Katherine Plouffe

Biography

Since switching her focus to 3×3 basketball in 2019, Katherine Plouffe has consistently been among the world’s top players as Canada achieved many highlights, including back-to-back FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series titles in 2022 and 2023, a silver medal at the 2022 FIBA 3×3 World Cup, and qualifying Canada for Paris 2024.

Plouffe made her Olympic debut at Rio 2016 as a member of Canada’s five-on-five basketball team, where she played alongside her twin sister Michelle, now a teammate on the 3×3 national team. They had both been members of Canada’s gold medal-winning teams at the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games and the 2015 FIBA Americas Championship. The Plouffe sisters also competed at the 2014 FIBA World Cup where Canada’s fifth-place finish was the country’s best result since 1986. In her first season on the FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series in 2019, Plouffe helped Canada win four tournaments, including the final stop in her hometown of Edmonton.

Plouffe and the 3×3 team had a particularly memorable year in 2022. They won silver in the first ever appearance for a Canadian women’s team at the FIBA 3×3 World Cup. She was with them for four victories on the FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series, including the Series Final in Constanta, Romania. They then won gold at the 2022 FIBA 3×3 AmeriCup.

In 2023, Plouffe helped Canada to five wins on the FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series, including Canadian stops in Edmonton, Quebec City, and Montreal, before they claimed their second straight Series Final crown in UIaanbaatar, Mongolia.

To start the 2024 season, Plouffe was named MVP of the FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series opener in Springfield, Massachusetts. She then earned MVP honours at the FIBA 3×3 Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Hungary where Canada finished third to earn its first ever Olympic berth in 3×3 basketball.  

Plouffe played four seasons at Marquette University, leaving as the school’s ninth all-time scorer (1551 points) and fourth-leading rebounder (973). In her senior year, she averaged a double-double (17.1 points and 10.2 rebounds) and was named Big East Scholar Athlete of the Year.

A Little More About Katherine

Getting into the Sport: Started playing basketball at age 8, following her older sister into the sport… Older sister Andrea Mwumba played basketball at University of Washington and became her role model and mentor… Twin sister Michelle also plays for the 3×3 national team… Outside Interests: Graduated from Marquette University in 2014 (Bachelor of Arts in Communications Studies)… Enjoys spending time with family, reading, and exploring local areas during her time off… Odds and Ends: Favourite quote: “You cannot become what you need to be by remaining what you are.”… Nicknames: KP, Plouffe. Plouffey… Always travels with her Bible and prays before a game… Received the Murphy Family Award from the Canadian Olympic Foundation in 2023…