The Canadian Women’s 3x3 Team made history on Tuesday when they took to the court at Place de la Concorde in Paris, France. They became the first Canadian 3x3 team to participate in an Olympic Games.

With the top-three ranked players in the FIBA 3x3 women’s basketball individual rankings, Canada isn't just satisfied being in Paris. After missing out on the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and watching from home, Canada intends to make the most of its first 3x3 Olympics opportunity.

“You're pursuing to be the best,” Katherine Plouffe said. “A tournament like this, you want every minute to count.”

Katherine knows a thing or two about the pursuit of greatness. She entered Paris as the top-ranked 3x3 women’s player in the world. Sharp-shooting teammate Paige Crozon is second, while Katherine's twin sister, Michelle Plouffe, is ranked third after returning to the court from a knee injury at the end of the 2023 FIBA Women’s 3x3 season, during which Canada successfully defended its FIBA 3x3 Women’s Series title.

The success of the Canadian Women’s 3x3 Team has been the result of years of hard work to build the program since Katherine and Michelle met up with Paige Crozon and made the decision to start a 3x3 team, all on their own, in 2019. When Bosch joined the trio in 2021, the wins continued to stack up as commentators and opponents alike noticed the chemistry of the team on and off the court.

“I think the chemistry comes from, obviously, reps on the court and getting used to how [one another plays], Katherine said, “Also, just the steadfast belief that we have in each other. It takes time to build that trust.”

This is the first time that the Plouffe sisters will play 3x3 basketball on the Olympics stage, but both sisters have represented Canada at the Olympics in five-on-five basketball as members of the Senior Women’s National Team in 2016, with Michelle also participating in London 2012.

It’s hard to top the joy of becoming a multiple-time Olympian, but doing so with your twin sister at your side is one way to do it.

“It's really cool,” Michelle told Canada Basketball in late 2022. “It’s just so different from the five-on-five team because there's only four of us [on our 3x3 team], so we're half of the team, which is really cool.”

The chemistry the duo have on the court is unmatched in 3x3 Basketball.

“We get to play a lot on the court together,” Michelle continued. “We never really had that, so it's a lot of fun. [Katherine is] the best teammate and we just make each other better. It's like getting to travel and play the game you love with your best friend.”

It’s a family affair in Paris as their parents made the trip to cheer them on in person. Prior to arriving in France, the team dominated in a Women’s Series stop victory in Edmonton in front of a packed crowd of family and friends who were decked out with jerseys, banners and signs showing their support. It was a perfect send-off for Paris.

“It was super special to have friends and family out there,” Katherine said. “[They have] been supporting us all along the way. I think it's a cool experience for not only myself and Michelle, it's really special that they get to watch in person. Our families make the most effort to be there for anything that's close.” 

The two-time defending FIBA 3x3 Women’s Series champs relish the opportunity to compete against the best teams in the world in Paris. While they would never overlook any opponent, they are confident as they begin their Olympics quest.

“We have expectations of ourselves as a team, first of all,” Michelle told Olympics.com. “Not as a heavy burden, but more that we know what we can achieve so it’s more like a standard of excellence that we want to be pulled to.”

The twins have excelled at every part of 3x3, mastering the game's speed and physicality while using their size – Michelle is 6-foot-3, while Katherine is an inch taller at 6-foot-4 – to overwhelm their opponents, dominate the glass and shoot over their defenders. Both sisters can score from anywhere on the court, sinking devastating two-point shots, as Michelle did to start and Katherine to finish in Tuesday's game against Australia, while also getting to the line and finding one another open under the basket without even needing to say a word.

The team's journey to Paris has taken plenty of hard work and dedication, but now that the moment has arrived the Plouffe sisters are making sure they don’t take it for granted because they know making it to the Olympics is never guaranteed.

“Everything worth doing is hard,” Katherine said of the decision to start the team back in 2019. “ It's going to be uphill. It's a lot of hard work and commitment to see something through to the end of the course. I think that's what I'm grateful for, that when I had Michelle, we were in this together and we were committed to something together, because it's hard to do. Nothing worth doing is ever easy. And it's going to take maybe a little bit more hard work and perseverance to accomplish something, anything. But that doesn't mean it's not going to be worth it.”

As Katherine and Michelle work toward their own goals in 3x3, they are also working to continue growing the sport in Canada for the young girls and boys who will be tuning in to their games and coming away a little more interested in 3x3 as an option for themselves.

“It’s definitely an honour,” Katherine said. “A responsibility that I don't take lightly, to be chosen to do this and have a purpose for which to do it. I just want to represent my country and my family [with] Integrity and character. And not holding back. That's the one thing we have the privilege to do as athletes is put our bodies on the line and push it to the max. That's really a blessing that we get to do that and have the strength and opportunity to do that and represent someone other than ourselves. It's a big deal. I'm very grateful for any opportunity that I've had with basketball to do that for my country.”

While this will be the first Olympics experience for teammates Crozon and Bosch, the Plouffe sisters are already familiar with the wholly unique experience that is an Olympics Games. Katherine thinks that prior experience will help to ensure the team keeps the focus fully on the task at hand. 

“I'm very grateful I've experienced the Olympics before,” Katherine said. “I got a sense of it. And now I'm just like, okay, now it's time to win.”