PARIS – Tears streaked down Kacie Bosch’s cheek as she spoke Saturday about the prospect of playing for an Olympic medal.
Bosch and her teammates had just secured a spot in the women’s 3×3 basketball semifinals — a position that was never guaranteed for a Canadian squad making their first Olympic appearance.
“It’s been such an up-and-down journey for us, even in the (qualifiers). We had some games where we thought we could have played better and should have played better,” said the guard from Lethbridge, Alta.
“And then coming here, all the games are tough. We lost a few in OT, we’ve had some really tough close ones. But our team never gives up on each other. So it’s just amazing having this journey with them.”
The trek hasn’t been linear.
Edmonton’s Michelle and Katherine Plouffe put the idea of creating a 3×3 program into motion back in 2019 after years with the women’s national squad.
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To get it off the ground, the twin sisters had to fund their own training and travel, convince players to join them and scour the globe for the right playing opportunities.
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Now the Plouffes are leading a Canadian team that went 4-3 in preliminary round play in Paris.
“They’re the kind of players that, when the game is on the line, they get excited, they rise to that occasion,” said Paige Crozon, a forward from Humboldt, Sask. “So just having that on our team is such a huge asset in every way.”
The Plouffes have been on the Olympic stage before, playing for a Team Canada that finished seventh at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Michelle also played at the London Games in 2012.
That experience along with the twins’ personalities have been a boon for the 3×3 crew, Crozon said.
“They’re so optimistic, they’re so grounded. They’re so humble yet so confident, which I think is just so admirable and inspiring,” she said. “They’re incredible basketball players but they’re even better people and I think that anyone around (3×3 basketball) can attest to that.”
The sisters’ leadership has paid off in Paris.
Canada went 3-1 to open the Olympic tournament, then took back-to-back overtime losses to the United States and Spain on Friday.
The team rebounded with a win over Azerbaijan to close out round-robin action Saturday, then posted a convincing 21-10 victory over Australia in a play-in match to clinch a spot in Monday’s semifinals.
“This was a testament to the team we can play as. Just a huge confidence boost going into the next round,” Michelle said after the win. “And now we get to play for a medal, which is pretty awesome.”
Canada is set to face Germany in the semifinals Monday. The other semifinal features Spain and the U.S.
The Germans went 6-1 in the preliminary round to finish first atop the eight-team group. The feat put them straight through to the semifinals.
Canada and Germany have already met in the tournament, with the Germans taking a 19-15 win in round-robin action on Thursday.
The Canadians are relishing a rematch.
“This journey has been a lot of things, but easy has not been one of them,” Michelle Plouffe said. “So (playing for a medal) means a lot.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 4, 2024.
© 2024 The Canadian Press