In this 19th edition, we learn more about the next Canadian basketball player joining the WNBA alongside three other current Canadian players for the 2024 WNBA season. We also learn more about the Canadian women’s national hockey team winning the 2024 IIHF Women’s World Championship. Lastly, we learn more about Project 8’s newest franchise announced for 2025 and the Alberta woman who holds the women’s record for longest plank time.

The stories of the week show young girls and women in sport and physical activity that:

1. The Canadian women’s basketball players have paved the way for Canadian talent and representation in the WNBA, which grew even more after the 2024 WNBA Draft. It’s worth noting that the more frequently Canadian players compete in the WNBA, the more inspiration and potential for young girls in Canada also develops, helping to improve the state of Canadian women’s basketball.   

2. The representation of Canadian players in the Women’s World Championship confirms that the PWHL’s talent pool is strong. At the same time, the PWHL effectively assists with success in international competitions and championships.  

3. As we slowly approach the one-year out mark of the highly anticipated Project 8’s 2025 inaugural season, it is good confirmation to see the news about new franchises and the cities across Canada that will have a growing women’s professional soccer representation and fandom develop with the help of Project 8.   

4. DonnaJean’s Guinness World Record achievement shows that what started as an enjoyable form of exercise while doing something enjoyable like reading can transcend into an inspiring achievement: being able to plank for over four hours.

Another Canadian basketball player joins the WNBA

It was an exciting and highly anticipated night as Canadian basketball player Aaliyah Edwards was selected as the sixth overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. The WNBA’s Washington Mystics selected the player who spent her college basketball career with the UConn Huskies women’s basketball team.

Edwards will join three other Canadian WNBA players for the upcoming 2024 season: Kia Nurse (Los Angeles Sparks), Laeticia Amihere (Atlanta Dream), and Bridget Carleton (Minnesota Lynx).

When speaking on Canadian fans watching her play, Edwards said, “I’m just really grateful to leave an impact here in the States and just to open the door for all the little girls who wish they could be in my position and will be in my position in the future.”

During a pre-draft media press conference, WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert commented about potential cities the league is considering for expansion teams in the following years, noting Toronto as one of the cities in the running.

Canadian women’s national hockey team wins gold in 2024 IIHF Women’s World Championship

Team Canada is the 2024 IIHF Women’s World Championship winner. After a dramatic overtime game, Team Canada defeated Team USA 6-5. This championship win became the Canadian team’s 13th gold medal in 23 tournaments.

Team Canada had an impressive and consistent run throughout the entire Women’s World Championship, winning six of their seven games and only losing once.

The 2024 Canadian women’s roster comprised 16 of the 20 players who participated in the PWHL break from their respective PWHL teams to participate in the Women’s World Championship.

Now that they can return to their PWHL teams, the 2024 inaugural season will pick back up starting Thursday, April 18. To view the remainder of the 2024 PWHL season, click here.

Project 8 grows to six potential teams leading up to inaugural 2025 season

The Canadian professional women’s soccer league Project 8 has confirmed that a fourth location/team will join the league for the 2025 season. 

The next soccer team location will be in Halifax, Nova Scotia and be known as Atlantic Women’s Football Club (FC). The teams that are already announced are competing in Toronto, Ontario, Vancouver, British Columbia, and Calgary, Alberta.

Project 8 also shared that two additional franchises have submitted applications to join the league. This could bring the number to six teams/franchises for the inaugural 2025 season. 

The new women’s plank Guinness World Record now belongs to a woman from Alberta, Canada

DonnaJean Wilde, from Alberta, Canada, is the new women’s plank Guinness World Record holder after she successfully held a plank position for 4 hours, 30 minutes and, 11 seconds.

At 58 years old, Wilde is a grandmother to 12 kids, who were credited with motivating her to set the record.

Wilde first started practicing her planks 12 years ago after an injury prevented her from lifting weights or running. She enjoyed practicing planking while multitasking, such as reading a book simultaneously.

Another Canadian, Dana Glowacka, achieved the previous world record in 2019 with a time of approximately 4 hours and 20 minutes. 
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Kaitlyn’s Sport Stories Recap are written by Kaitlyn Lehbert, a passionate and driven sport advocate for girls and women. Kaitlyn holds her Bachelor’s degree in Sports Management from Brock University. Learn more about Kaitlyn by clicking here!

 

 

Have a sport story you want to share? Contact info@fastandfemale.com and it may get featured in Kaitlyn’s next feature.