Germany vs Canada 3×3 Women’s Basketball Preview
Canada plays Germany on August 1 at 3:30 am EST, looking to gain a firm foothold on their way to the podium in Paris. This is not the first time these sides have faced off, but this is the first time these two nations have faced off at the Olympic Games.
Canada is among the favourites to add a medal to the table in 3×3 women’s basketball. Germany is an outsider but showed in qualifying they are not to be taken lightly. Can Germany cause an upset or will Canada make it two from two against Matthias Weber’s team?
Germany vs Canada 3×3 Women’s Basketball Head-To-Head and Key Stats
Germany and Canada’s 3×3 women’s basketball teams last met in May in the Paris 2024 qualifying tournament. Canada came out victorious in the semifinal game, seeing off Germany 18-12. Katherine Plouffe recorded seven points and six rebounds as her sister Michelle pitched in with five and three, and Paige Crozon six and two.
Paige Crozon, Kacie Bosch, twin sisters Katherine and Michelle Plouffe, and alternate Cassandra Brown made history as Team Canada’s first-ever 3×3 basketball team to reach the Olympics. However, it was far from plain sailing. The Canadians faced a nervy path to Paris in 2024.
They went through two qualifying tournaments before they confirmed their spot in Paris. Canada first appeared at the FIBA Universality-driven Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2, entering Pool B with Australia, Kenya, and the Netherlands. They defeated the Netherlands 22-9 and Kenya 19-12 to reach the semifinals. A 18-12 win over Germany came next and a meeting with Australia in the final for a spot in Paris was confirmed.
Canada fell agonizingly short in a 19-16 defeat, missing qualification. They had one last chance in Debrecen, Hungary, at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament. They won all three Pool B games, against Lithuania, the Czech Republic, and Chile.
A loss to Spain kept them out of the race. However, following Germany’s win over Hungary, a third-place playoff would decide the final Olympic spot. This is because the two semifinal victors had already qualified. Canada won in style, seeing off Hungary 20-10 on their own soil.
Team Germany’s women’s 3×3 basketball team qualified for the Paris Olympics through the same berth, though a game earlier. Svenja Brunckhorst, Sonja Greinacher, Elisa Meviu, Marie Reichert, and Luana Rodefeld represented the nation. They lost just one game throughout qualifying, against Canada in May.
Like Canada, this will be the first time Germany has appeared in 3×3 basketball at the Olympics. Team Germany has improved significantly since they failed to qualify for Tokyo 2020. They headed to the 2023 FIBA 3×3 World Cup in Vienna and recorded their highest-ever finish in fifth place, winning four of their six games.
Newcomer Elisa Mevius is one of the most exciting prospects in 3×3 women’s basketball. The 20-year-old spent last summer with the German National Team at the FIBA 3×3 U21 Nations League in Europe. She plays for the Siena Saints women’s basketball team, and the NCAA Division I program competing in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC).
Mevius has already turned plenty of heads in the NCAA. Her list of personal honours for Siena includes MAAC Rookie of the Year, Siena Female Rookie of the Year, and MAAC Defensive Player of the Year. She also set the program’s first triple-double with 16 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists.
Twin sisters Katherine and Michelle Plouffe are excellent talents on Team Canada’s 3×3 basketball roster. They ply their trade in LFB in France, playing for the Tango Bourges Basket and Lyon ASVEL Féminin. Both helped Canada to gold in the Pan American games in 2015, gold in the FIBA Women’s AmeriCup and silver at the 2022 Antwerp FIBA 3×3 World Cup.
Germany vs Canada 3×3 Women’s Basketball Predictions
Correct score prediction: Germany 13-17 Canada
Germany are outsiders for a gold medal in Paris. However, they cannot be underestimated. Team Germany’s 3×3 basketball team reached Paris on merit and we have so often seen upsets in basketball. Canada was unlucky to not qualify in May.
They made no mistake the second time around, crushing Hungary in their backyard. That was a genuine show of what Team Canada’s 3×3 basketball team is capable of. Canada has enough experience to remain professional. Our Olympics prediction is for a Team Canada victory over Germany.
