3x3 Women's Series Quebec - Day One Full Report

The 3x3 Women's Series touches down in Canada for the first time in 2024. Eight teams from both the Americas and Europe were on the courts in ExpoCite in Quebec City for the Women's tournament in Quebec, two native teams included.

Canada were represented by Paige Crozon, Kacie Bosch, Cassandra Brown and Mackenzie Smith, while Quebec was made up of alum of Laval Rouge et Or Maude Archambault, Lea Dominique and Sarah-Jane Marois as well as former McGill Redbird Nadège Pluviose.

The two Canadian teams would be playing each other in Pool A, one of two pools of four teams, the winners of which would get a bye to the semi-finals, the teams finishing in second and third place making it to the quarter finals.

The tournament began with the all-Canadian clash, where Canada opening with four points unanswered as Crozon and Brown left Quebec in the dust from close range. Crozon hit twelve points in the contest and was perfect from beyond the arc as Canada opened the tournament with a ten-point win.

Quebec had the chance to respond against the Barcelona Panthers, but it was deja vu all over again as the Spanish club got off to a good start behind intense play early on from Sara Sagerer. Quebec kept finding open looks but could not build any real rhythm, while the Panthers doubled the Quebecious' score after three two-pointers in a row.

Late heroics from Sigrid Koizar ended the game 22-13 to Barcelona, leaving Quebec in a perilous position to progress. Meanwhile put in an early 6-1 run from Canada against Chile, but once their lead reached seven Josefena Aguila fought back for Chile, bringing the gap down from beyond the arc. Smith had the last five points for Canada to close out the contest, winners of the game by six and the pool undefeated.

This left the door open for Quebec to qualify and they went in to their last pool game with Chile all guns blazing. An early 8-0 run and another of seven to end the game completed a bulldozing performance over the Chileans. Archambault with a monster performance, scoring eleven of Quebec's eighteen points to Chile's five, securing their place on day two, much to the joy of the home crowds.

Both Canada and the Barcelona Panthers had qualified for day two, the winner of the match-up between them would earn the bye to the semi finals. Canada again had the early lead while Ari Geli and Sara Sagerer kept it a close contest.

Smith hit five for Canada in forty seconds, extending their lead only to come back down again after three twos in a row from the Panthers, while Canada were a point away from victory. Brown hit the last shot of the game, Canada winners 21-15, with Smith the leading scorer with 10 points.

The results at the end of day one mean that Canada await the winner of the quarter-final tie between Barcelona and Puerto Rico, while Quebec will face the USA - who do boast NCAA and European talent Haley Van Lith and Cierra Budrick, but have had an uneven time so far in Quebec.

Things bode well for a Canadian victory in Quebec on day two. Check back here for a full report on the knockout stage of the tournament, and find out more over on the official FIBA 3x3 website.