The Deseret News is tracking how the Canada 3x3 women’s basketball team — which features two former University of Utah players, as well as the team’s coach — performs at the 2024 Olympics.
Come back for updates on these Utah ties each day during the 3x3 competition, which runs from July 30 through Aug. 5.
Play-in: Canada 21, Australia 10
Two former University of Utah stars will get their chance to play for an Olympic medal on Monday.
Michelle Plouffe and Paige Crozon helped Canada post its most dominant performance of the Paris Olympics in a 21-10 victory over Australia in Saturday’s play-in round, clinching a spot in the semifinals for the Canadians.
Crozon nailed the game-winner, launching a deep 2-point shot that found the bottom of the net with 2:24 left on the clock to give Canada a game-clinching 21 points.
“It’s such an emotional victory,” Crozon said, per a team release. She finished the game with 5 points and hits two 2-pointers, while adding an offensive rebound.
“Just to chase everything whole-heartedly makes you feel so vulnerable and open to all of the emotions that come with that, and we have had such an up and down tournament, so to play in the quarterfinals and to play our best, play in flow, play with one another, and have everyone contribute in such a big way just made me so proud of our team, our effort and all of the work and preparation that we put in to get to this point.”
Plouffe scored 4 points and also had six rebounds and two blocked shots for Canada.
The Canadians were paced by Kacie Bosch, who scored a personal Olympic-high 9 points.
Canada will now face Germany in Monday’s semifinals at 10:30 a.m. MDT. The game will be streamed on Peacock.
Saturday’s play-in round results
- No. 4 Canada 21, No. 5 Australia 10
- No. 3 United States 21, No. 6 China 13
Monday’s schedule
- Semifinal No. 1: Spain vs. United States, 9:30 a.m. MDT
- Semifinal No. 2: Germany vs. Canada, 10:30 a.m. MDT
- Bronze-medal match: semifinal losers, 1 p.m. MDT
- Gold-medal match: semifinal winners, 2 p.m. MDT
Final women’s 3x3 basketball pool play standings
- 1. Germany — 6-1 (earned automatic spot in Olympic semifinals)
- 2. Spain — 4-3 (earned automatic spot in Olympic semifinals)
- 3. United States — 4-3
- 4. Canada — 4-3
- 5. Australia — 4-3
- 6. China — 2-5
- 7. Azerbaijan — 2-5 (eliminated from Olympic competition)
- 8. France — 2-5 (eliminated from Olympic competition)
Pool play, Game 7: Canada 21, Azerbaijan 19
After losing two games in heartbreaking fashion on Friday, Canada got back on track in its pool-play finale on Saturday, making enough plays down the stretch to hold off Azerbaijan.
Former Utah star Michelle Plouffe hit a key 2-pointer to make it 19-16, taking a quick attempt following a reset that left little time on the shot clock, though Azerbaijan rallied to knot the score at 19-19 with 46 seconds to play.
Plouffe, though, put Canada back in front with a 1-point shot with 15 seconds left, and then after Azerbaijan missed a 2-point shot that would have won the game, the Canadians rebounded the ball and Katherine Plouffe, Michelle’s twin sister, scored in the final second to wrap up the win.
The win gives Canada a 4-3 record in pool play and they will advance to the play-in round later Saturday and play Australia, with the winner moving on to the semifinals.
Michelle Plouffe had a team-high 8 points and three rebounds, while Paige Crozon, another former Utah standout, added 6 points and three rebounds.
Pool play, Game 6: Spain 22, Canada 20 (OT)
For the second time on Friday, Canada lost a pool-play match in overtime on a 2-point bucket.
This time, Canada was the one to rally and went ahead in the final minute of regulation when former Ute Michelle Plouffe scored a 1-pointer and was fouled. With the subsequent made free throw, the Canadians went up 19-18.
A quick Spain 2-pointer put them ahead 20-19, but Plouffe scored again to tie the score, and both teams missed opportunities to win in regulation.
In overtime, Sandra Ygueravide stumbled on the opening possession but then drilled a 2-point shot to win — in 3x3 basketball overtime rules, the first team to score 2 points wins.
Plouffe had her best game of the Olympics, with 11 points and six rebounds while shooting 7 of 11 from 1-point range. Paige Crozon, another former Ute, had 3 points and a rebound for Canada.
The loss makes it likely that Canada will have to play in a play-in game to reach the medal rounds, once pool play is over.
Pool play, Game 5: United States 18, Canada 17 (OT)
The Canadians blew a late 16-13 lead, as the Americans rallied and tied the game on a Hailey Van Lith 2-pointer with 22.3 seconds left in regulation.
