Canada may be fresh to Olympic 3×3 play, but Michelle Plouffe, Katherine Plouffe, Paige Crozon, and Kacie Bosch are up to the task.

Canada’s 3×3 phenoms have been developing momentum as a team since 2019, self-funding their first year of competition. After failing to make it to Tokyo, the squad regrouped and set their sights on Paris. They won gold at the Women’s 3×3 AmeriCup in 2022 and silver at the World Cup the same year.

The team is ranked fifth in the world by FIBA, although Canadians dominate the top three slots in individual rankings. Katherine Plouffe is first, followed by Paige Crozon in second and Michelle Plouffe in third.

Canada is in Paris for the first time as a 3×3 team, and they are eager to compete for the podium.

3×3: A quick dash of a game.
3×3 basketball differs significantly from the usual 5×5 game. For starters, it is played on a half court rather than a full court, with just three players on the field at any given moment. Each team has one substitute on the bench as well.

Games last 10 minutes, however they can be cut short if one team gets 21 points before the timer runs out. The shot clock in this game is 12 seconds long, with inside shots counting 1 point and shots beyond the arc worth 2 points. You can also foul in 3×3, and each team is permitted six fouls before entering the bonus.

Free throws are still worth one point each, but the extra shots operate slightly differently. If a player is fouled while shooting and the ball enters the net, they receive one point, shoot one basket for the foul, and shoot another for being in the bonus. Instead of receiving and

You can get a and-two!

Teams transfer possession similarly to traditional basketball, but typically begin a new possession at the top of the court. There are no intermissions in the 10-minute game, but teams can use 30-second timeouts.

Okay, now that we know the basics, let’s talk about Canada’s first game:

Canada gets off to a great start in the Olympics.
Canada began pool play with a game against Australia, who defeated them in a qualification competition two months before. Maybe it was the excitement of finally being in the Olympics, or the desire to get revenge on a team that had defeated them, but Canada came out of the gate strong.

points, three rebounds. Michelle Plouffe had eight points and five rebounds, Crozon had four points and four rebounds, while Kacie Bosch got two rebounds.
Canada’s pool standings
Although not all teams have yet played their first pool game, Canada now leads the pool. In 3×3, the amount of points counts as a factor in standing, similar to point differential in the 5×5 game.

Canada now leads with one win and 21 points after scoring 21 or more points in their game. Germany also won, but is in second place with 17 points.

Canada will play China tomorrow, July 31st, at 12pm. It will be their only game tomorrow before they play two games on August 1st and two games on August 2nd.