Hoop City 3×3 basketball event final pro rehearsal for Paris Olympics

July 4, 2024 Canuck

It’s the final tune-up for a shot at Olympic hoops glory for twin Edmonton sisters, headliners for the Canadian women’s 3×3 basketball team.

This weekend’s Hoop City 3×3 is a multi-headed basketball event — the largest 3×3 tourney in Canada — that features pro men’s and women’s competitions as well as a community tournament.

It runs Friday through Sunday at downtown Edmonton’s Ice District.

Edmonton’s Katherine and Michelle Plouffe lead the world No. 2 Canadian team into Hoop City’s FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series event starting Friday. It features other countries’ national squads hoping to medal in Paris.

For the pro men and women, Edmonton is the last stop on their respective tours before the Paris Olympics, with 3×3 basketball competition in France starting July 30 (including the Canadian women vs. Australia) through Aug. 5.

The Plouffe sisters played for Canada in 3×3 basketball at the Tokyo Summer Games three years ago and are former members of the national five-on-five team. The all-Albertan 3×3 squad also features fellow Albertans Paige Crozon and Kacie Bosch, both of Lethbridge.

“We’re excited to play in Edmonton in front of a hometown crowd, but we also want to use it to work on some things, get some chemistry and prepare for what’s happening in a few weeks.,” Michelle Plouffe told CTV News Edmonton on Thursday.

Other teams in the pro women’s competition this weekend are the second-seed Dallas 3XBA, Barcelona Panthers, Puerto Rico, Chile, Heidelberg, Tsukuba and Nunawading.

On the Men’s World Tour side, Miami is the top-ranked squad of the 14 that will play Saturday and Sunday at Ice District. The squad features one-time college star and ex-NBAer Jimmer Fredette, former Ivy League defensive stalwart Kareem Maddox, and Canyon Barry, son of NBA legend Rick Barry.

Austria’s Vienna (No. 2), Bahrain’s Riffa (No. 3) and Serbia’s Partizan (No. 4) are other top men’s seeds.

Further details

FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series: Pool play starts Friday afternoon, with playoffs and final slated for Saturday evening.
FIBA World 3×3 Tour: It’s the second of three years Edmonton is the Canadian host for the men’s tour stop. It starts with Saturday morning’s qualifying draw, pool play starting in the afternoon and playoffs/final Sunday afternoon.
Hoop City 3×3 Tournament: 100 teams in competitive and recreational categories of three-to-four players in several age groups — from U11 to adult and including co-ed and adult wheelchair brackets — compete Saturday and Sunday.

The Alberta government said in a media release Thursday that Hoop City is expected to generate $4.3 million into the city’s economy through jobs, accommodation bookings and an increase in activity for local businesses. It said it expects four million viewers worldwide for the event.