(Reuters) – Canada Basketball and women’s national team head coach Victor Lapena have mutually agreed to part ways, the national governing body said on Monday, two months after the program went winless in the group stage at the Paris Olympics.
Lapena, who in May signed a contract extension to remain with the program through the 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup, led the team to a 17-10 record in FIBA competitions since being hired in January 2022.
That extension included an option for the Spaniard to pursue professional head coaching opportunities with an agreed-upon understanding that he would be available for all national team obligations.
Earlier this year, in consultation with Canada Basketball, Lapena was hired by Turkish club Cukurova Basketbol Kulubu.
“Following the Olympics, it was decided that it would be best for him to focus his efforts on his professional team as they compete in the EuroLeague Women and other national competitions,” Canada Basketball said in a news release.
The governing body also said it is assessing its training and competition calendar for the next four-year cycle in the lead-up to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and will conduct a head coaching search as part of that process.
With Lapena at the helm, the national team won a bronze medal at the FIBA Women’s AmeriCup 2023 and secured a fourth-place finish at the Women’s Basketball World Cup 2022.
Canada finished 11th at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games after a 0-3 record in the group stage where they lost to France, Australia and Nigeria.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
