Canada wins second straight FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series Title
The Canadian women’s 3×3 basketball team retained their second straight title at the Women’s Series Final on Sunday after a 16-15 victory over France. The team consisting of Michelle Plouffe, Katherine Plouffe, Paige Crozon and Kacie Bosch claimed the fourth edition of the competition in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
The Canadians entered the weekend as the No. 1 seed after winning five stops already this season, for the most tournament wins. Canada came ready to play, going undefeated throughout the final leg. Facing France yet again in the final, the game served as a rematch of the 2022 Final that Canada won 21-16 in Constanta, Romania.
In a final that came down to the wire, Katherine put up a game-high 10 points with Crozon putting up the game-winning shot at the final buzzer to secure Canada their second Women’s Series title. With just seven seconds to go, France’s Hortense Limouzin knotted the final at 15. Katherine Plouffe found Crozon just under the basket where she was able to hook the ball over Limouzin with no time remaining on the clock to secure Canada’s sixth tournament victory of the season.
“France is such a tough opponent,” Crozon said following the game. “We’ve played them so many times, both in the Women’s Series and the World Cup. We have so much respect for what they do. That game came right down to the wire. It was a very emotional game. We’re so happy to come out on top and be victorious in the Women’s Series Final.”
Michelle continued her dominance in Ulaanbaatar, earning tournament MVP as she led in Player Value and points scored. She finished with 33 points while also grabbing 21+ rebounds over the entire five-game tournament.
The blockbuster final game marked the biggest season ever in the Women’s Series, with 23 events over the year.
All five tournaments that Canada won leading into the Women’s Series Final they did with a perfect 5-0 record, and Ulaanbaatar was no different. On their way to the final game, Canada swept Mongolia (22-17), France (16-14) and Germany (21-13) in Pool A play on Saturday before defeating the United States 21-12 in the semifinals on Sunday.
Crozon came in clutch in the semifinal, pouring in 10 points and blocking two shots in a game Canada had under control from the start.
