player of the year at Iowa State connected on 11-of-16 field-goals, knocked down a perfect 3-for-3 from three-pointers while adding 7 rebounds and 3 assists.
The game showcased three of the five Canadians currently in the WNBA.
The Lynx roster also features Canadian national team member Kayla Alexander from Milton, Ontario. The 6-foot-4 forward contributed with 2 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assists and 1 block in limited minutes.
The Liberty’s all-star guard Kia Nurse (Hamilton, ON) scored 10 points and dished out 3 assists in her second-game back since picking-up an ankle injury in New York’s season debut against Sue Bird the Dallas Wings.
For Bridget Carleton, it was just a matter of time before the WNBA took notice. The 23 year-old has the ability to knock-down both the mid-range and the three-point shot with consistency and has enough speed and quickness to get to basket and finish in the paint.
Kia Nurse 34 points most by a Canadian
Kia Nurse currently holds record for the most points scored by a Canadian in the WNBA. As a rookie in 2018, the 6-foot-1 point guard delivered a 34 point masterpiece against the Indiana Fever topping a list that also features Natalie Achonwa, former all-star Tammy Sutton-Brown and Stacey Dales with 26 points respectively.
