Team USA Holds Off Host Canada for IWBF Women’s World Championship
Team USA’s women’s wheelchair basketball team won the gold medal at the 2026 International Wheelchair Basketball Federation World Championships, beating host Canada, 77-76, in the Sept. 19 championship game that wasn’t decided until the final closing seconds at TD Place in Ottawa.
With 20.8 seconds left, the U.S.’ Courtney Ryan broke a 76-76 tie by making the second of two free throws. Canada missed on its next possession; Ixhelt Gonzalez pulled down the defensive rebound, and the U.S. held on.
Four Americans in Double Figures
Lindsey Zurbrugg led the Americans with 26 points on 12-of-18 shooting and had seven assists. Ryan had 17 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. Rose Hollermann also scored 17 points and added five rebounds and five assists, and Ixhelt Gonzalez finished with 15 points, seven rebounds and eight assists.
Team USA shot 53 percent and had 30 assists on its 35 made field goals, with just four turnovers
. Canada won the rebounding battle 38-33. Canada’s Kady Dandeneau led all scorers with 34 points and had 13 rebounds, while Arinn Young had 30 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds.
Hosts Jump Out Front, U.S. Closes In
Canada gave its fans an early reason to cheer, jumping out to a 9-2 lead in the first two minutes and staying in control through the quarter. Gonzalez scored the first U.S. basket, and Zurbrugg and Hollermann kept the Americans within reach. Canada led 27-20 after the first quarter.
Zurbrugg said the crowd added to the atmosphere instead of becoming a distraction.
“Canada, they showed up. They were rowdy for their team,” Zurbrugg said. “I think it’s fun playing in a crowded environment.”
The U.S. started chipping away early in the second quarter. Zurbrugg scored 11 seconds in, Hollermann followed, and Ryan’s layup with 5 minutes and 14 seconds remaining put the Americans up 32-31. Canada answered and took a 41-38 lead into halftime.
Zurbrugg said the Americans didn’t need to change much.
“We had some adjustments, but at the end of the day, it was very, very minimal,” Zurbrugg said. “Everything else was just trust the process and trust the defense that we know that we should be playing.”
Neither Team Blinks
Neither team could pull away after the break. Gonzalez gave the U.S. a 42-41 lead with 9:25 left in the third quarter, and Dandeneau answered for Canada. Ryan’s layup made it 50-48 at 6:31, but Canada came right back. Dandeneau’s late basket put the hosts ahead 60-59 heading into the fourth quarter.
With the crowd reacting to every possession, Hollermann said the Americans tried to keep their focus narrow.
“We’re always focused on ourselves,” Hollermann said. “We’re always focused on the X’s and O’s, one play at a time.”
A Seven-Point Cushion Disappears
The lead kept swapping early in the fourth. Zurbrugg put the U.S. up 63-62 with 6:58 remaining; Canada answered, and Ryan scored with 6:17 left to make it 65-64.
Then the Americans finally built some room. Ryan made a basket again with 4:41 left, Hollermann added a layup with 4:17 to go, and Gonzalez finished inside with 3:25 left to make it 71-64.
Seven points wasn’t enough. Dandeneau and Young led a Canadian rally that got the crowd back into it. Dandeneau made three straight baskets, and then hit a jumper with about 39 seconds left to tie the game at 76.
Ryan drew a foul with 20.8 seconds remaining. She missed the first free throw and made the second, giving the U.S. a 77-76 lead, and they hung on for the win.
U.S. head coach Jeremy Lade said the finish was what he expected.
“I think Canada’s intensity was really high,” Lade said. “It’s what you expect in a gold-medal game, and you expect the game to come down to one possession. That’s exactly what it came down to.”