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RIO DE JANEIRO -- Kim Gaucher has seen the growth of womens basketball in Canada over her 16 years with the program.She started with the junior national team as a 16-year old and there wasnt much interest in the sport in Canada.Hockey and soccer were the top and only sports it seemed that people would talk about, Gaucher said laughing. When I first started playing, we would have to fly to South America and meet with our teammates there and try and qualify for events. That was our training time.Now 16 years later, womens basketball in Canada is on the rise -- led by Gaucher and a talented young group of players. That growth started when the team qualified for the London Games five years ago on Canada Day.They earned the final spot into the Olympics and put on a great showing before losing to the U.S. in the quarterfinals. It was the countrys first Olympic berth in 12 years and best showing since they finished fourth in 1984. The performance helped inspire some of the teams young players.I was a young kid watching our vets play in London and to be playing with them now is kind of crazy, said guard Kia Nurse, who is a junior at UConn and a big part of the future of Canadas team. To hear the stories of where they were to where we are now is incredible.Those Olympics were a springboard for the success the team has had the last four years. The Canadians finished fifth in the world championship in 2014 and then -- for the first time in 20 years -- hosted the FIBA America qualifiers which they won.That came a few weeks after the team won the Pan-Am Games in Toronto, knocking off the Americans in the gold medal contest. That US team wasnt the Americans national team, but it was lead Breanna Stewart.Its truly incredible, said Nurse, who had 33 points in the gold medal game victory over the U.S. Honestly its so crazy for us. No one really knew about womens basketball in Canada until the Pan-Am games. Now its like everyone talks about us.Canada basketball President and CEO Michele OKeefe said hosting was a key part of the strategy to help build the program.Having the Pan-Am Games and three weeks later the FIBA America championships was huge for us, she said. It bodes well. Not only do we get a home-court advantage, but the young kids get to see the athletes and the coaches get to see the strategy and level of competition. It gives everyone the chance to see what international basketball looks like.OKeefe said a big part of Canadas long term strategy over the past decade has been to invest in and streamline all the countrys different age groups, which has built a solid foundation for now and the future.The investment has been substantial, she said. Create an alignment right down our age group teams to our provincial teams. Make it a true feeder system. Its been a huge difference. Weve been able to call a kid up from a junior team and they know how to play at this level.The dividends have already paid off as a record four Canadians were taken in the WNBA draft this past April, including Olympian Nirra Fields.Now the next step would be winning a medal. If that were to happen the country would be truly abuzz. In the past 80 years, Canada only has two medals in team sports. The mens basketball team won a silver in 1936 and the womens soccer team took the bronze in London.Canada enters Rio fresh off a victory over 2012 silver medalist France in a pre-Olympic tournament last week. Canada also played against Australia and the U.S. in that exhibition series, giving the team a look at three of the top teams in the world.I dont think any of us would be shy to tell you that we set goals as a team and we want to try and come home with some hardware, Nurse said. For us were going to come out and peak at the right time.---Follow Doug on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/dougfeinberg Cheap Wholesale Air Max 95 . Wilson hit Schenn from behind during Tuesday nights game in Philadelphia, earning a five-minute major for charging and a game misconduct. He has a phone hearing with the department of player safety, which limits any potential suspension to five or fewer games. Air Max 95 Wholesale Canada . Gather a group of friends, or find a league to join online, draft your team, set your lineup and compete in a number of different formats. http://www.airmax95canada.com/ . -- The St. Johns IceCaps weathered a wild first period with the help of goaltender Jussi Olkinuora, before finding offensive inroads in the second. Air Max 95 Cheap Authentic . -- The Bishops Gaiters are showing they belong among the countrys top varsity football teams. Air Max 95 Cheap Sale . -- Patrick Reed got an early start in golf. LOS ANGELES -- Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Yimi Garcia is unlikely to pitch next season after undergoing Tommy John surgery on his right elbow on Oct. 25.The team confirmed the surgery this week after not saying why it wasnt disclosed at the time.The 26-year-old pitcher was limited to nine relief appearannces last season because of arm problems.dddddddddddd.Garcia pitched in 59 games in 2015 and had one scoreless postseason appearance that season.He remains on the 40-man roster. ' ' '