Canada Face Formidable Foes in 3x3 Women's Series Return

For the first time in over a year, Canada were back at the 3x3 Women's Series in its second tournament of 2021.

Held in Voiron in south-east France, the Canadian team - made up of national stars Katherine and Michelle Plouffe and newcomers Cassandra Nofuente and Samantha Cooper, who last played in Sweden and Greece respectively - were one of twelve teams sorted into groups off three, all vying to be back tomorrow to challenge for first place.

The draw for the tournament had been very unkind to Canada, setting them up with the top-ranked women's 3x3 side, France, and Spain, fresh off their victory in Mies just a few days earlier. The team were going to have to quickly re-find their impressive form of 2019 to overcome such titanic talent in the tournament's Pool A.

They opened against France, who led by a point as the game got off to a slow start on offence, before Migna Toure hit five points in a row and a two-point shot by Laetitia Guapo put them up 9-2. After a lot of missed chances from Canada, Samantha Cooper hit three points in a row but with more outside shots made by Toure and Marie-Eve Paget put France up by nine.

Canada cut the deficit to five after a 7-0 run before Paget put France within a point of victory. While they could not get another shot off in the remaining time, there was also not enough time for Canada to make up the points they needed. Michelle Plouffe led all scorers with nine points but the France came away with the win, 20 points to 15.

Their Voiron campaign now hinged on victory over Spain. When the two met up later in the day the lead changed hands between them four times up to 6-6, with the teams within just a point of one another. With on-target two-point shooting, Michelle Plouffe twice put Canada up by three, the first time Spain equalised and the second Sandra Ygueravide put them in the lead.

Plouffe responded once again, this time from inside the paint, restoring Canada's lead once again, only for Vega Gimeno to quickly turn the advantage back to Spain, putting them up by one. As time ticked down Michelle tied the scores and the pressure started to show on court, the missed shots starting to pile up for both teams.

After Ygueravide missed what looked like a final attempt at basket, the game looked set to go into overtime, but Aitana Cuevas collected the loose ball and put up the buzzer-beating shot to keep Spain in the competition with a one-point victory and to send Canada packing. Disappointing for the Canadian team but it was a first-rate performance from Michelle Plouffe throughout the tournament, leading her team with 10.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.

In the end it was France who topped Pool A after beating Spain 22-14 in the last day one game for both teams. The French team set up a quarter-final with Pool C runners-up Slovakia, while Spain will face the Netherlands for a semi-final spot.

Elsewhere, two comprehensive wins for Romania saw them finish first in Pool D, they move on to face Poland - runners up at the last women's tournaments - while the last quarter-final tie sees a meeting between the tournament's two Russian contingents, the senior and Under-25 team. Will it be experience or youthful exuberance that will prevail in the all-Russo match-up?

That's it for Canada but you can find out more about team and the Women's Series tournament in Voiron by following this link to the official FIBA 3x3 website.

Picture Credit: FIBA.com