Canadian trio part of program’s growth
Murphy, Tatham, Thorburn retire after helping Canada into eilte of women’s game
They hung in through bad times and relished the good ones, playing games they knew they couldn’t win because they knew they eventually would.
They were dedicated and intensely patriotic and knew they were fighting not only for themselves but for the future. And as they head off into retirement, three vital members of the Canadian senior women’s basketball team do so knowing they leave the program in a far better place than when they joined it. Hamilton’s Shona Thorburn, Brampton’s Tamara Tatham and Lizanne Murphy of Beaconsfield, Que., retired Tuesday, capping careers that spanned two Olympics for each and almost 450 senior team appearances between them. A program that was a non-factor when they joined it became one of the top half dozen in the world. They came through years when they were hugely overmatched but stuck with it — culminating in topeight Olympic finishes in Rio last year and London in 2012 along with a fifth-place finish in the 2014 world championship — because they cared about giving the game prominence in their country.
“Playing basketball for Canada really feels like so much more than just shooting the ball, playing defence and trying to outscore our opponents,” Murphy said.
“It feels more like fighting to get respect for our country and for people to love the sport as much as we do.
“I play hoping to make Canadians proud of our team and how we represent our country and values.”
The raw numbers are impressive. Tatham and Murphy made the senior team out of the same open tryout camp in 2005 and played 157 and 138 national team games, respectively. Thorburn was on the senior team from 1998 to 2003 and again from 2011 to yesterday and wore the uniform in 107 senior games.
Each played in two Olympics and, in separate conversations, all pointed to that as one of their most prideful moments.
“Not everyone gets to do this,” Tatham said.
“A large number of Canadian women will get to play basketball in the states, play pro overseas, and pro in the WNBA.
“But, only 12 elite, special and gifted athletes get to represent their country on the world stage, which is an irreplaceable feeling.”
All three have just finished seasons in the French pro league. They played overseas to be best prepared to represent Canada in whatever qualification tournament or major international event each summer held.
“You have to love what you do, because there are some very tough, tough days, days you want to quit, days you can’t do it anymore, days you are so emotionally and physically drained that you are not sure why you are doing this, but then you think about a memory, an accomplishment, a time with a teammate (who are now some of your best friends) and you smile and you realize why you are doing it,” Thorburn said.
The women’s team will attempt this summer to qualify for the 2018 world championship and while they go in as heavy favourites, there won’t be the same kind of vibe around the team.
“They are great basketball players, but even more importantly, they are amazing women who have inspired the next generation of basketball players in this country,” Canadian coach Lisa Thomaidis said of the outgoing trio.
“As a coach, I’m sad to see these players move on, but at the same time know that they’ve left the program in a great place for others to now take the reins and build upon.”