Agot Makeer helps Canada reach FIBA Olympic pre-qualifying semifinals

South Carolina guard Agot Makeer is one win away from helping Canada reach the championship game of the FIBA Women’s Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament, as the young Canadian squad heads into Saturday’s semifinals in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Canada went unbeaten through the group stage, beating Senegal, the Philippines and host Mexico to secure a place in the final four. The tournament is the first major step on the road to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics for eight nations that did not qualify for the 2026 FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in Berlin. The tournament winner earns a place in the 2028 FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournaments.

FIBA Women’s Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament coverage

Makeer making an impact for Canada

Makeer has provided Canada with valuable minutes off the bench, averaging 5.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.0 steal in 11.5 minutes per game through the group stage.

Her most noticeable impact came in the tournament opener.

Canada pulled away from Senegal for a 72-57 victory, and Makeer finished with four points and five rebounds. Her plus-18 rating was the best mark on the Canadian roster, a sign of how effectively she influenced the game even when the ball was not in her hands.

She followed that performance with nine points and two steals during an 85-38 rout of the Philippines. Against Mexico, Makeer added four points and two rebounds as Canada held off the host nation, 70-64.

The numbers may not jump off the scoreboard, but Makeer’s defensive activity and versatility have given Canada another athletic option as the tournament moves into its win-or-go-home phase.

Canada’s roster is part of a noticeable youth movement. College players such as Makeer, BYU’s Delaney Gibb and Washington’s Avery Howell are getting opportunities alongside a group that is beginning to transition away from veterans who have carried the national program for years.

A familiar international stage

Makeer’s rise with Canada is hardly new.

She first turned heads at the 2024 FIBA U17 Women’s World Cup, where she averaged 17.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists while helping Canada capture a silver medal. Her performance earned her a place on the tournament’s All-Star Five. South Carolina highlighted that international breakthrough when it announced her signing in 2025.

South Carolina’s official Agot Makeer profile

Makeer returned to the international stage at the 2025 FIBA U19 Women’s World Cup, where Canada finished fourth. She averaged 10.3 points and 4.9 rebounds during that tournament, according to South Carolina’s official roster information.

That experience has helped prepare her for a senior national-team opportunity despite being only a college sophomore.

Makeer also owns dual citizenship in the United States and Canada but represents Canada internationally. That connection has allowed her to move through Canada’s youth national-team system before receiving an invitation to the senior squad.

A breakout NCAA Tournament helped set the stage

Makeer’s first college season at South Carolina offered another glimpse of what she could become.

She averaged 7.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists as a freshman, but her game accelerated when the NCAA Tournament arrived. During South Carolina’s postseason run, she averaged 14.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.3 steals while shooting 46.2% from three-point range.

Her late-season surge earned her All-Region recognition and gave the Gamecocks another dynamic perimeter weapon.

South Carolina’s official statistics list Makeer at 7.3 points and 3.3 rebounds per game for the 2025-26 season.

That combination of length, speed and defensive instincts is precisely what makes her useful to Canada’s current roster.

Gamecocks continue busy summer on international stage

Makeer’s run is part of an unusually active stretch for South Carolina players representing their countries.

Ayla McDowell, another Gamecock guard, recently played for Brazil’s senior national team at the FIBA South American Qualifier. She averaged 4.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 17.8 minutes per game and helped Brazil earn a bronze medal.

McDowell has already built a strong international résumé. South Carolina notes that she has represented Brazil at multiple FIBA events, including the 2025 AmeriCup and U19 World Cup.

Junior Joyce Edwards also spent part of the summer with USA Basketball‘s senior 3×3 program, competing in tournaments in May before helping the United States win the 3×3 World Cup in June.

Meanwhile, Alicia Tournebize has another opportunity ahead. The French forward was invited to France’s World Cup training camp, giving her a chance to compete for a spot on the national team ahead of the September World Cup in Berlin. South Carolina lists Tournebize as a member of France’s international program and notes her All-Star Five selection at the 2025 FIBA U18 EuroBasket.

Former Gamecocks Aliyah Boston and A’ja Wilson are also part of the United States’ World Cup picture, further extending South Carolina’s presence across the international basketball landscape.

Canada faces New Zealand in semifinal

Friday serves as a rest day before the tournament reaches its decisive stage.

Canada will face New Zealand in the first semifinal Saturday, while Mexico meets Brazil in the other matchup. FIBA’s official schedule lists the semifinals for Aug. 22, with the championship game scheduled for Aug. 23.

The winner of Sunday’s final will secure the tournament’s lone berth in the 2028 FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournaments.

For Makeer, the opportunity is another significant chapter in an international career that began with Canada’s youth teams and is now moving onto the senior stage. The 19-year-old guard has already experienced medal games, heartbreaking finishes and major college moments.

Now she gets another chance to help Canada take the next step toward Los Angeles.

With Canada one victory from the championship game, Agot Makeer Canada Olympic pre-qualifying tournament semifinals has become the latest chapter in the Gamecock guard’s rapidly developing international career.