EDMONTON (FIBA World Championship for Women) - The 2014 FIBA World Championship for Women is just around the corner. In the lead-up to the biggest international basketball event, we take an individual look at all 16 teams.

Country: Canada
FIBA bwin Ranking Women: No.9
Last participation in the FIBA World Championship for Women: 2010 (1 win, 7 defeats, 12th place)
Best result in the history of the FIBA World Championship for Women: 3rd place (1979, 1986)
Result in qualifying tournament for 2014 FIBA World Championship for Women: 2nd place at FIBA Americas Championship for Women (5 wins, 1 defeat)

It is testament to the qualities of Canada that they could well end up being a fly in the ointment for Group B rivals and co-favourites Turkey and France during the first phase of the competition in Ankara.

There has been a seamless transition of coaching power from the long-standing Allison McNeill who solidified Canada as a top 10 women's basketball nation, with her successor and former assistant Lisa Thomaidis having since made some good early impressions during her first 18 months or so at the helm.

Her first tournament last year witnessed her guiding Canada to the Final of the FIBA Americas Championship for Women and while they allowed a golden opportunity to slip through their grasp, it represented a step forward and now she awaits her maiden outing at the world level as head coach.

What has impressed most people has been the willingness of Thomaidis to throw teenage starlet Kia Nurse straight into the deep end. And the playmaker has not had to tread any water. Instead she's shown she can swim at this elite level and is among the cream of the crop when it comes to young guns stepping out in Ankara and Istanbul.

Nurse is an exciting talent and with NCAA star Nirra Fields also being thrown a big tournament debut, there could be plenty to get excited about for Canadian fans who have arguably been more accustomed to a steady and respectable diet of vanilla.

Forward Miranda Ayim hinted that Thomaidis is trying to take Canada through a more bold and striking offensive philosophy - but inevitably these things do take time. Adding the spice of Nurse and Fields, as well as handing senior tournament debuts to Katherine Plouffe and Miah-Marie Langlois should quicken the process.

However, the team has been hit by the loss of Natalie Achonwa to a knee injury. This is a real pity, since she would have no doubt been at the forefront of the Canadian evolution which is now underway.

It is also underpinned by plenty of activity at youth level and even a 'second team' who formed a queue for potential inclusion in coming years through their unbeaten exploits at the William Jones Cup.

But this is not solely about Canada looking to the future - instead it must also be about delivering in the here and now. For the likes of veteran guard Kim Gaucher for example, this is when it matters most.

Canada will be well organised, hugely competitive and have a host of players who on their day can come up with some very handy numbers - look no further than Tamara Tatham or Ayim.

It remains to be seen though if Canada have the game-changers and indeed clutch-shot takers which can turn close games into victories. More pertinently, if their movement towards a braver offensive game will be re-enforced by the necessary mental toughness.

Re-discovering the glory days of podium finishes in 1979 and 1986 are probably way out of reach just now. However, their record of 1-7 four years ago in Czech Republic and preceded by only a marginally better 2-6 in Brazil in 2006 are the starting point for an improvement.

FIBA