Henderson leads Canada into FIBA U18 AmeriCup semifinals with victory over Mexico

Back-to-back clutch performances for @taliyah_hend3

A team-high 17 points & nine rebounds earns Henderson @ToyotaCanada Drive of the Game Honours as Canada qualifies for the FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup 2025 #U18Women pic.twitter.com/8jSYq4L31P

— Canada Basketball (@CanBball) June 21, 2024

Salpointe Class of 2025 standout Taliyah Henderson finished with a game-high 17 points and nine rebounds in Canada’s 66-58 victory Friday over Mexico in the quarterfinals of the FIBA U18 Women’s AmeriCup at the Coliseo Bicentenario in Bucaramanga, Colombia.

With the victory, Canada not only advances to the semifinals of the AmeriCup, but it also qualifies for FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup 2025 (in which Henderson will likely participate).

In Canada’s closest game out of the first four it has played at the AmeriCup, Henderson played the most minutes (31) that she has experienced at the event.

After Mexico took a 41-40 lead with 6:45 left in the third quarter, Henderson made two free-throw attempts and then drained a 3-pointer with 4:23 remaining in the period to put Canada ahead 45-41.

Mexico did not get closer than four points after that.

Mexico’s Mariana Medivil made a 3-pointer with 13 seconds left to cut the lead to 64-58 but Canada’s Jasmine Bascoe made two free throws with 6 seconds remaining to secure the win.

Henderson made 4 of 10 shots from the field and 8 of 10 from the free-throw line.

She is averaging 10.8 points and 6.8 rebounds through the first four games of the event (view stats below).

Canada (4-0 in the AmeriCup) will play Brazil (3-1) in the semifinal game Saturday at 6:10 p.m., Tucson time.

USA (4-0) is also in the semifinals (3:40 p.m., Saturday) after routing the Dominican Republic 125-27 on Friday. The Americans will play Argentina (3-1)

The championship is Sunday at 6:10 p.m.

Henderson’s stats through the first four games of the AmeriCup: