Canada's women top Brazil to open wheelchair basketball world championships

The Canadian women's wheelchair basketball team's road back to the medal podium at the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) world championships began with a 61-56 win over Brazil on Saturday in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Kady Dandeneau of Pender Island, B.C., was sensational in the victory, pouring in 31 points, 17 rebounds and five assists.

The 33-year-old headlines a team led by new head coach Marni Abbott-Peter, who takes over a team that won gold at the 2022 Americas Cup in July, but is looking to get back onto the world championship podium after missing out for the first time in 2018.

Brazil held the lead through the majority of the first half before Dandeneau recorded 17 points in a third quarter that saw Canada outscore its opponent 19-10 to take a five-point advantage into the final frame.

Quebec City's Cindy Ouellet scored Canada's go-ahead basket three minutes into the second half to make it 37-36, with the Canadians never trailing again for the rest of the game.

Ouellet finished just short of a double-double with nine points and nine assists, to go along with five rebounds and a steal.

WATCH | Dandeneau paces Canadian attack with 31 points, 17 rebounds:

Elodie Tessier of St-Germain de Grantham, Que., chipped in 10 points, while Arinn Young of St. Albert, Alta., finished with seven points and three assists.

Perla Assuncao led Brazil with 16 points.

Canada faces Spain on Monday in the second game of a five-game round-robin in Group B. The Canadian women will also play Great Britain, Australia and China throughout the week.

Originally scheduled for November of 2022, the tournament was postponed to June as to not clash with the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. 12 countries are represented in