FIBA Basketball
CAN - McNeill predicting bright future for Canada
BRITISH COLUMBIA (FIBA World Championship for Women) - There may be a double impact on the FIBA World Championship for Women from North America this year if Canada hit their stride. The United States are always in the headlines
BRITISH COLUMBIA (FIBA World Championship for Women) - There may be a double impact on the FIBA World Championship for Women from North America this year if Canada hit their stride.
The United States are always in the headlines but their neighbours Canada are quietly making progress in basketball and will be anxious to make a statement.
The way their coach Allison McNeill sees it, good times are on the way.
Canada were on Tuesday drawn in Group B of the World Championship with Australia, Lithuania and Senegal.
While there are no easy games in tournaments of this stature, McNeill’s players will have to be thinking it could have been worse.
Group C, for example, has the US and Russia, the two teams that faced each other in the last two gold medal games at the FIBA World Championship for Women, along with Asian champions China and African title holders Nigeria.
In an exclusive interview with PA Sport’s Jeff Taylor on behalf of FIBA, McNeill talks about basketball in Canada and her team’s prospects in Brazil when the FIBA World Championship tips off on September 12.
FIBA: Canada have a wonderful opportunity to play in the FIBA World Championship for Women later this year in Brazil. What are your thoughts right now looking ahead to the tournament?
McNeill: We are all very excited to be going to the World Championship. Canada last qualified in 1994 so we are looking forward to being back on the world stage! We have been working very hard at all levels of basketball in Canada. We have focused much of our resources and energy on our developmental levels and it is starting to pay off.
Going to the Worlds is extremely important for the development of our players and of the game in Canada. We played in Brazil last summer and the Brazilians love sport and they love women's basketball - they will be phenomenal hosts and I know the tournament will be first class.
FIBA: The level of the women's game is so high right now, particularly with your neighbours, the all-conquering Team USA. How difficult will it be for Canada when you play in Brazil?
McNeill: The level of the game all over the world is incredible and exciting! I do not believe that there is another women's sport in the world that has the athletes and the level of play that basketball does. We had a great summer in 2005 and we are ready to compete with the best teams in the world. All the games will be competitive because these are the best teams in the world.
FIBA: How well have Canada played in recent tournaments, and do you believe your team will get a lot better before the start of the FIBA World Championship?
McNeill: We played well last summer in tournaments in France, Spain, Brazil and our FIBA Americas qualifying. Like other teams, our improvement will depend on how much work the players have been doing and continue to do leading up to the Worlds and how much training time we have together this summer. We have several players that will be playing in the WNBA and will join us later in the summer for training.
FIBA: What do you believe will be one of your strengths in the tournament?
McNeill: We have great team chemistry - we play very well together. We care about each other and we care about basketball in Canada! We have a very balanced offensive attack with different players stepping up to score at different times. We have players that understand the game at both ends of the floor.
FIBA: New Zealand surprised a lot of people by reaching the quarter-finals at the Olympics in Greece. Does that suggest that the women's game is much more equal than maybe people might have thought?
McNeill: There are the perennial powers - but as anyone who follows sport knows upsets can happen. Rankings are on paper and teams must come on to the court and be ready to play every day at the World Championships.
FIBA: For you personally, is coaching in this tournament one of the high points of your career?
McNeill: I am very excited and honoured to have the opportunity to coach our Canadian National Team. Going to the Worlds is a dream come true for our entire coaching staff, players and supporters. I am most excited that our players get this opportunity to test themselves against the very best players in the world.
FIBA: What about after this event. Do you see Canadian women's basketball having a boom or will it struggle after Brazil?
McNeill: One can never predict the future - but I know that we are doing all the right things in Canada to build a consistent program. Our junior women's team went to the World's last summer and finished ninth.
We are also starting our first National Sports School for girls basketball - NEDA - National Elite Development Academy. In September 2006, we will launch this program under the direction of our National Development Coach - Christine Stapleton. We also have Canada Basketball Regional Training Centers all over the country where we are training our top young players.
We are definitely doing the work at the grassroots level so that we can be consistent on a world stage. There are many people doing great work all over Canada to make our game better. It is a very exciting time for basketball in Canada.
