Lisa Thomaidis

Lisa Thomaidis is a Canadian basketball coach for the Canadian national team, which participated at the 2014 FIBA World Championship for Women.^[1]

Pam Am games 2015

Thomaidis was the head coach of the Canada women's national basketball team which participated in basketball at the 2015 Pan American Games held in Toronto, Canada July 10 to 26, 2015. Canada opened the preliminary rounds with an easy 101–38 win over Venezuela. The following day they beat Argentina 73–58. The final preliminary game was against Cuba; both teams were 2–0, so the winner would win the group. The game went down to the wire with Canada eking out a 71–68 win.^[2] Canada would face Brazil in the semifinal.

Everything seemed to go right in the semifinal game. Canada opened the game with an 11–2 run on seven consecutive points by Miranda Ayim. Miah-Marie Langlois contributed five assists. In the third quarter Canada strongly out rebounded Brazil and hit 69% of their field goals to score 33 points in the quarter. Lizanne Murphy and Nirra Fields hit three-pointers to help extend the lead to 68–39 at the end of three quarters. Canada continued to dominate in the fourth quarter with three-pointers by Kia Nurse and Kim Gaucher. Canada went on to win the game 91–63 to earn a spot in the gold-medal game against the USA.^[3]

The gold-medal game matched up the host team Canada against USA, in a sold out arena dominated by fans in red and white and waving the Canadian flag. The Canadian team, arm in arm, sang Oh Canada as the respective national anthems were played.

After trading baskets early the US edged out to a double-digit lead in the second quarter. However the Canadians, spurred on by the home crowd cheering, fought back and tied up the game at halftime. In the third quarter, it was Canada's time to shine as they outscore the US 26–15. The lead would reach as high as 18 points. The USA would fight back, but not all the way and Canada won the game and the gold-medal 81–73. It was Canada's first gold-medal in basketball in the Pan Am games. Nurse was the star for Canada with 33 points, hitting 11 of her 12 free-throw attempts in 10 of her 17 field-goal attempts including two of three three-pointers.^[4][5][6][7]

References

1. "CB ANNOUNCES LISA THOMAIDIS AS SWNT HEAD COACH". basketball.ca. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
2. "2015 Women's Pan American Games Schedule". USA Basketball. Retrieved 23 Jul 2015.
3. "WOMEN'S NATIONAL TEAM TOPS BRAZIL 91-63 TO MOVE ON TO TORONTO 2015 FINAL". CANADA BASKETBALL. Retrieved 23 Jul 2015.
4. "U.S. Women Collect Silver At Pan American Games After Falling To Host Canada 81-73". USA Basketball. Jul 20, 2015. Retrieved 23 Jul 2015.
5. "U.S. Women Collect Silver At Pan American Games After Falling To Host Canada 81-73". USA Basketball. Jul 20, 2015. Retrieved 23 Jul 2015.
6. Caple, Jim. "Battle of UConn Hoops Stars Goes To Canada in Pan Am Final". ESPN. Retrieved 23 Jul 2015.
7. Smith, Doug (Jul 20, 2015). "Canada wins historic Pan Am women’s basketball gold". Toronto Star. Retrieved 23 Jul 2015.