It’s the final tune-up for a shot at Olympic hoops glory for twin Edmonton sisters, headliners for the Canadian women’s 3×3 basketball team.
This weekend’s Hoop City 3×3 is a multi-headed basketball event — the largest 3×3 tourney in Canada — that features pro men’s and women’s competitions as well as a community tournament.
It runs Friday through Sunday at downtown Edmonton’s Ice District.
Edmonton’s Katherine and Michelle Plouffe lead the world No. 2 Canadian team into Hoop City’s FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series event starting Friday. It features other countries’ national squads hoping to medal in Paris.
For the pro men and women, Edmonton is the last stop on their respective tours before the Paris Olympics, with 3×3 basketball competition in France starting July 30 (including the Canadian women vs. Australia) through Aug. 5.
The Plouffe sisters played for Canada in 3×3 basketball at the Tokyo Summer Games three years ago and are former members of the national five-on-five team. The all-Albertan 3×3 squad also features fellow Albertans Paige Crozon and Kacie Bosch, both of Lethbridge.
Other teams in the pro women’s competition this weekend are the second-seed Dallas 3XBA, Barcelona Panthers, Puerto Rico, Chile, Heidelberg, Tsukuba and Nunawading.
On the Men’s World Tour side, Miami is the top-ranked squad of the 14 that will play Saturday and Sunday at Ice District. The squad features one-time college star and ex-NBAer Jimmer Fredette, former Ivy League defensive stalwart Kareem Maddox, and Canyon Barry, son of NBA legend Rick Barry.
Austria’s Vienna (No. 2), Bahrain’s Riffa (No. 3) and Serbia’s Partizan (No. 4) are other top men’s seeds.
The Alberta government said in a media release Thursday that Hoop City is expected to generate $4.3 million into the city’s economy through jobs, accommodation bookings and an increase in activity for local businesses. It said it expects four million viewers worldwide for the event.
Friday
3 p.m.
4 p.m.
Saturday
8 a.m.
9 a.m.-9 p.m.
10 a.m.
12:30 p.m.
12:50 p.m.
6:30 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
8:55 p.m.
9:20 p.m.
Sunday
10 a.m.
11 a.m.
11 a.m.-3 p.m.
12 p.m.
12:25 p.m.
2:15 p.m.
2:25 p.m.
3:25 p.m.
3:55 p.m.
4:20 p.m.