Jordin Canada: The True Point Guard Who’s One Shot Away from All-Stardom

Jordin Canada is already one of the best pure point guards in the WNBA: quick, shifty, poised, and surgical in how she manipulates defenses. She lives in the paint, collapses coverage, and creates clean looks for teammates. But at 5’6", she’s often finishing over or through bodies that are 6’1" and taller. That size gap shows up most at the rim, where length, verticality, and late contests can erase otherwise great drives. The cleanest solution isn’t just “shoot more threes.” It’s adding a reliable, intentional 14–15 foot pull-up that defenders must honor. Give Canada that counter, and her 10PPG can realistically jump into the mid-teens while preserving everything that already makes her valuable.

Shot chart from the 7/22 matchup against Las Vegas Aces

Where her points come from now

Canada’s shot profile is paint heavy. Outside of the occasional three, most of her attempts

come at or near the rim. Defenders know she wants to get downhill, so they meet her at the restricted area. 

Why the mid-range still matters (especially for small guards)

Basketball has evolved into a three-or-rim game, but for small guards who can’t elevate over length, the mid-range is still a vital scoring bridge. It punishes drop coverage, punishes late switches, and punishes defenders who are sprinting to recover to rollers or shooters. For Canada, a hesitation pull-up, a drag-crossover pull-up, or a snake dribble into pull-up would give her the ability to dictate pace and force bigs to step up. Once they do, it opens passing windows.

The Smesko system gives her the runway

In Karl Smesko’s offense, spacing is the key. Canada operates with wider lanes, emptier sides, and more purpose-built angles to attack. That means she often sees one primary defender and a rim protector who is late or unsure. If she layers in a consistent mid-range pull-up, defenders in space are suddenly stuck: go under and she rises; chase over and she stops; switch and she rejects or snakes you into a shot she practices every day. The scheme is already providing her the time and space, now it’s about weaponizing that space with a new scoring layer.

The ripple effect: from 10 ppg to 16 ppg (and why that’s realistic)

This isn’t about turning Canada into a volume scorer. It’s about adding two or three clean, repeatable mid-range makes per game that come directly from how defenses already play her drives. If those shots are taken from rhythm spots and built into her pick-and-roll reads, the points come without disrupting flow or usage. The result: a meaningful bump in scoring, higher true shooting if she hits them, and fewer empty rim attempts swallowed by length.

Defense and playmaking are already All-Star level

Canada’s defensive activity combined with her ability to organize an offense, already places her among the league’s most impactful floor generals. Add a consistent, respected mid-range and voters won’t just see “great guard play.” They’ll see two-way impact with three-level scoring reads. That’s the All-Star threshold.

The bottom line

Jordin Canada doesn’t need to reinvent herself. She just needs one more layer that makes defenders guess. With her speed, craft, vision, and defense, a trustworthy mid-range package is the cleanest pathway to an All-Star leap.

Hoops Tribe, what do you think? Is the mid-range the key to unlocking Canada’s next gear? Let’s Talk Hoops.