DEBRECEN (Hungary) - Shayeann Day-Wilson has wasted little time in showcasing her scoring ability on the global stage with a hot start for Canada at the FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup 2021.

Two games in, 60 points on the board already for the talented 18-year-old guard who is not lacking in confidence and belief of her ability with an enjoyment of playing the game.

"I just like to put the ball in the hole," Day-Wilson stated succinctly . "I try to be a leader and do everything I can to help my team win."

She's playing with a 50 percent success rate thus far. While Day-Wilson scored 29 points on the opening day, Canada suffered an agonizing one-point loss at the hands of Japan in a game that went right down to the wire.

The next day, they responded. And, if 29 points were not enough then how about 31? Day-Wilson was rewarded with an aggressive approach, going 16-of-17 from the foul line and filling the stat-sheet with 7 assists, 6 rebounds and 4 steals in the win against Czech Republic.

"It feels really sweet," she said following Sunday's victory. "We took a tough one [against Japan] to lose by one, so I just wanted to bounce back and get this win for my team.

"We got the job done, we played much tougher and fought hard all game. We have to just keep fighting until that buzzer goes. I'm going to just keep playing my game and do what my team needs to get the win."

Yvonne Ejim has been another standout performer through the early stages of the tournament with 20.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game at an efficient level. The duo will be key to the success of Canada this week having already combined for 101 of the 161 points so far.

Day-Wilson attracted a lot of attention from US colleges, initially opting for Syracuse before recently deciding to decommit - according to reports. The early tournament leading scorer is gaining more admirers this week and welcomes the challenge of adapting to how teams look to limit her impact.

"I am already learning a lot at this tournament," she adds. "Knowing when to pick my shots and also pick the times that I want to score.

"I'm a very flashy player; I like to get downhill and find my teammates in transition.

"I know teams are packing into the key because they know I like to go downhill a lot, so I just have to get my shot up, get my floater going and keep playing my game by doing what I do best."

Canada round out the Group Phase action against Mali on Tuesday before heading into the Round of 16 with Day-Wilson looking to continue her scoring streak - as long as it results in a victory when that final buzzer sounds.

FIBA