Israeli Basketball Star Maayan Gorin Rejects Canada to Lead National Youth Team Back to Top Tier

At just 17 years old, Maayan Gorin is emerging as one of Israeli women's basketball's brightest young talents. After declining an offer to join the Canadian U19 national team, Gorin is set to lead Israel's youth team in the European Division B Championship starting tomorrow, aiming to return the team to Division A.

Gorin's impressive journey includes standout performances at Wingate Academy and with the Gilboa/Maayanot youth team, where she was named National League Rookie of the Year at 15. Last summer, she moved to Canada to join Crestwood Preparatory College, renowned for developing players for college basketball and the WNBA. In her first season there, she averaged 12.3 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1.5 steals per game in the top Canadian and U.S. high school league.

Her coach at Crestwood, Marlo Davis, also coaches Canada's U19 team and had hoped to recruit her. Despite the straightforward immigration policies in Canada, Gorin chose to continue representing Israel, having already impressed in international play. In summer 2025, she led Israel's cadet team to maintain their Division A status at the European U16 Championship, averaging 20 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3 assists per game.

FIBA has highlighted Gorin as a must-watch player for the upcoming U18 tournament, calling her "Israel's new scoring machine" and praising her offensive arsenal and rebounding ability. Alongside teammate Maya Zilbershlag, who also shone in the youth and U20 teams this summer, Gorin is expected to be a key figure in Israel's quest to regain a top-tier position in European women's basketball.