EDMONTON (July 6, 2024) – Canada’s 3x3 Women’s National Team went undefeated in Day 1 action at the FIBA 3x3 Women’s Series Stop in Edmonton, Alberta on Friday. Playing in front of their home crowd, Kacie Bosch, Paige Crozon, Katherine Plouffe and Michelle Plouffe went a perfect 3-0 with victories against Chile, Puerto Rico and Australia’s Nunawading to advance to the series stop semifinals on Saturday.

In Canada’s first game of the day, a 19-10 victory against Nunawading, Katherine Plouffe matched the Nunawading team total with 10 points as she shot 10-of-12 from the floor while also grabbing seven rebounds. Michelle Plouffe added six points and four rebounds as Canada shot 15-for-21 from inside the arc.

Katherine Plouffe started the game on fire, scoring the first four points of the game. After back-to-back scores for Nunawading’s Miela Goodchild, Katherine Plouffe scored another pair of baskets for Canada. A two-pointer from Michelle Plouffe extended Canada’s lead to 9-3 with 5:42 remaining. Goodchild did her best to keep Nunawading in it, scoring six of the team’s 10 points, but a 5-0 run by Canada saw the lead balloon to nine points and Nunawading ran out of time to try to force a comeback.

In their second game of the day, Canada defeated Puerto Rico 21-10 behind a nine-point, four-rebound effort from Crozon who made 5-of-6 shots inside the arc and finished 1-for-3 from two-point range in the victory. Katherine Plouffe added five points, six rebounds and five highlights as the Canadians outrebounded Puerto Rico 18-7 in the win.

Canada opened the game with back-to-back buckets from Katherine Plouffe and Crozon, but the game was close to start and the score tied, 5-5, with 6:46 remaining. Canada then reeled off five straight points, including back-to-back buckets from Michelle Plouffe, and then three straight baskets from Crozon to take a 10-5 advantage. After Puerto Rico’s Annelisse Vargas connected on a two-pointer to snap Canada's run, a two from Crozon, followed by back-to-back buckets from Bosch and a free throw from Crozon extended Canada’s lead to eight points with 3:33 remaining. Bosch was all over the court defensively, earning offensive rebounds and extra possessions for Canada, while helping to force Puerto Rico into turnovers.

After a steal from Bosch, Katherine Plouffe connected on a two-pointer to go up 17-8. Canada continued to score, with a free throw from Crozon getting the team to 20 points with under two minutes remaining.  After a miss at the end of the shot clock from Puerto Rico, Crozon found a cutting Katherine Plouffe to give Canada the 21-10 victory with 1:33 remaining on the clock.

Canada’s final game of the day was a dominant 21-5 win against Chile. Crozon finished with nine points while Katherine Plouffe added seven points in the victory as Canada’s defence held Chile to just three field goals while the Canadians shot 12-for-21 from one-point range and 4-for-9 from beyond the arc. Canada led from start to finish, scoring the first seven points of the game, including six from Crozon, to take a 7-0 lead with 8:11 remaining.

Crozon responded to a two-pointer from Chile with a two of her own, her third of the game, to make it 9-2 Canada with 7:52 remaining. An offensive rebound from Bosch led to a layup and free throw from Michelle Plouffe, pushing Canada’s lead to nine. After Josefa Paz Orrego Aguila scored for Chile, Canada used a strong defensive push to hold Chile scoreless for three minutes, forcing turnovers and tough shots as the Canadians went on a 6-0 run to break the game open, going ahead 17-4 with 4:07 remaining.

An off-balance, off-the-glass two-pointer from Katherine Plouffe gave Canada the 21-5 victory with 3:03 remaining on the clock.

Up next for the Canadians will be the semifinals on Saturday, July 6 at 9:35 p.m. ET/6:35 p.m. PT, where they will take on the winner of the Puerto Rico/Barcelona Panther semifinal.