National women's basketball assistant Noelle Quinn scouting March Madness with eye for Canadians

Noelle Quinn lives for March.

It's crunch time for college basketball players, the time of year that reveals character, she said.

"Because it's one-and-done, there's legit no tomorrow," said Quinn, the new assistant coach of Canada's women's team.

"Being on this national platform, you have a lot of eyes on you, and it's very telling about the heart of the player, the mindset of the player. All the work that has been put in for the entire year, now this is the moment, and what do you do with the moment? Do you crumble, or do you excel? I love March."

Quinn scouts the NCAA women's tournament as head coach of the WNBA's Seattle Storm, but in her new role with the national team, she'll watch the Canadian women with a particularly keen eye this year.

Quinn is sure even her mom Golden will grow to be a big fan of Canadian players. Golden Quinn has had season tickets for the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks since their inaugural season. Quinn sent her mom a link to watch Canada's World Cup qualifying tournament in February in Osaka, which marked the Canadian debut of Quinn and head coach Victor Lapena. Canada booked its berth in the World Cup in Sydney, in September.

"My mom will definitely be watching [March Madness], and I'll probably have to highlight some [Canadian] players for her so she can kind of connect ... but by World Cup, she'll know," Quinn laughed.

There are 20 women — including three on top-seeded teams — among the record 50 Canadians on March Madness rosters.

Laeticia Amihere of Mississauga, Ont., and the South Carolina Gamecocks are a No. 1 seed in the Greensboro Region. Alyssa Jerome of Toronto and defending champion Stanford Cardinal are the No. 1 seed in the Spokane region, while Merissah Russell of Ottawa and the