San Salvador, El Salvador (Nov. 1, 2026) – Canada’s 3x3 National Teams made history at the FIBA 3x3 AmeriCup 2026, with the women returning to the top of the podium following a commanding victory over the United States in the gold medal game, while the men captured their first-ever silver medal in San Salvador, El Salvador.

After falling to the United States in the women’s final and missing the podium on the men’s side in 2025, both teams entered this year’s tournament determined to build on their previous performances and contend for gold.

Canada’s women opened their campaign on the third day of competition with a dominant 21-6 victory over host El Salvador. Cassandra Brown led the way with nine points and six rebounds, while Michelle Plouffe added eight points and eight rebounds in her return to the AmeriCup stage.

The Canadians carried that momentum into their second game, defeating Venezuela 21-7 after establishing an early lead and maintaining control throughout the contest. Paige Crozon led the scoring with seven points and added four rebounds.

Canada finished atop Pool A with a perfect 2-0 record to advance to the knockout stage.

“We’re the number one seeds, so we definitely want to take home the gold,” said Brown ahead of the tournament. “We obviously have a new team on this one, so [we’re] building off of that, incorporating some new things and learning how to play together.”

That growing chemistry was on full display in the playoffs, as Canada defeated Chile 18-10 in the quarter-finals before cruising past Colombia 21-11 in the semifinals. Michelle Plouffe led the charge against Colombia with 11 points, sending Canada to its second consecutive AmeriCup gold medal game and setting up a rematch with the United States.

After briefly trailing in the opening minute of the final, Canada took control and never looked back. The Canadians maintained their lead throughout the remainder of the contest, with Crozon delivering the game-winning basket to secure a decisive 21-12 victory and Canada's return to the top of the podium.

“It was super fun to come out here with my teammates and give it our everything and play for something bigger than ourselves,” said Michelle Plouffe.

For Crozon, the gold medal represented another important step forward as Canada continues building toward the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

“I’m very proud of the progress we made every single game,” said Crozon. “We’re taking strides towards LA in 2028.”

On the men’s side, Canada opened its campaign with a convincing 21-8 victory over Trinidad and Tobago. Making his 3x3 national team debut, Connor Vreeken powered the Canadian offence with a game-high nine points.

“Knowing that I have the opportunity to represent my country and my family on the international stage isn’t something that I take for granted,” said Vreeken.

Canada followed up with a 21-13 win over Mexico in its second pool game. After a tightly contested opening stretch, the Canadians pulled away behind another nine-point performance from Vreeken to finish undefeated in pool play.

The quarter-finals brought a challenging matchup against host El Salvador, with Canada facing both a determined opponent and an energized home crowd. The two sides traded baskets throughout the contest before Jérôme Desrosiers helped Canada gain the upper hand, finishing with eight points and five rebounds in a hard-fought 21-18 victory.

In the semifinals, Canada faced a familiar opponent in Puerto Rico, the team that had eliminated the Canadians at the same stage of the 2025 tournament.

With a spot in the final on the line, the two teams battled in another tightly contested matchup. Vreeken ultimately delivered the decisive two-pointer to seal a thrilling 21-18 victory, sending Canada to its first-ever FIBA 3x3 AmeriCup men's final.

Facing the United States in the gold medal game, Canada battled to overcome a strong American start. A mid-game surge brought the Canadians within three points, but the United States held on for a 21-15 victory.

Despite falling short of gold, Canada secured a historic silver medal, marking the best finish in the men's program's FIBA 3x3 AmeriCup history.

“It feels awesome winning silver, making history. But we have a bigger goal. We're trying to go to LA 2028 and medal in LA 2028,” said Desrosiers. “With the support of the country and all our families, it's been really helpful, but we know we're capable of way more.”

Canada's success was further recognized through individual honours, with Plouffe earning women's tournament MVP and a spot on the Women’s Team of the Tournament. In her return to the competition, Plouffe led all women's scorers with 42 points and ranked first in player value with 49.8.

All four Canadian women finished among the top 10 in player value, with Michelle Plouffe and her sister, Katherine Plouffe (33.8), both ranking in the top three. Brown also delivered a standout tournament, finishing seventh overall in scoring and third in rebounding.

On the men's side, Vreeken was named to the Team of the Tournament following an impressive AmeriCup debut. He finished second in the tournament in scoring with 39 points, player value (48.8) and rebounding (21).

With two medals, a gold medal title and several individual honours, Canada closed out the FIBA 3x3 AmeriCup 2026 with a historic showing, reinforcing the continued growth of its 3x3 programs as both teams look ahead to the road to Los Angeles 2028.