The future of Canadian basketball is in great hands, in part due to the challenges the next generation has to face in the present.

With the women’s March Madness group whittled down to 16 teams after an enthralling four days of hoops, the Canadian contingent in the NCAA has, for the most part, stayed intact.

Though Avery Howell at Washington and Jasmine Bascoe at Villanova saw their seasons end early, many of the future faces of Canadian hoops advanced to the second weekend, with Toby Fournier at Duke, Syla Swords at Michigan, Agot Makeer at South Carolina and Cassandre Prosper at Notre Dame leading the charge.

More importantly, they’ve all shone in their roles through the opening rounds.

Fournier dropped 24 against Charleston and 15 against Baylor, Swords netted 26 against perennial powerhouse NC State, Makeer excelled on both ends off the bench against Southern and USC, and Prosper was a huge part of the Fighting Irish’s upset win over Ohio State.

However, it only gets harder from here on out.

Showdowns against top-seeded teams like LSU, UCLA, Vanderbilt, UConn and Texas loom over the quartet, and the only way out is through.

Though each player has big-game experience under their respective belts, the lights don’t get much brighter than the tourney. Games in March cement legacies and elevate stars, and battle scars earned here can be exactly what’s needed come 2028 or 2032, when this group could find themselves donning the red and white in front of the world at the Olympics.

Here’s what you need to know about the women’s Sweet 16 and Elite Eight:

Can Toby Fournier and Duke slow down LSU? 

Fournier has made a mark in her sophomore season, breaking out as the top Canadian player at the collegiate level and earning an AP All-American Third Team selection.

Her two-way play has been relentless, as she ranks fourth in the ACC in points (17.4) and second in blocks (2.3) — nearly enough to earn her a nod as the conference’s player of the year, just falling short of Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo.

That leap helped Duke to its best record in conference play under coach Kara Lawson, finishing 16-2 in the ACC and earning the Blue Devils a second straight conference title.

But is it enough to take on a powerhouse LSU side coming off back-to-back 100-plus-point performances in the opening rounds of the tourney?

The Tigers have looked fierce once again under head coach Kim Mulkey and the athletic pairing of Flau’jae Johnson and MiLaysia Fulwiley. They rocked Duke in their regular-season matchup, beating them 93-77 on Dec. 4 by pounding the paint and taking the fight straight to Fournier.

They’ve dominated the inside again in the opening rounds, netting 66 paint points against Jacksonville and 46 against Texas Tech, while also handily winning the turnover battle, scoring 70 points off turnovers combined through the two games.

LSU is coming into this showdown as the second-best offence in the country, sporting a 121.2 offensive rating this season and is in rhythm after breaking the record for 100-point games in a season with 16. And while Duke’s bread and butter has come on the defensive end, it’ll take more than just Fournier’s paint presence to slow down the Tigers.

Oh, and if Duke makes it to the Elite Eight, a potential showdown with Lauren Betts and No. 1 offence UCLA awaits. How’s that for a litmus test for Fournier?

Has Syla Swords found her rhythm?

After an impressive freshman season, Syla Swords has endured an up-and-down sophomore year at Michigan.

While the Sudbury, Ont., native has improved in some areas, notably her ball security and on-ball defence, her scoring and efficiency have both taken steps back.

But she looks to have found some form over the first two games of the tourney, shooting 56.0 per cent from the field and 42.9 per cent from deep and showing out with a stellar 26-point showing in the second round against NC State.

Luckily for her, upcoming opponent Louisville isn’t known for its defence, ranking 57th in the nation in defensive rating at 84.3.

Michigan has never advanced past the Elite Eight, and a matchup with powerhouse Texas looms should they get past the Cardinals, but a sharpened Swords and continued production from fellow sophomores Olivia Olson and Mila Holloway could make up for the size differential against Madison Booker and the powerful Longhorns.

Azzi Fudd building case as WNBA No. 1 overall pick

Now that the WNBA’s CBA is ratified, it’s high time to start projecting who will end up where in the draft on April 13.

Performances at the tourney can boost stocks, and while players like Fudd are mostly known quantities, a stellar showing and a second consecutive title could make her a shoo-in for the top pick and the perfect complement to former Huskies teammate Paige Bueckers in Dallas.

Though many are projecting Spanish forward Awa Fam to secure the top spot, Fudd called that consensus into question with a 34-point beatdown of Syracuse in the second round, where she shot eight of 11 from deep, improving her season-long rate to 45.4 per cent.

The 98-45 victory even had Orange head coach Felisha Legette-Jack wondering if there was a grand conspiracy behind her having to face the Huskies at the tournament each year.

Next on the docket is UNC, a team propelled by strong perimeter play on both sides of the ball, holding opposing teams to 27.9 per cent from range while hitting 35.6 per cent of its own looks.

If Fudd can keep up her pace from beyond the arc and the Huskies continue their effortless roll through the bracket, a Final Four appearance feels inevitable, and a spot on the Wings could be next up.

• While Hannah Hidalgo’s ridiculous steal numbers (two consecutive games with eight steals!) are stealing the show for the Fighting Irish, Montreal native Cassandre Prosper has put in some serious legwork to get Notre Dame where they are now.

Prosper was named the ACC’s most improved player after taking a statistical leap in her senior year, averaging 13.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.1 blocks (all career-highs) and 1.6 steals in her first full season as a starter.

More than that, however, has been her willingness to play anywhere on the floor and take on all comers — something that will be put to the test against sophomore sensation Mikayla Blakes on Vanderbilt.

“She runs through a wall for me. She runs through a wall for this team,” Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey said of her senior after the win at Ohio State. “She plays every position that you can play on the court, as far as defensively. Offensively, she’s worked on every aspect of her game. But for me, she’s a pro. She knows — she’s very, very business-oriented, and she just does whatever this team needs.”

• Playing on a No. 1 seed South Carolina squad, Thunder Bay, Ont., native Agot Makeer has the best chance out of the group of Canadians to be playing in the Final Four. But that doesn’t mean her path to this point has been an easy one.

The Gamecocks have cruised to two opening wins, sure, but Makeer — who has come off the bench in both outings — has made a huge impact as a freshman on a loaded roster under head coach Dawn Staley.

She only has five double-digit scoring games this season and two of those have come in the opening rounds of the tourney. But it’s her two-way play that has impressed her coach more than anything.

“I think she’s probably the most talented guard that we have on our roster, like, just both sides of the ball. I’ve said that a number of times,” Staley said of the freshman after the Round 2 win over USC. “She just needs to get playing experience under her belt. As you can see, the more she plays, the more you can see what she can do out there on both sides of the floor, and I think it’s just the tip of the iceberg. I think she’s got more in her tank, and she’s got more to give and more to grow. Once she’s able to do that, you’ll see just a really incredibly gifted player.”