Delaney Gibb did not need a BYU-sized workload to make a BYU-sized point.
The Cougar guard scored 13 points in just over 18 minutes as Canada beat Senegal 72-57 Monday in its FIBA Women’s Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament opener in Guadalajara, Mexico. Gibb made three of five attempts from 3-point range and tied Syla Swords for Canada’s second-highest scoring total behind Kayla Alexander’s 16.
That is a useful first result for BYU because it came in a role Gibb does not usually get in Provo. She was one scorer among several, not the player asked to organize every important possession. Her shot still traveled.
Canada plays the Philippines Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. Mountain. Before that second game begins, the opener gives Cougar fans something more concrete than another offseason workout report.
The 13 points came without the usual burden
Gibb led BYU in scoring, assists and steals last season. The official BYU record also credits her with 1,070 career points and 4.38 assists per game, fifth in program history. When a college guard carries that much of the creation load, it can be hard to separate her scoring skill from her access to the ball.
Canada did that for us.
Alexander scored 16 against Senegal. Swords matched Gibb with 13. Canada also generated a 15-8 edge in offensive rebounds and a 26-14 advantage in points in the paint, according to Sportsnet’s game report. The offense had other engines and other ways to score.
Gibb still found 13 points in a little more than 18 minutes. The three made 3-pointers are the cleanest part of the line. She did not need to dominate the possession count to punish the defense, and she did not need a full college rotation to find her offense.
That matters for a BYU team with nine guards on its current 12-player roster. The Cougars need Gibb to run the show at times, but they also need possessions in which another guard starts the action and Gibb makes the defense pay for helping.
One opener does not settle the efficiency question
Three makes on five deep attempts is a strong night. It is not a new shooting percentage.
The sample is too small, the international line is different and Canada’s lineup is not BYU’s lineup. Senegal’s defensive plan will not be copied directly by Big 12 opponents. A tournament opener cannot prove that every off-ball question has been answered.
It can show that the idea works in a real game.
Gibb entered this week with plenty of evidence that she can produce against senior competition. At the 2025 FIBA Women’s AmeriCup, she averaged 9.1 points across seven games and helped Canada win bronze. She also played in Canada’s July exhibition win over UCLA. Monday added a different kind of receipt: quick scoring inside a balanced senior-national-team attack.
The distinction is important. BYU already knows Gibb can take difficult shots late in the clock. The next step is making the easier opportunities count before a possession gets difficult. A guard who can attack a closeout or hit the catch-and-shoot 3 forces help defenders to make worse choices around everyone else.
Canada’s third quarter is the better warning
The final margin looks comfortable. The middle of the game was not.
Sportsnet reported that Canada led throughout, but Senegal cut the margin to 48-47 in the third quarter. Canada answered with a 10-0 run and eventually pushed the lead as high as 17.
That sequence keeps the opener from becoming a victory-lap story. Canada had more size, won the offensive glass and produced the better result, yet one poor stretch nearly erased the advantage. Short tournaments turn those stretches into standings problems quickly.
Gibb’s next development question sits there. Can she supply the same spacing while helping Canada avoid the empty possessions that let an opponent back in? The public reports establish her points, minutes and 3-point shooting. They do not provide a complete possession-by-possession account of every decision, so there is no reason to invent one.
The team evidence is enough for now. Canada responded when the game narrowed, and Gibb finished as one of three double-figure scorers.
Wednesday asks for a repeatable role
Canada’s second Group B game against the Philippines starts Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. Mountain. The group finale against host Mexico follows Thursday at 8:30 p.m. Mountain. The top two teams in the group advance to Saturday’s semifinals, and only the tournament winner secures a place in the 2028 Olympic qualifying tournaments.
The opener improves Canada’s position. It does not finish the qualification job.
For Gibb, the best follow-up is not necessarily another 13-point line. Canada may need more playmaking, point-of-attack defense or rebounding from her against a different opponent. National-team basketball rewards the player who can change jobs without disappearing.
That is also the version BYU needs this winter. The Cougars’ young backcourt should give Gibb more help, but help only works if the pieces can share the floor. Monday’s 3-of-5 line suggests Gibb can create value when the ball begins somewhere else.
Our tournament preview argued that BYU should watch Gibb’s decisions rather than chase a big point total. The opener did not answer every decision question. It did give the scoring part of that argument a sharper shape.
Thirteen points in 18 minutes is fun. Three made 3-pointers inside a balanced attack is the part worth carrying back to Provo.
Sources and further reading
- Daily Herald, Aug. 18: Gibb aids Canada in FIBA tournament opener for Gibb’s 13 points, 3-of-5 3-point shooting, playing time and the 72-57 result.
- Sportsnet, Aug. 18: Canadian women beat Senegal in Olympic pre-qualifying opener for independent confirmation of the score, leading scorers, rebounding and paint totals, and Senegal’s third-quarter push.
- BYU Athletics: Gibb set for FIBA Olympic pre-qualifier with Canada for the official tournament schedule, ranking context and Gibb’s prior senior-team record.
- FIBA: Official Guadalajara tournament page for the event schedule, group structure and qualification path.
- BYU Athletics: Delaney Gibb player profile for her BYU production and career record.
- BYU Sport Nuts: Canada tournament preview, women’s basketball hub, roster and schedule.
