Semifinals next stop on Canada’s 3×3 journey

PARIS – Tears streaked down Kacie Bosch’s feature arsenic she said Saturday astir nan imaginable of playing for an Olympic medal.

Bosch and her teammates had conscionable secured a spot successful nan women’s 3×3 hoops semifinals — a position that was ne'er guaranteed for a Canadian squad making their first Olympic appearance.

“It’s been specified an up-and-down travel for us, moreover successful nan (qualifiers). We had immoderate games wherever we thought we could person played amended and should person played better,” said nan defender from Lethbridge, Alta.

“And past coming here, each nan games are tough. We mislaid a fewer successful OT, we’ve had immoderate really reliable adjacent ones. But our squad ne'er gives up connected each other. So it’s conscionable astonishing having this travel pinch them.”

The trek hasn’t been linear.

Edmonton’s Michelle and Katherine Plouffe put nan thought of creating a 3×3 programme into mobility backmost successful 2019 aft years pinch nan women’s nationalist squad.

To get it disconnected nan ground, nan copy sisters had to money their ain training and travel, person players to subordinate them and scour nan globe for nan correct playing opportunities.

Now nan Plouffes are starring a Canadian squad that went 4-3 successful preliminary information play successful Paris.

“They’re nan benignant of players that, erstwhile nan crippled is connected nan line, they get excited, they emergence to that occasion,” said Paige Crozon, a guardant from Humboldt, Sask. “So conscionable having that connected our squad is specified a immense plus successful each way.”

The Plouffes person been connected nan Olympic shape before, playing for a Team Canada that vanished seventh astatine nan 2016 Rio Olympics. Michelle besides played astatine nan London Games successful 2012.

That acquisition on pinch nan twins’ personalities person been a boon for nan 3×3 crew, Crozon said.

“They’re truthful optimistic, they’re truthful grounded. They’re truthful humble yet truthful confident, which I deliberation is conscionable truthful admirable and inspiring,” she said. “They’re unthinkable hoops players but they’re moreover amended group and I deliberation that anyone astir (3×3 basketball) tin attest to that.”

The sisters’ activity has paid disconnected successful Paris.

Canada went 3-1 to unfastened nan Olympic tournament, past took back-to-back overtime losses to nan United States and Spain connected Friday.

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The squad rebounded pinch a triumph complete Azerbaijan to adjacent retired round-robin action Saturday, past posted a convincing 21-10 triumph complete Australia successful a play-in lucifer to clinch a spot successful Monday’s semifinals.

“This was a testament to nan squad we tin play as. Just a immense assurance boost going into nan adjacent round,” Michelle said aft nan win. “And now we get to play for a medal, which is beautiful awesome.”

Canada is group to look Germany successful nan semifinals Monday. The different semifinal features Spain and nan U.S.

The Germans went 6-1 successful nan preliminary information to decorativeness first atop nan eight-team group. The feat put them consecutive done to nan semifinals.

Canada and Germany person already met successful nan tournament, pinch nan Germans taking a 19-15 triumph successful round-robin action connected Thursday.

The Canadians are relishing a rematch.

“This travel has been a batch of things, but easy has not been 1 of them,” Michelle Plouffe said. “So (playing for a medal) intends a lot.”

This study by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 4, 2024.