Three-time Olympian Michelle Plouffe has come out of retirement to join Canada’s four-player roster for the FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series stop in Bangkok, Thailand.

The 33-year-old Plouffe joins her twin sister Katherine Plouffe, Cassandra Brown and Paige Crozon for the event that starts Saturday.

Canada enters the final stretch of the regular season ranked 10th in the women’s series standings.

The top seven teams, along with host China, advance to the women’s series final in Shanghai from Sept. 5-6, making Bangkok one of Canada’s last opportunities to earn crucial qualification points.

“As we looked at where we are in the women’s series standings and what we need to make a push toward Shanghai, Michelle was an option that made a lot of sense for us,” said Steve Baur, vice-president and general manager of Canada Basketball’s women’s high performance program. “She has remained incredibly close to the game and to this group through her role with our program, and over time there have been conversations about what it might look like for her to play again.

“Bangkok gives us an opportunity to add an exceptional player to our group at an important point in the season, while giving Michelle an opportunity to compete again and see how it feels.”

Michelle Plouffe retired on July 28, 2025, to begin the transition into her role as Canada Basketball’s 3×3 performance manager.

She led Canada to multiple FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series titles, a silver medal at the 2022 FIBA 3×3 World Cup, and a fourth-place finish at the Paris Olympics.

TORONTO (Aug. 21, 2026) – Canada Basketball announced Thursday the four athletes who will represent Canada at the FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series stop in Bangkok, Thailand, from Aug. 22-23, with three-time Olympian Michelle Plouffe returning to competition for the first time since the 2024 FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series Final.

Plouffe will be joined by Cassandra Brown, Paige Crozon, Katherine Plouffe as Canada continues its push toward the FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series Final in Shanghai, China.
Canada enters the final stretch of the regular season sitting 10th in the Women’s Series standings, with the top seven teams, plus the host, advancing to the season-ending Final on Sept. 5-6.

With Canada looking to climb into a qualification position, Plouffe’s return provides the program with one of the most accomplished players in the history of the discipline.

“As we looked at where we are in the Women’s Series standings and what we need to make a push toward Shanghai, Michelle was an option that made a lot of sense for us,” said Steve Baur, Vice-President and General Manager, Women’s High Performance. “She has remained incredibly close to the game and to this group through her role with our program, and over time there have been conversations about what it might look like for her to play again.

“Bangkok gives us an opportunity to add an exceptional player to our group at an important point in the season, while giving Michelle an opportunity to compete again and see how it feels.”

Plouffe announced her retirement from international competition in July 2025 before transitioning into her role as Canada Basketball’s 3×3 Performance Manager.

The Edmonton native was one of the foundational members of Canada’s women’s 3×3 program, helping establish the team as one of the sport’s most consistent international contenders. Alongside Katherine Plouffe and Paige Crozon, she helped build the program from its early days in 2019 before Canada eventually qualified for its first Olympic Games in the discipline.

Plouffe returned from ACL reconstruction in 2024 to help Canada secure its historic Olympic berth at the final FIBA 3×3 Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Debrecen, Hungary. Canada went on to finish fourth at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Paris marked Plouffe’s third Olympic appearance. She previously represented Canada in five-on-five basketball at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Her 3×3 résumé also includes back-to-back FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series championships in 2022 and 2023, a silver medal at the 2022 FIBA 3×3 World Cup and gold at the 2022 FIBA 3×3 AmeriCup.

The Bangkok stop is one of the final opportunities for teams to earn points toward qualification for the FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series Final in Shanghai.

Schedule – Saturday, Aug. 22

Canada vs. Madagascar – 4:50 a.m. ET / 1:50 a.m. PT
Canada vs. Australia – 6:40 a.m. ET / 3:40 a.m. PT
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The knockout round will take place Sunday, Aug. 23. All games will be streamed live on CBC Gem and FIBA 3×3’s official YouTube channel.
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Canada Roster

Cassandra Brown — Vernon, B.C.
Paige Crozon — Humboldt, Sask.
Michelle Plouffe — Edmonton, Alta.
Katherine Plouffe — Edmonton, Alta.

‍Head Coach: Daniel Ferguson