Former Gonzaga star leads Team Canada to Gold Medal

Yvonne Ejim added another piece of hardware to her mantle on Sunday.

The former Gonzaga women's basketball star forward represented Team Canada at GLOBL JAM, an international U23 showcase in Toronto that took place August 13-17 in Toronto at the Mattamy Athletic Centre.

Canada took home the gold medal in a thrilling defeat of Team USA in the championship game by a score of 72-65 on Sunday. The United States was represented by the Texas Longhorns women's basketball team.

Ejim, who was anointed Canada's captain during this event, didn't have her strongest game in the title bout, scoring six points on just 1-7 shooting while tacking on seven rebounds, four assists, and a block in 29 minutes.

Ejim was actually far better the first time Canada played Texas, posting a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double while shooting 6-10 from the field and 3-4 from the free throw line. All told, Ejim, who became Gonzaga's all-time leading scorer this past season, averaged 11 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in four contests for Canada.

GOOD AS GOLD! 🥇@CanBball ARE 2025 #GLOBLJAM CHAMPIONS! 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/Ru1l6t7VXb
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) August 17, 2025

It's yet another accolade for Ejim, who continues to prove she is one of the most prolific basketball players to ever wear a Gonzaga uniform.

Ejim broke out as a sophomore for coach Lisa Fortier's team back in 2021-22, winning WCC Sixth Woman of the Year after averaging 10.1 points and 5.6 rebounds. She was first team All-WCC as a junior, averaging nearly 17 points and 8.5 rebounds per game, before really turning it on as a senior in 2023-24. That year, Ejim led the WCC with 19.7 points per game and a 60.1% mark from the field while winning WCC Player of the Year, WCC Defensive Player of the Year, and the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year award.

The 6'3 forward decided she wanted to run it back for one more year, using her COVID eligibility to return for the 2024-25 season. Ejim managed to post career-highs nearly across the board, averaging 20.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists while once again winning both the WCC Player of the Year and WCC Defensive Player of the Year awards.

Mar 23, 2024; Spokane, Washington, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Yvonne Ejim (15) and guard Kaylynne Truong (14) celebrate during the second half against the UC Irvine Anteaters at McCarthey Athletic Center. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Ejim finished her time in Spokane as the all-time leading scorer in Gonzaga history - men's or women's - and is also the program leader in rebounds and field goals. She became the first WCC player on the women's side to record over 2,000 points and over 1,000 rebounds, and was recently nominated by the conference for the prestigious NCAA Woman of the Year Award.

Ejim not only represented Canada at GLOBL JAM, but she was also one of the youngest players on Team Canada's Senior National Team at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris and is a strong candidate to represent her home country again in Los Angeles in 2028.

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