Plouffe ‘excited’ for next chapter of 3X3 basketball career after retirement

Edmonton's Michelle Plouffe is retiring from competitive 3X3 basketball to take a development role with Canada's national 3X3 teams.

She’s leaving the competitive court but not the game.

And Michelle Plouffe is looking forward to helping guide Canada’s national teams in a version of the sport she had a hand in nurturing.

The 32-year-old three-time Olympian announced her retirement from international basketball on Monday following a career that saw her compete on the world’s biggest sporting stage for the five-on-five sport in London in 2012 and in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

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Plouffe also won back-to-back FIBA AmeriCup championships in 2015 and 2017.

The Edmonton native made it back to the Olympics a third time last year in Paris after shifting to three-on-three basketball, commonly known as 3X3 (three ex three), in 2019.

Plouffe and her twin sister Katherine played prominent roles in elevating the profile of the 3X3 game, helping the Canadian team win several FIBA 3X3 Women’s Series titles, a silver medal at the FIBA 3x3 World Cup in 2022 and a fourth-place finish at the Paris Games.

Now, Plouffe will work for the national team program as its 3X3 performance manager for both the women’s and men’s 3X3 squads.

“It’s just the closing of a chapter, opening of the next one, which I’m excited about,” Plouffe told media on Thursday.

She said making the transition from athlete to performance coach has been smooth.

“It’s been quite seamless in that way, because I know the 3X3 world so well,” Plouffe said. “It’s been great to carry on in that world. I’m just in a different role.”

Plouffe is slated to be honoured on Saturday during the Hoop City 3X3 Festival being staged this year at West Edmonton Mall’s Ice Palace. The event Thursday through Sunday will feature top men’s and women’s teams competing in FIBA’s 3X3 World Tour and 3X3 Women’s Series.