In 2023, Canadian basketball teams can lay groundwork for possibly momentous 2024

After the widespread disappointment of the Tokyo Olympics, Canada Basketball took a step forward in 2022.

Further progress in 2023 would lay the foundation for a more successful Paris Olympics next year.

In five-on-five, the men's team could secure its spot for the first time since 2000, while the women can ensure they reach the Olympic qualifying tournament in Feb. 2024. In three-on-three, Canada's women will hope to build on a dominant 2022 run, while the men can also take steps toward qualifying.

Bartlett said the last two years or so have been about identifying and removing barriers to success.

"Maybe we didn't have enough coaching in our system that was connected. Maybe we didn't have long enough training camps. Maybe we didn't have the best training camp competition scrimmages," Bartlett said.

"So we invested heavily in that in '22. We will again in '23, so we could just make this about basketball talent vs. basketball talent. I've got a lot of faith in our talent."

The first major tournament of 2023 is the women's FIBA AmeriCup in July, with Canada coming off a fourth-place finish at the World Cup in the fall — its best placement at a major tournament since 1986.

A top-two AmeriCup finish would send Canada straight into February's Olympic qualifying tournament, bypassing a pre-qualifier in November. Before 2021's competition, Canada has reached the final in four straight AmeriCups.

Head coach Victor Lapeña says his eyes are set on a championship.

"The most important is to create the team to be able to compete in AmeriCup. Not just looking to get the [second] place or Olympics qualification. … We have to play to win the AmeriCup, always this is my style. Let's win, let's win, let's win," he said.

The tournament may