Claire Meadows is headed back to the international stage.
Queen's Women's Basketball head coach, Claire Meadows, has been selected to join the coaching staff of Canada's Senior Women's National Team at the FIBA Women's Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament, taking place August 17–23 in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Canada will compete in Group B alongside host Mexico, the Philippines, and Senegal, with the top two teams advancing to the semifinals. The tournament champion will earn a spot in the 2028 FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournaments, bringing Canada one step closer to the road to LA 2028.
For Meadows, the international stage is familiar territory.
In 2024, she joined the coaching staff of the German Senior Women's National Team under Canadian head coach Lisa Thomaidis for the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Belém, Brazil. Germany defeated Brazil 73–71 to secure its first-ever Olympic berth, with Meadows on the sideline as the program made history. She then continued with the team at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Now, the maple leaf is back on her sideline.
Meadows' international coaching resume is deeply rooted in the Canada Basketball program. She helped Canada capture bronze at the 2017 FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup before taking over as head coach of Canada's U19 Women's National Team at the 2019 FIBA U19 World Cup.
This spring, Meadows returned to the national program as an assistant coach with Canada's U18 Women's National Team at the 2026 FIBA U18 Women's AmeriCup. Canada went on to earn a silver medal and secure qualification for the 2027 FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup.
Her journey, however, began much closer to home.
A former Gael, Meadows played for Queen's from 2002–07 before returning to Kingston as head coach in 2021. Since then, she has helped establish Queen's Women's Basketball as a consistent contender in the OUA and U SPORTS, earning multiple OUA Coach of the Year honours and leading the Gaels to championship appearances.
From wearing the tricolour, to helping Germany make Olympic history, and now representing Canada on the road to LA 2028, Meadows' coaching journey continues to reach far beyond Kingston.