Canada has a more experienced roster than Germany. Every player on their roster has been involved in previous triumphs at FIBA tournaments. Michelle Plouffe has Olympic experience, playing for Team Canada’s 5-on-5 basketball squad in London 2012 and Rio 2016. She averaged eight points per game and 5.4 rebounds in the LFB, one of the toughest basketball leagues in Europe.
Her sister, Katherine, is a towering presence with an expansive skill set. Standing at 6’3”, she will be one of the tallest players in the women’s games. In her last season in the LFB, she averaged 10 points and six rebounds. The twins starred for Canada throughout their qualifying campaign.
Both were on top form the last time these teams met in May. Katherine scored seven points and six rebounds and Michelle scored five and three rebounds. Their chemistry on the court is integral to Team Canada’s 3×3 women’s basketball team and they will come through to help see Germany off again in Paris.
Paige Crozon has also been at the forefront of Team Canada’s success. She was a standout at Utah Utes in her college days. Crozon was a four-year starter and two-year captain of the NCAA Division I team, playing in the Pac-12 conference. She then played professionally in Germany for the Saarlouis Royals. Her 10 points against Kenya in the Paris Olympic qualifiers show how dangerous she is on the court and she will come up big against Germany.
Germany vs Canada 3×3 Women’s Basketball Betting Tips
Team Canada will probably open as the moneyline favourites in the 3×3 Olympic Basketball betting. They beat Germany convincingly in qualifying and have a former Olympian in their ranks. If you are betting on a winner in this match, take Canada.
We do not expect either side to reach the 21-point score limit after 10 minutes. Canada managed that feat three times in qualifying, against weaker opposition in Italy, Hungary, Chile, and Kenya. Germany only did so once. There were 30 points scored between both sides in their last meeting. If the over/under reaches 31.5 points or more, take the under with our online sportsbook.
Spread betting is an option for betting on Olympic 3×3 basketball. Canada defeated Germany by a six-point margin the last time they stepped onto the court together. Germany has a strong defence, especially with the introduction of Elisa Mevius. However, Canada has excellent scorers in Crozon, Michelle, and Katherine. Bet on Canada against the spread up to -4.5.
There are several games on Thursday. This opens some interesting opportunities for parlay bets. France plays Azerbaijan, and the USA plays Australia. The USA, France, and Canada are three of the favourites for taking home gold. The 3×3 basketball betting markets will look favourably on a parlay bet for all three to win on Thursday.
3×3 Women’s Basketball Format and Rules
3×3 Basketball will be played in Paris for just the second time in Olympic history. As a relatively new event, some fans may be unfamiliar with the rules and format. Let’s take a look at how it works.
Format
There are eight participating nations in 3×3 women’s basketball: the USA, Australia, Canada, France, China, Spain, Germany and Azerbaijan. The tournament starts with a round-robin pool where every team plays the other seven over five days.
After that, the top two winning teams receive a bye to the semifinals while teams placed 3rd to 6th play in the quarterfinals. The winners in the semis progress to the gold medal game and the losers play in the bronze medal game.
Rules
If you have ever played pickup basketball, you likely know most of the rules of 3×3. As the name suggests, there are three players on each team and one substitute named to the bench. They play over one 10-minute period. For the uninitiated, here is a run-down of the main differences between 3×3 and 5×5.
One of the biggest differences between 3×3 and traditional 5×5 is the court size and dimensions. They play a 3×3 game on a half-court measuring 11m in length and 15m in width with a single hoop at one end and an end line at the other. The ball is also slightly smaller (72.39cm in diameter compared to 74.93).
A coin toss decides which team begins on offence or defence. After each basket, possession changes. Once a player handles the ball inside the arc underneath the basket, they need to dribble it out or pass it to a teammate outside before they can attempt a shot. The shot clock is set at 12 seconds instead of 24 like in 5×5.
Scoring is also different from 5×5. Made shots inside the arc or one-point zone are worth a single point while a field goal from anywhere outside is worth two. Free throws are worth one.
The first team to score 21 points automatically wins the game. If neither team reaches the threshold after 10 minutes the victors are the team with the most points. The game will go to overtime in the event of a tie after regulation with the first team to score 2 points declared the winners.
