Five things to watch in Canadian sports this weekend

Here are five things to watch in Canadian sports this weekend:

RETURN TO ACTION — Sixteen months after clinching a Tokyo Olympic berth, Canada’s women’s basketball team is finally about to step back on the international floor. Canada will play in the AmeriCup starting Saturday in San Juan. The Canadians play four games in four days, beginning with a contest against the U.S. Virgin Islands on Saturday. Canada is ranked fourth in the world.

FOUR AT FENWAY — The Toronto Blue Jays kick off a four-game series with American League East rival Boston on Friday at storied Fenway Park. The last time these teams met the Red Sox took the last two contests of a three-game series at the Jays’ temporary home of Dunedin, Fla. That kicked off a six-game losing streak for Toronto, all against division opponents, though Toronto has since recovered to reassert itself as a contender in the American League wild-card race.

HEADING TO HAITI — Canada’s men’s soccer team starts its next step toward qualifying for the 2022 World Cup when it opens a home-and-home series with Haiti in Port-au-Prince on Saturday. The rematch next Tuesday is back in suburban Chicago with the series winner moving on to the final round of qualifying in North and Central America and the Caribbean. Canada is playing its home games in the United States due to border restrictions around the COVID-19 pandemic.

CHAMPION RETURNS — Canadians Stephen Ames and Mike Weir are back in action this weekend at a PGA Tour Champions event in Madison, Wis. Calgary’s Ames won his second career title on the tour for golfers 50 and over at last weekend’s Principal Charity Classic, while Weir, from Bright’s Grove, Ont., finished second. This week’s American Family Insurance Championship kicks off Friday.

HOOP DREAMS — There will be plenty of Canadian content on the hardwood as part of this weekend’s WNBA schedule. Hamilton’s Kia Nurse and the Phoenix Mercury look to avenge an 85-81 loss to Dallas on Tuesday when they host a rematch with the Wings on Friday. The Mercury also host Nurse’s old squad, the New York Liberty, on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Lynx are home to the Los Angeles Sparks on Saturday. Bridget Carleton of Chatham, Ont., and Toronto’s Natalie Achonwa are on the Lynx squad.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 11, 2021.

The Canadian Press