Nine athletes will represent Canada in Osaka, Japan Feb. 13-15

Nine athletes have been selected to the Women’s NextGen roster for the 2025 Osaka Cup in Osaka, Japan, Wheelchair Basketball Canada announced on Tuesday.

“I am so excited about going to Osaka with this group of NextGen athletes,” said coach Marni Abbott. “We are looking forward to training and competing with our friends from Japan for a few days and in the Osaka Cup.  Many of these athletes have not competed internationally since the 2023 U25 Worlds and are hungry to perform at that level again.”

The 2025 Osaka Cup will take place at the Osaka Municipal Central Gymnasium from Feb. 13-15, 2025, and will see Canada’s Women’s NextGen Team tip-off against Australia, Thailand, and Japan.

Women’s NextGen Roster:
Katie Bajema—Sturgeon County, Alta.
Lily Brook—Salmon Arm, B.C.
Elise Froese—Victoria, B.C.
Bethany Johnson—Winnipeg, Man.
Puisand Lai—Toronto, Ont.
Rosie Long—Oakville, Ont.
Kayla MacKinnon—Dartmouth, N.S.
Larissa McClellan—Burlington, Ont.
Charlotte McElroy—Hamilton, Ont.

Coaches
Marni Abbott (Vancouver, B.C.)— Head Coach
Dylan Carter (Toronto, Ont.)—Assistant Coach
Tara Llanes (Vancouver, B.C.)—Assistant Coach

Additional Support Staff
Hailey Roll (Mississauga, Ont.)—High Performance Coordinator
Paul Murata (Toronto, Ont.)—Senior Women’s Athletic The

Osaka Cup schedule
(all times eastern)
Feb 13 – Thailand vs Canada – 11:30 p.m.
Feb 14 – Canada vs Japan – 8:30 p.m.
Feb 15 – Australia vs Canada – 12:00 a.m.
Feb 15 – Final Match – TBD

All games will be streamed here.

For more information, including the complete Osaka Cup schedule, visit the WBC event page.