Team Alberta set for 2024 Canada Basketball National Championships

Team Alberta’s quest for gold at the 2024 Canada Basketball National Championships begins Monday.

This year’s National Championships run from Aug. 5 to 10. York University in Toronto, Ont., is hosting the Boys 15U and 17U championships, while the Girls 15U and 17U championships are taking place at Memorial University of Newfoundland in St. John’s, NL.

Team Alberta 2024 National Championships webpage

“We’re very excited by the potential of our 15U and 17U teams for both boys and girls,” says Dave Drabiuk, Alberta Basketball Association (ABA) Executive Director.  

“Team Alberta’s athletes and coaches have made great efforts preparing for this opportunity to compete on the national stage against the best in the country”

Alberta’s teams are being led by some of the brightest basketball minds in the province, head coaches David Kapinga (15U Boys), Matt Daley (17U Boys), Marissa Lindquist (15U Girls), and Megan Wickstrom (17U Girls).

The Alberta rosters include athletes that have competed internationally for Canada, such as Patrick Anamali and TJ Wal (17U Boys), who recently represented their country at the 2024 FIBA U17 World Cup, and Jayda Queeley (17U Girls), who won silver with Team Canada at the 2023 FIBA U16 Americas Championship.

Team Alberta is looking to build off a tremendously successful showing at the National Championships last year, when all four teams placed top 5, and the 17U Boys and 17U Girls both won silver. ABA’s 2024 rosters feature several returning players, including Kira Airey and Amanda Guss (17U Girls) who received all-star honours at the National Championships a year ago.

Team Alberta has served as a launching pad for some of the country’s top athletes. Four ABA provincial team alumni are currently at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, including Kacie Bosch, Katherine Plouffe, Michelle Plouffe on Canada’s women’s 3x3 team, as well as Yvonne Ejim on Canada’s senior women’s national team.

"ABA provincial teams hold a cherished place in the hearts of everyone fortunate enough to participate, whether as players or coaches,” says Drabiuk. “This program represents both a pivotal step on the journey to future achievements and a testament to the dedication and hard work invested thus far.”