LEON, Mexico (Dec. 1, 2025) — Canada’s women returned to the podium with a silver medal, while the men placed fourth at the 2025 FIBA 3x3 AmeriCup in León.

Fresh off a memorable 2024 AmeriCup — where the women captured gold in an overtime thriller against the United States and the men claimed a historic bronze over the Dominican Republic — Canada entered the 2025 edition with momentum and ambition.

Canada’s women opened their campaign on Day 3 with a gritty 22–10 win over the Dominican Republic. After a slow start that saw them trail 7–4, Katherine Plouffe steadied the group with nine points and seven rebounds, while Merissah Russell made her 3x3 debut just days after first being introduced to the format.

“I just started playing 3x3 this week,” Russell said, reflecting on her first AmeriCup minutes. “But Paige [Crozon] and Kat are great teachers. It was trial by fire — one sub, hot sun, no choice but to go. It’s fun. Great culture, great environment.”

Canada carried that confidence into a dominant 21–3 win over the Cayman Islands, where Jade Belmore delivered seven points and five rebounds in her first AmeriCup appearance. Russell followed with six points, including the game-winner, helping Canada finish atop their pool.

In the quarterfinal, Canada edged Puerto Rico 19–15 behind Paige Crozon’s six points and Russell’s steady play at both ends. Plouffe added eight rebounds, anchoring the team defensively. Canada then rolled past Brazil 21–10 in the semifinal, setting the stage for a rematch of last year’s gold-medal classic against the United States.

Though Canada trailed for much of the final, Crozon tied the game at 19–19 with under two minutes to play. A late foul led to two U.S. free throws that sealed the result, securing a silver-medal finish for Canada.

Crozon praised the group’s resilience and the rapid growth of the newcomers.

“We always want to win, but what we value most is our culture,” she said. “Jade and Merissah upheld our standards from day one — fearless, tough, never backing down, even against four WNBA players in the final. I’m so proud of them.”

On the men’s side, Canada opened with a strong 21–16 win over Trinidad and Tobago, with Jerome Desrosiers powering the offence with eight points and five rebounds. After a tight early stretch, Canada gradually pulled away.

Their second game — a 21–14 win over Argentina — was highlighted by Steve Sir’s 11 points and a thunderous poster dunk from Desrosiers that sparked the bench and crowd.

The quarterfinal brought a showdown with host Mexico in front of a loud, energized crowd.

“It’s not easy to beat the home crowd,” guard Marek Klassen said. “So getting that win was big.”

Canada battled through the atmosphere and came out on top 21–17, with all four players contributing meaningful buckets.

Canada then fell 19–17 to Puerto Rico in the semifinal — the same team that eliminated them from the 3x3 World Cup earlier this year in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. A physical bronze-medal matchup with Brazil followed, where Canada came up short 21–16 to finish fourth.

Despite missing the podium, the men were energized by their progress.

“A win — that was the mindset coming in,” Grant Audu said. “We’re showing we’re here. This isn’t a fluke. We’re the new guys on the block, but the future is bright.”

Klassen echoed the sentiment.

“We’re setting a new standard. First in our group again — we’re building something special.”

Canada leaves the 2025 FIBA 3x3 AmeriCup with a silver for the women, a top-four finish for the men, and a clear sense that both programs continue to rise — driven by culture, chemistry and the confidence that even bigger results lie ahead.