Team Canada won the gold medal in the Women’s 3×3 Basketball World Series Final in Shanghai, China on Sunday. In the gold medal game, Canada beat Azerbaijan 21-12. It was a solid tournament for Canadian Saicha Grant-Allen of Hamilton, Ontario. Grant-Allen was named the most valuable player of the series final.
Canada finished in first place in Pool B with a record of two wins and one loss. Canada defeated Azerbaijan 21-13 on Saturday and the Netherlands 17-9, and lost to Hungary 16-15.
In Canada’s Pool B win over Azerbaijan, Grant-Allen led Canada with seven points. Grant-Allen and Katherine Plouffe of Edmonton, Alberta led Canada with three rebounds each, and Cassandra Brown of Vernon, British Columbia led Canada with two key assists. In Canada’s Pool B win over the Netherlands, Plouffe led Canada with seven points, Grant-Allen and Plouffe led Canada with eight rebounds, and Paige Crozon of Humboldt, Saskatchewan led Canada with two key assists.
In the semifinals, Canada beat Spain 21-11. Plouffe and Grant-Allen led Canada with eight points each. Plouffe led Canada with eight rebounds, and Crozon led Canada with three key assists. In the final, Crozon led Canada in points with nine. Plouffe led Canada with five rebounds and two key assists.
This was the third time Canada won the Women’s 3×3 Basketball World Series Final. They won in Constanta, Romania in 2022 and in Ulanbaataar, Mongolia in 2023. The gold medal in Shanghai will give Canada confidence as they prepare for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.