The Canadian Senior Women's National Team recently announced their roster for the upcoming Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.
Among the 12 players selected was Minnesota Lynx forward and Toronto, Ontario native Natalie Achonwa, who at the age of 28 years old, will be competing in her third Olympics with Team Canada.
In 2009, at 16 years old, Achonwa became the youngest player to ever compete with the Senior Women's National Team. She was a part of the roster that went to the 2012 Summer Olympics in London and the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, among several other tentpole events for Canada Women's Basketball.
Next, the former No. 9 overall pick in the 2014 WNBA Draft is ready to try and bring home an Olympic medal for the first time in Canada Women's Basketball history.
Nat's focused on getting Canada to the podium in Tokyo. 🇨🇦@NatAchon x @CanBball pic.twitter.com/ZVhTj9sRBl
— Minnesota Lynx (@minnesotalynx) July 11, 2021
"Any time I am fortunate enough to wear Canada on my chest and put that jersey on, it means the world to me," Achonwa stated in the clip posted by the Minnesota Lynx's official Twitter account. "It is such an honour to be able to represent more than myself, more than my family, but my entire country.
"When I'm standing with my sisters, with my national team, with my teammates, I always get chills when they play the anthem. And for us to be on the podium and hear that anthem with medals around our necks, that would be a dream come true."
MORE: Lynx forward Bridget Carleton looking to live out dream playing for Canada at Olympics
Achonwa is no stranger to medalling for Team Canada. She helped lead the Senior Women's National Team to a Silver medal at the 2013 FIBA AmeriCup in Mexico, a Gold medal in the 2015 FIBA AmeriCup in Edmonton and a Gold medal in the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto.
Team Canada's first game in pursuit of a medal at the Tokyo Olympics will be against Serbia on Monday, July 26. They will then face Korea on Thursday, July 29, followed by a matchup with Spain on Sunday, Aug. 1.
Their best Olympic finish to date came in 1984 when they placed fourth behind the United States, Spain and Yugoslavia.
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