Edmonton’s Plouffe twins headed back the Olympics this summer in Paris

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It’s been eight years in the making, but Edmonton twin sisters Katherine and Michelle Plouffe are back representing Canada at the Summer Olympics.

They stepped away from the Canadian women’s national basketball team in 2019, and while they continued to play professionally, another Olympic dream may not have seemed possible.

But over the last five years, the Plouffe sisters have become two of the best 3×3 players in the world — and they’re the first team to represent Canada in the Olympics’ 3×3 basketball competition (men’s or women’s).

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‘Such a blessing’

“(I’m) very grateful and very blessed. God has given me a lot through basketball. Being able to grow and have amazing experiences with Michelle throughout the years has been such a blessing,” Katherine told Postmedia via email earlier this week.

“I’m very proud to represent my country and do so with excellence and character.”

Paige Crozon, of Humboldt, Sask., and Kacie Bosch, of Lethbridge, comprise the rest of the roster competing in Paris this summer.

The foursome has been together for the past two years on the FIBA 3×3 World Tour with one goal in mind: to represent Canada at the Olympics. After placing third with a 21-10 win over Hungary at the Olympic qualifying tournament, that dream is a reality.

“There have been a lot of miles! Just in the nature of the sport, being tour-based, we got to leave Canada a lot since Europe and Asia are giants of hosting events,” Katherine said.

“I really do hold everything together centred on gratitude to God for all of this because who the heck gets to do this for their life and job? So cool. I’ve been to so many places through this sport, and I know I wouldn’t have been to some of these places if it weren’t for playing 3×3.”

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Familiar with France

What makes this Olympic experience extra special for the Plouffe sisters? France has become a second home for the twins, so they will have extra fan support for the tournament, which runs from July 30 to Aug. 5 at urban sports park La Concorde.

“It’s going to be some familiarity to it, for sure. Having played in France many times for 3×3 will have helped prepare to some extent in being familiar with the environment,” Katherine said.

“Obviously, the Olympics adds a heightened level of professionalism to the environment, but I’m looking forward to winning on a ‘second-home’ soil.”

Paul Sir, former executive director of Basketball Alberta and current host of The Basketball Show on Sports 1440, believes Team Canada led by the Plouffe sisters has a legitimate shot at not just winning a medal but also taking home gold.

“They’re the two-time World Cup champions. The Plouffe sisters are the two top (individual) players in the world, and they are backed by two very experienced players in Paige Crozon and Kacie Bosch,” Sir said.

“They will no doubt be one of the heavy favourites to win a medal in Paris this summer, and they can win gold.”

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‘Extremely muddy’

When the Plouffe sisters began their 3×3 journey in 2019, they aimed to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics — but despite being one of the top three teams in the world, they weren’t eligible to compete in the 3×3, which was making its Olympic debut.

“It was extremely muddy, extremely complicated and blatantly unfair what happened in the last Olympic qualifying process for them,” Sir said.

“They were one of the best teams in the world at that time and were winning a lot of the events they were playing in, and FIBA 3×3 had to provide opportunities for other nations to qualify. They had to put together a qualifying formula rewarding not just excellence on the court but participation among countries.

“In the end, there was so little (3×3) participation from Canada by women — that would build the national ranking points up — it didn’t allow them to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.”

The FIBA 3×3 Tour is a grind. You could compare it to professional golf or tennis tours. Lots of travel is involved, as they zigzag around the globe competing, and it’s taxing on the athletes — physically, mentally and emotionally.

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Now they’ve accomplished their goal to be in the 2024 Olympics, the Plouffes can prepare for their big moment. When they get set to take on Australia July 30, they’ll be dialled in.

“It’s going to be (an) ‘It’s go time’ mindset. Every point and game is going to have a heightened pressure and so I will be preparing to dial it in, in focus, in energy, in physicality,” Katherine said.

“It will be very special to be with all the Canadian athletes, who each have their own story of overcoming (obstacles) in order to be there.”

jhills@postmedia.com

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