Arizona point guard Shaina Pellington named to Canadian Olympic squad

Arizona’s heir apparent at the point guard position just spent time in Puerto Rico playing in the AmeriCup for Team Canada. Now, Shaina Pellington is headed to Tokyo to represent her country in the Olympics.

Pellington was one of 12 players named to the Canadian squad on Tuesday. She joins five others as a first-time Olympian.

Pellington was a key reserve in helping the Canadian side qualify for the Olympics during her sit-out year after transferring to Arizona from Oklahoma. During the recent AmeriCup, which did not include the team members who play in the WNBA, she was the second-leading scorer for Canada.

She averaged 12.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 20.2 minutes per game as the No. 4 team in the world advanced to the medal round. She shot 51.1 percent from the field, including 50 percent from 3-point distance, in six games.

Last season with Arizona, Pellington had her best games down the stretch as the Wildcats advanced to the national title game. In the national championship game, she scored 15 points while grabbing seven rebounds and getting a season-high three steals in 30 minutes of play. She ended the season averaging 5.8 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1 assist, and 0.6 steals in 15.5 minutes per game.