SANTIAGO (Chile) – The FIBA Women’s AmeriCup 2025 has reached the playoff stage. The Quarter-Finals tip off this Friday, and the stakes are high— not only will the winners advance to the next round, they will also secure spots in the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup 2026 Qualifying Tournaments. The USA vs. Dominican Republic and Canada vs. Colombia matchups make up one side of the Quarter-Final bracket. Here’s everything you need to know about the first two games of the day at the Santiago Collective Sports Center:
USA vs. Dominican Republic
USA had no trouble securing a place among the top eight. With four wins in as many games and an average winning margin of 43 points, the Americans have shown their determination to reclaim the crown they last won in 2021. They are undoubtedly the favorites in this matchup. The Dominican Republic advanced after a single win over El Salvador in the Group Phase. In its fourth straight AmeriCup appearance, the DR will look to pull off a historic upset.
Key matchup
Joyce Edwards leads the U.S. offense with 13.5 points per game, closely followed by Gianna Kneepkens with 13.3. Edwards ranks among the tournament’s top five scorers, while Kneepkens leads the event in three-point shooting percentage at 59 (11-for-19). If both maintain this pace, it will be hard to deny them victory.
For the Dominicans, Cesarina Capellán is the go-to scorer. The forward ranked third in the tournament in points per game with 16.5. She prefers to operate from the perimeter, averaging 8 three-point attempts per game. She has the same number of makes from deep as Kneepkens (11), though on more attempts (32), for a 34 percent shooting clip.
X-Factor
A lot would have to go right to disrupt the American winning formula. But games are played on the court, not on paper, and for the Dominican Republic, the first step is to give Capellán more support on offense—no other teammate is averaging double digits in scoring.
Stats don’t lie
USA leads the tournament in several key categories: points per game (93.0), assists (25.8), and rebounds (53.5). They also rank third in made threes (7.3 per game). For the Caribbean squad, ball control is critical—they lead the tournament in turnovers, averaging 18.3 per game.
Previous meetings
This will be the fourth AmeriCup encounter between these two teams. The USA holds a 3-0 record over the Dominican Republic.
Canada vs. Colombia
Along with Brazil and the USA, Canada is considered one of the favorites to reach the podium. The only blemish in the Group Phase was a loss to Brazil, but the team cruised to victories in their other three games. Given their pedigree (three AmeriCup titles) and Olympic experience, they come into this matchup as clear favorites. Colombia finished the group stage on a strong note after dropping its first two games and leveling its record at 2-2. The team even had a chance to go 3-1, but let their opener against Puerto Rico slip away. Colombia has finished fifth in each of the last three AmeriCups—can they finally break through and reach the final four?
Key matchup
One of the most intriguing battles will be in the paint. Canadian center Kayla Alexander ranks third in blocks (1.5) and sixth in rebounding (8.0), while power forward Yvonne Ejim is third overall in rebounds (9.0) and also alters shots defensively. On the Colombian side, Yuliany Paz brings her 1.93-meter frame and averages 8.5 boards per game, while power forward Daniela González also contributes with 1.5 blocks per contest.
Canada’s offense runs through Shayeann Day-Wilson, who dishes out five assists per game and leads the team in scoring with 11.8. She’ll go head-to-head with Colombia’s floor general, the speedy Manuela Ríos.
X-Factor
It’s likely that Colombia has studied Brazil’s win over Canada closely. In that game, Canada struggled with rebounding and defending the paint. If Colombia can collectively protect the rim and convert inside looks, they might tilt the balance—but it will be a tough task.
Stats don’t lie
The numbers suggest that the battle in the paint could decide the outcome. Canada leads the tournament in total rebounds (221), while Colombia tops the shot-blocking category with five per game. Canada also displays solid team play, averaging 18.5 assists, and has six players averaging at least seven points per game.
Previous meetings
Canada leads the all-time AmeriCup series against Colombia 3-0.
FIBA