In overtime, with the first team to score 2 points the getting the victory, Canada struck first as Katherine Plouffe, who paced Canada with 10 points and 3 rebounds, hit a 1-pointer seven seconds in.
Just 10 seconds later, though, the United States won — and handed Canada its second loss of pool play — when Rhyne Howard drilled a game-winning 2-pointer.
The two former Utes also contributed for Canada — Michelle Plouffe added 4 points and six rebounds, while Paige Crozon put up 3 points and a rebound.
Pool play, Game 4: Canada 13, France 9
Canada bounced back from its first loss of the Olympics as former Ute Paige Crozon delivered the clinching points in the final minute of a 13-9 victory over France on Thursday.
With Canada leading 10-7 in a low-scoring contest, Crozon hit a driving layup and was fouled with 32 seconds to play to make it 11-7. She then was awarded two free throws and hit both, making it 13-7.
Crozon then came up with a block on a 2-point attempt, as Canada held on in a game where both teams struggled with their shooting. The teams combined to go 1 of 16 from 2-point range, and Canada was 4 of 9 from the free-throw line, though it made up for that by going 9 of 16 from 1-point range.
Crozon had 4 points in the win, while another former Ute, Michelle Plouffe, added 3 points and five rebounds. Her twin sister, Katherine Plouffe, led Canada with 4 points and six rebounds.
Pool play, Game 3: Germany 19, Canada 15
Canada trailed 7-1 early before a Michelle Plouffe 2-pointer gave Canada a brief 10-9 lead with 3:54 to play, but from there, Germany took control and earned a 19-15 win earlier Thursday.
It was the first loss in pool play for the Canadians.
Plouffe, the former University of Utah forward, and her twin sister, Katherine Plouffe, each scored 5 points for Canada in the losing effort.
Paige Crozon, another former Utah star, added 4 points for the Canadians, which shot just 3 of 12 on 2-point shots, compared to 4 of 7 for Germany.
Pool play, Game 2: Canada 21, China 11
Former Utah stars Paige Crozon and Michelle Plouffe each scored 7 points in leading Canada to a 21-11 win over China on Day 2 of 3x3 women’s basketball pool play during the 2024 Olympics on Wednesday.
For the second straight day, Canada got off a strong start and had a 14-6 lead midway through the 10-minute contest.
Crozon helped Canada get off to its fast start by hitting a pair of 2-pointers early in the game — she finished the contest shooting 3 of 7 from long range and added two rebounds.
While Plouffe struggled from the field — shooting 1 of 4 on 1-point shots (though that one make was the game-winner) and 1 of 2 beyond the arc — she made a game-high 4 of 4 free throws. She also had a game-high five rebounds.
Katherine Plouffe, Michelle’s twin sister, added 5 points and three rebounds, while the speedy Kacie Bosch provided tough defense and hustle — leading to some critical offensive rebounds — while adding 2 points and 4 rebounds.
Pool play, Game 1: Canada 22, Australia 14
Two University of Utah basketball stars started off their Olympics with a strong effort in helping the Canadian 3x3 women’s basketball team cruise past Australia 22-14 on Tuesday.
Canada built a 15-2 lead in the fast-paced game before putting away Australia in the pool play opener for both teams.
Former Ute Michelle Plouffe had eight points and five rebounds for Canada, while Paige Crozon, another former Utah star, added 4 points and four rebounds.
Plouffe’s twin sister Katherine led Team Canada with 10 points and three rebounds. Her basket with 1:21 left on the clock wrapped up the victory.
3x3 basketball format at the Olympics
The Utah-heavy Canadian squad, which is coached by former Ute Kim Smith Gaucher, is one of eight women’s 3x3 teams taking part in the 2024 Olympics.
During the pool round, each team plays all seven other teams.
At the end of the pool round, the eight 3x3 teams will be ranked according to their records, and teams will start being eliminated.
“The top two teams advance to the semifinals, while the bottom two are eliminated. The other four teams will compete in a play-in round (third vs. sixth, fourth vs. fifth), with the winners advancing to the semifinals,” per ESPN.
3x3 basketball rules
In addition to having a different tournament format than 5x5 basketball, 3x3 basketball has different rules.
- In 3x3 basketball, shots made from inside the arc are worth 1 point, while shots from beyond the arc are worth 2 points.
- Free throws are also worth 1 point.
- The game is played on a court that’s about half the size of a typical basketball court, and there’s only one basket.
- Games end when one team makes it to 21 points or after 10 minutes.
How to watch Team Canada at the Olympics
The Canada women’s 3x3 basketball team will next play Germany in the Olympic semifinals on Monday, with game time TBD.
The game will be streamed on Peacock.