File Photo: Paige Crozon and Team Canada at a 3x3 Women's Basketball stop in Edmonton, earlier this year (submitted photo/Paige Crozon)

By Ben Tompkins

History Made

Crozon, Team Canada win Olympic opener over Australia

Jul 30, 2024 | 5:17 PM

History was made Tuesday when the Canadian 3×3 Women’s Basketball team secured their first-ever Olympic win.

Humboldt native Paige Crozon, alongside the Plouffe sisters (Michelle and Katherine), and Kacie Bosch, defeated Team Australia 22-14 in their Olympic opener.

Now 1 and 0 in their first 3×3 Olympic berth, which was only just introduced in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, the Canadians will shoot for a 2 and 0 record tomorrow (Wed) against number one ranked China, starting at 10 a.m. Saskatchewan Time.

Canada is currently ranked sixth in the world, having won back-to-back FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series titles, the past two years. Australia is ranked 17th.

Including their game against China, the Canadians have six remaining round-robin contests (Germany, France, USA, Spain, and Azerbaijan).

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They will play a pair on both Thursday and Friday (Aug. 1st & 2nd) as well as one on Saturday (Aug. 3rd). Meanwhile, the quarterfinals will also go on Saturday, while the semis and finals will be played on Monday (Aug. 5th).

In their game against Australia, it was the Canadians who took the lead early and never looked back. Their biggest lead came roughly halfway through the game, as they were up 15-2.

The Plouffe sisters, who combined for 18 of Canada’s 22 points, showcased their leadership and experience, as the two have played in the Olympics on the five-on-five national team.

Michelle played in London in 2012, while both played in Rio in 2016. Crozon had the remaining four points in her debut, while also being a team-high tying +7.

The women dawning the maple leaf may have been the most impressive on the defensive end, however, as they held the Australians to just 31 per cent shooting inside the arc and 17 per cent outside.

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On X @BenTompkins_8