Dramatic Days in Bordeaux for Canada - Women's 3x3 Full Report
Canada had already seen success in France so far in this year's Women's Series, having claimed the crown in Poitiers, and were now seeking to repeat that success on the latest stop on the tour in the south of the country.
The number-one seeds would be without Michelle Plouffe but her twin Katherine, Paige Crozon and Kacie Bosch were still on guard and joined in France by Jamie Scott, Oregon Ducks alum and member of the 2018 Women's World Cup team.
The Bordeaux tournament had attracted fourteen of the best 3x3 teams out there, any of which could get their hands on the trophy. Before Canada could start to think about that however they would have to advance through the pool stage.
Their first opponents Hungary took an early lead and were determined to break away, but two hits from Crozon beyond the arc and three unanswered from KP put Canada in front for the first time.
With four and a half minutes to go Hungary went completely cold and did not get another shot off in the contest. Left effectively wide open Canada hit seven unanswered and Kacie Bosch sealed an empthatic ten-point win to begin their campaign.
Next up was France Under-24, whose roster boasted Eve Wembanyama, sister of highly anticipated NBA newcomber Victor. All on the Canadian team scored in the first two minutes but Emma Peytour kept the opening moments tight before edging the French in front.
After tying the scores three times Bosch returned the lead to Canada, who hit four in a row, only for Wembanyama and Peytour to cut that down and level the scores in the final minute. The Canadians kept their cool in the high-pressure moments, with Crozon and Plouffe making the pool-deciding shots.
With a game in hand it did not matter the result in the remaining fixture, with two wins Canada were going through to day two as winners of Pool A. Hungary advanced as runners-up after a six-point win over one of the two host teams.
First for Canada on day two were Neftchi, the Azerbaijani outfit making waves their first season, against whom Plouffe and Crozon combined to get the team off to a 5-1 start after two minutes.
Neftchi responded with five points unanswered and were soon standing on a three-point lead, an advantage Canada then had after a 6-0 run of their own. Arica Carter kept the scores tight but Canada found all-important open looks down the stretch to seal their path into the semi finals with a four-point win over Neftchi.
A semi-final win was now all that stood in the way of Canada contesting for the Bordeaux title. Their opponents would be China, who had already upset Spain in the quarter finals and now had the Canadians in their sights, building a three-point lead within the first minute.
Plouffe had the first six points for Canada, who struggled to score consistantly while China ran rampant in the paint, leading by eight after five minutes. Canada tried to instigate something down the stretch but after a 5-1 run a comeback was no longer possible and Ji Yuan Wan made it official with a game-winning two.
Though Canada came up short of the top prize, there was a happy ending for the home fans as France ran out winners with a final 16-13 defeat of China.
There was also some consolation in the stats: Katherine Plouffe's 8.5 points per game was the highest of any player in Bordeaux, also one of the top defensive players with 7.8 total boards. Crozon also finished in the top ten scorers and among the best outside shooters for the tournament.
Still on the right course to do great things in 2023, Canada will be back on home turf for the next stop in Edmonton on July 29th-30th. Check back here for full coverage of both days of the first of three Women's Series tournaments played in Canada.
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