Team Canada won the gold medal in a 3×3 Basketball Women’s Series event in Shanghai, China on Sunday. The Canadians won all five of their games throughout the tournament. Two of the games came in Pool play and the other three games came in the knockout round. The Netherlands won the silver medal, while Mongolia and China each won the bronze medal.
In the final, Canada beat the Netherlands 19-17. The Canadian team was comprised of Paige Crozon of Humboldt, Saskatchewan, Katherine Plouffe of Edmonton, Alberta, Merissah Russell of Ottawa, Ontario, and Tara Wallack of Vancouver, British Columbia.
In Pool B action, Canada defeated Yanjing, China 19-13, and Austria 16-10 on Saturday. In Canada’s win over China, Wallack led Canada with seven points, Plouffe led Canada with five rebounds, and Russell led Canada with three key assists. In Canada’s win over Austria, Plouffe led Canada with five points and three key assists, and co-led Canada with five rebounds, as Russell also had five boards.
Then in the playoff round on Sunday, Canada beat Thailand 21-14 in the quarterfinals, Russell led Canada with seven points, Plouffe led Canada with eight rebounds, and Russell and Plouffe co-led Canada with two key assists. In Canada’s 21-11 semifinal win over China’s Beijing, Russell led Canada with nine points and five rebounds, and Plouffe led Canada with four key assists. Then in the final, Russell led Canada with seven points, and co-led Canada in rebounds with four (along with Crozon amd Wallace). Crozon and Plouffe led Canada with two key assists.
Russell led the tournament in Shanghai with 33 points, and was named the tournament’s most valuable player. Two of the points came from free throws in overtime against the Netherlands. The gold medal for Canada will give them confidence as they prepare for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
