CONSTANTA: Canada won the third edition of the FIBA 3×3 women’s series 2022 in Constanta, Romania, on September 17-18, 2022.
After dominating the regular season (they were the only team to win three of the eleven total stops), Canada had a perfect 5-0 record in the iconic sea side resort, including a 21-16 success in the final against France, in a rematch of the Crelan FIBA 3×3 World Cup 2022 gold-medal game. Canada finished the season with a 25-3 record and an 89% winning percentage.
The number one 3×3 player in the world Michelle Plouffe had a statistical rarity in the final: a 14-point, 11-highlight double-double (usually double-fives are celebrated in 3×3 because of the 21-point, 10-minute nature of the game).
The 30-year-old dominated nearly every stat category in Constanta (points, highlights, key assists, player value) and was named MVP of the Final. She also collected 10,000 USD for leading all players in player value on the entire season (every player in the Top 10 received prize money).
Prize money in general was multiplied by four this year on the Women’s Series, to reach half a million USD on the season. A total of 279,000 USD was at stake at the Constanta Final alone. Canada collected 40,000 USD for winning their first title (France and Germany won the first two editions in 2019 and 2021 respectively) and stopping France one win short of an unbelievable triple crown (World Cup, Europe cup, Women’s Series).
CONSTANTA FINAL STANDINGS
- Canada
2. France
3. USA
4. Germany
5. Dusseldorf ZOOS (GER)
6. Romania
7. Lithuania
8. Spain
Exciting, urban and innovative, 3×3 is inspired by several forms of streetball played worldwide and is considered the world’s number one urban team sport. Steered by FIBA, games see two teams of three players face off on a basketball half-court.
It was played successfully for the first time in international competition at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore and since then has benefited from the launch of a yearly city-based FIBA 3×3 World Tour and national-team FIBA 3×3 World & Continental Cups.
On July 24, 2021, 3×3 made its Olympic debut at the Tokyo Games.