Canadian women's 3x3 hoops team opens Olympic qualifier with two wins

DEBRECEN, Hungary — The Canadian women's 3x3 basketball team went undefeated Thursday as play opened at an Olympic qualifying tournament.

The Canadian squad of Paige Crozon, Katherine Plouffe, Michelle Plouffe and Kacie Bosch opened with a convincing 21-11 win over Chile and followed with a close 19-16 victory over Lithuania.

Michelle Plouffe led the way with 17 points and 10 rebounds over the two wins.

Canada can wrap up first place in Group B and a spot in the quarterfinals with a win over Czechia on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Canadian men's team opened at 1-1 with an 18-14 win over Spain and a 21-18 loss to Egypt. The men will try to lock down a top-two position in Pool C and a quarterfinal berth Saturday against France.

The top three teams from each tournament qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 16, 2024.

The Canadian Press