The Canadian senior women鈥檚 national basketball team is set to host an exhibition game against the defending Olympic runner-up in Victoria this spring.

The Canadian women鈥檚 team will take on Japan at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre on June 2 as the 鈥淩im to Rim鈥� game will look to celebrate the Pacific Rim rivalry between the two countries.

The international contest marks the first time in more than 20 years Canada鈥檚 senior women鈥檚 team has played a game in Victoria.

鈥淣ot only will this game give players and staff valuable international experience, but the unique opportunity to play on home soil in front of passionate Canadian fans, as well as family and friends,鈥� Denise Dignard, general manager and executive vice-president of the women鈥檚 high performance national team, said in a release.

The matchup is also set to mark the start of Team Canada鈥檚 march to the 2024 Summer Games.

鈥淚鈥檇 also like to extend my sincere appreciation to We The West, the local organizing committee as well as all our partners for their support in making this a reality as we begin to prepare for Paris Olympic qualification,鈥� Dignard said.

Canada, currently ranked fifth in the world, is coming off a fourth-place finish at the 2022 FIBA World Cup, which was the team鈥檚 best finish at the competition since coming in third in 1986.

The women鈥檚 national team is set to compete in the FIBA Women鈥檚 AmeriCup 2023 between July 1 and 9 in Mexico. Eight of the 10 teams from that tournament will advance to the FIBA Women鈥檚 Pre-Olympic Qualifying Tournament for the Americas in November. The top two teams will earn their spot in Olympic qualifiers being held next February.

Tickets for the Rim to Rim game go on sale at at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 21.

READ: