Canada's women's basketball team counting on multiple generations to deliver 1st Olympic medal
CBC
Natalie Achonwa's 15-month-old son, Maverick, has quickly and seamlessly integrated into the Canadian women's basketball team.
Someone taught him to bump fists and he greets everyone with one whenever he enters a room. A few players are going out for coffee? Count Maverick in.
Even when Achonwa steps away for a second, Maverick is the centre of attention.
"My mom was telling me, I went to my room to drop off some laundry and she said, 'You just missed it. They were all standing around and singing Lion King,'" Achonwa said recently.
One can only imagine Maverick being held to the skies like Simba.
"To know that my son brings joy to so many other people, it hits a nerve for me for sure because he's so special to me and he has created a bond with my other family," Achonwa said. "These are the things I will remember when I hang my shoes up and my jersey up. It's those moments."
WATCH | In conversation with Natalie Achonwa:
Achonwa, the 31-year-old from Guelph, Ont., is headed to her fourth Olympics in Paris alongside a team that features a high schooler and two college players, whom the rest of the squad refer to as the "Gen Zs."
From Maverick to his mom, it's a team that spans generations — one hoping to use its mix of youth, talent (including four WNBA players) and experience to propel it to its first-ever Olympic medal.
"It's something that you cannot pay with money," head coach Victor Lapena said. "This experience, all the inspired young players. Natalie is probably, like we say, her last dance, no? With her baby around, with her family around.
"And this baby is wisdom for all of us. He transmits a lot of passion and a lot of energy and pride."
Beyond playing the role of mom during training camp, which stretches back to June in Victoria and Edmonton before that, Achonwa is also being counted on as a veteran leader.
In the past three Games, Canada lost in the quarterfinals twice before missing the knockout round altogether in Tokyo in 2021 and subsequently replacing longtime coach Lisa Thomaidis with Lapena.
Lapena said the team is tighter than at any point of his tenure.
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