(Submitted photo/Paige Crozon)

By Ben Tompkins

Best in the West

MVP Crozon leads Canada to AmeriCup Gold

Dec 19, 2024 | 3:20 PM

It’s safe to say that Humboldt native Paige Crozon ended 2024 off on a high note, as she was named tournament MVP while leading Team Canada to a gold medal at the FIBA AmeriCup.

The women’s 3×3 basketball player had a whopping 46 points in just five games, as Canada pulled off a 19-18 overtime win in the final, against the USA.

“It feels really nice to finish the year and finish the season with a victory, we had a great performance on the court… AmeriCup is always such a fun event,” Crozon told northeastNOW.

“Those close games can be a little bit stressful, but that’s why we play and compete, we want to play in those moments. To be in the finals against USA was kind of a storybook ending for us and to finish with the win is always nice.”

The FIBA 3×3 AmeriCup pits the best basketball teams in North and South America against one another, doing so in both the Men’s and Women’s categories.

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Canada got back to the top of the podium on the women’s side this year, after doing so in 2022 as well and claiming bronze in 2023.

Meanwhile, for the men, they captured their first-ever medal in their 3×3 history.

“Just to be able to compete against teams within our region, we often are allocated spots regionally, so it’s nice to compete against one another, and then when we go to major competitions, we always end up kind of rooting for one another, because we all come from the same region. It’s really a unique tournament that has a lot of unity and camaraderie,” added Crozon.

“We were really excited for the men, it was nice to have that support there and also be able to support them. I thought that was a really fun aspect of the tournament as well, for sure.”

The AmeriCup in the future is set to be a very important tournament for the Western Hemisphere teams.

Come time for the next Olympic qualifications, if you win the AmeriCup, you have a chance to play in the Champions Cup, which will then qualify you for the Olympics.

With the AmeriCup victory, the Canadian women have qualified for the upcoming Champions Cup in March.

This year’s AmeriCup was held from Dec. 12 to Dec. 15 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

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