Alberta Basketball Top 10 Moments of 2024
As 2024 comes to a close, we’re looking back on an incredible year for Alberta basketball by counting down the top 10 moments of the year:
10) Jermaine Bucknor wins NBA championship
As a player development coach for the Boston Celtics, ABA alumnus Jermaine Bucknor (Edmonton) became the first Albertan to win the NBA championship.
Boston won its record 18th NBA Championship by defeating the Dallas Mavericks 4 games to 1 in the 2024 NBA Finals.
Bucknor celebrated with Celtics players and coaches on the court at TD Garden after Boston defeated the Dallas Mavericks 106-88 in Game 5 of the best-of-seven series on June 17.
9) ABA launches Blue Whistle Campaign
On Oct. 18, ABA officially launched the Blue Whistle Campaign, a provincewide initiative encouraging respectful treatment of new basketball officials.
Through the Blue Whistle Program, new officials across the province receiving specially designed blue whistles emblazoned with the orange ABA logo.
When worn during games, the distinctive and easily identifiable whistle serves as a visual reminder to everyone in the gym of the program slogan, “When the whistle is blue, the official is new”.
8) Edmonton hosts WNBA Canada Game
On May 4, the second ever WNBA Canada Game was held in Edmonton, where a sellout crowd packed Rogers Place to watch Canadian Kia Nurse and the Los Angeles Sparks defeat the Seattle Storm in 84-79 in WNBA pre-season action.
The Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation 50/50 raffle for the WNBA Canada Game was held in support of ABA and Kids Help Phone.
As part of festivities around the WNBA Canada Game, a special design was unveiled on the outdoor court at Wîhkwêntôwin School in downtown Edmonton on May 5.
7) Yvonne Ejim wins Becky Hammon Award
On April 3, ABA alumni Yvonne Ejim (Calgary) was named the 2024 Becky Hammon Player of the Year award presented by Her Hoop Stats.
The Gonzaga Bulldogs forward became the first Canadian to receive the award, which recognizes the best mid-major player in the NCAA Division 1 women’s basketball.
Ejim was also named 2024 West Coast Conference Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year and received an AP All-American Honourable Mention. She led the Bulldogs to the Sweet 16 of March Madness.
6) ABA alumni represent Canada on national age-group teams
Five ABA alumni were among the six Albertans that competed at international age-group championships in 2024.
Patrick Anamali (Calgary) and TJ Wal (Edmonton) represented Canada at the FIBA U17 Men’s Basketball World Cup, which ran from June 29 to July 7 in Istanbul, Turkey.
Olivia Leung (Calgary), Ify Nwaobi (Calgary) and Nyadieng Yeich (Calgary) were part of the Canadian team that won silver at the FIBA U18 Women’s AmeriCup 2024, which ran from June 17 to June 23 in Bucaramanga, Colombia.
5) Youth Provincials takes place alongside U Sports Final 8
Nearly 150 teams from across Alberta took part in 2024 ABA Youth Provincials at the Saville Community Sports Centre in Edmonton on March 8 and 9.
Medals were warded in 20 divisions, 10 each for boys and girls, spanning the U11 to U18 age ranges.
The 2024 edition of ABA Youth Provincials was part of massive four days of basketball at the Saville Community Sports Centre, which also hosted the U Sports Women’s Final 8 from March 7 to 10. Youth Provincials participants were able to attend Final 8 games for free.
4) ABA alumni medal at FIBA 3x3 AmeriCup
ABA alumni were instrumental in Canada making history at the FIBA 3x3 AmeriCup 2024, which took place in San Juan, Puerto Rico, from Dec. 13 to 15.
Kacie Bosch (Lethbridge) and Katherine Plouffe (Edmonton) helped the Canadian 3x3 women’s team win gold for the second time at the annual tournament, tying the United States for most.
Steve Sir (Edmonton) was part of the Canadian 3x3 Men’s National Team that won bronze, the first of any colour for Canada’s men’s team in FIBA 3x3 AmeriCup history.
3) ABA holds first Club Invitational Tournament in Lethbridge
The inaugural ABA Club Invitational ran from July 19 to 21 at the 1st Choice Savings Centre for Sport and Wellness in Lethbridge.
The first annual tournament featured 13U and 15U boys and girls club teams from around the province. Participating clubs were based on ABA Member in Good Standing status.
Genesis Basketball (Calgary) won the championship in both the 13U Boys and 15U Girls divisions, while the ITD Panthers (Edmonton) captured the trophy in the 15U Boys division.
2) Albertans take part in basketball at Paris Games
An incredible total of eight Albertans were involved in basketball competition at the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympic Games.
During the Summer Olympics, which took place from July 26 to Aug. 11, Yvonne Ejim was a member of the Canadian women’s basketball team, Kacie Bosch (Lethbridge), Katherine Plouffe (Edmonton) and Michelle Plouffe (Edmonton) were part of the Canadian women’s 3x3 team, and Matthew Kallio (Edmonton) officiated games in the both the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments.
At the Summer Paralympics, which ran from Aug. 28 to Sept. 8, Arinn Young (St. Albert) was part of Canadian women’s wheelchair basketball team, while Reed De’Aeth (Sherwood Park) and Chad Jassman (Medicine Hat) were members of Canada’s men’s wheelchair basketball team.
1) Provincial teams sweep bronze at National Championships
Alberta’s 15U Men’s, 17U Men’s, 15U Women’s and 17U Women’s teams all won bronze at the 2024 Canada Basketball National Championships, which took place from Aug. 5 to 10 in St. John’s, Newfoundland, and Toronto, Ontario.
Team Alberta’s remarkable bronze medal sweep marked the first time since the modern Canada Basketball National Championships began in 2002 that Alberta captured a medal in all four divisions.
Seven Alberta athletes were named National Championships All-Stars: Liam Mitakaro (Edmonton), Mikhail Francis (Calgary), Pippa Gibb (Raymond), Ailey Marshall (Calgary), Deng Ngor (Calgary), Patrick Anamali (Calgary) and Jayda Queeley (Edmonton).