FIBA: Will you win the gold, silver or bronze medal in Brazil?
McNeill: Our goal is to be playing our best basketball at the World Championships - we will see where that leads us!
PA Sport, Exclusively for FIBA
The United States are always in the headlines but their neighbours Canada are quietly making progress in basketball and will be anxious to make a statement.
The way their coach Allison McNeill sees it, good times are on the way.
Canada were on Tuesday drawn in Group B of the World Championship with Australia, Lithuania and Senegal.
While there are no easy games in tournaments of this stature, McNeill’s players will have to be thinking it could have been worse.
Group C, for example, has the US and Russia, the two teams that faced each other in the last two gold medal games at the FIBA World Championship for Women, along with Asian champions China and African title holders Nigeria.
In an exclusive interview with PA Sport’s Jeff Taylor on behalf of FIBA, McNeill talks about basketball in Canada and her team’s prospects in Brazil when the FIBA World Championship tips off on September 12.
FIBA: Canada have a wonderful opportunity to play in the FIBA World Championship for Women later this year in Brazil. What are your thoughts right now looking ahead to the tournament?
McNeill: We are all very excited to be going to the World Championship. Canada last qualified in 1994 so we are looking forward to being back on the world stage! We have been working very hard at all levels of basketball in Canada. We have focused much of our resources and energy on our developmental levels and it is starting to pay off.
Going to the Worlds is extremely important for the development of our players and of the game in Canada. We played in Brazil last summer and the Brazilians love sport and they love women's basketball - they will be phenomenal hosts and I know the tournament will be first class.
FIBA: The level of the women's game is so high right now, particularly with your neighbours, the all-conquering Team USA. How difficult will it be for Canada when you play in Brazil?
McNeill: The level of the game all over the world is incredible and exciting! I do not believe that there is another women's sport in the world that has the athletes and the level of play that basketball does. We had a great summer in 2005 and we are ready to compete with the best teams in the world. All the games will be competitive because these are the best teams in the world.
FIBA: How well have Canada played in recent tournaments, and do you believe your team will get a lot better before the start of the FIBA World Championship?
McNeill: We played well last summer in tournaments in France, Spain, Brazil and our FIBA Americas qualifying. Like other teams, our improvement will depend on how much work the players have been doing and continue to do leading up to the Worlds and how much training time we have together this summer. We have several players that will be playing in the WNBA and will join us later in the summer for training.
FIBA: What do you believe will be one of your strengths in the tournament?
McNeill: We have great team chemistry - we play very well together. We care about each other and we care about basketball in Canada! We have a very balanced offensive attack with different players stepping up to score at different times. We have players that understand the game at both ends of the floor.
FIBA: New Zealand surprised a lot of people by reaching the quarter-finals at the Olympics in Greece. Does that suggest that the women's game is much more equal than maybe people might have thought?
McNeill: There are the perennial powers - but as anyone who follows sport knows upsets can happen. Rankings are on paper and teams must come on to the court and be ready to play every day at the World Championships.
FIBA: For you personally, is coaching in this tournament one of the high points of your career?
McNeill: I am very excited and honoured to have the opportunity to coach our Canadian National Team. Going to the Worlds is a dream come true for our entire coaching staff, players and supporters. I am most excited that our players get this opportunity to test themselves against the very best players in the world.
FIBA: What about after this event. Do you see Canadian women's basketball having a boom or will it struggle after Brazil?
McNeill: One can never predict the future - but I know that we are doing all the right things in Canada to build a consistent program. Our junior women's team went to the World's last summer and finished ninth.
We are also starting our first National Sports School for girls basketball - NEDA - National Elite Development Academy. In September 2006, we will launch this program under the direction of our National Development Coach - Christine Stapleton. We also have Canada Basketball Regional Training Centers all over the country where we are training our top young players.
We are definitely doing the work at the grassroots level so that we can be consistent on a world stage. There are many people doing great work all over Canada to make our game better. It is a very exciting time for basketball in Canada.
FIBA: Will you win the gold, silver or bronze medal in Brazil?
McNeill: Our goal is to be playing our best basketball at the World Championships - we will see where that leads us!
PA Sport, Exclusively for FIBA