Another Canadian basketball team can qualify for the Olympics this week

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Last summer, NBA MVP finalist Shai Gilgeous-Alexander helped the Canadian men's basketball team earn its first Olympic berth since 2000. In February, the Canadian women's team somewhat miraculously landed their fourth straight trip to the Olympics after it looked like they might be eliminated.

This week, the top-ranked Canadian women's 3-on-3 team can join them in Paris by winning a global qualifying tournament.

If you're not familiar, 3-on-3 — or 3x3, as it's officially branded by the world governing body FIBA — is a compact, fast-paced version of basketball that made its Olympic debut in 2021 in Tokyo. Like the pickup games you might find at your local park, it's played outdoors, on a half court, with one hoop. The standard three-point line serves as the two-point line in 3-on-3, while baskets made from inside the arc are worth one. Games end when a team reaches 21 points or the 10-minute time limit expires. The shot clock starts at just 12 seconds (half as long as the NBA's), so the game is pretty frenetic all around.

Another fun thing about 3-on-3: the Olympic tournaments should be more competitive than the 5-on-5 ones. The United States is a near lock for gold in the traditional events (especially the women's), but the basketball powerhouse is ranked just eighth in the world in women's 3x3 and second in men's.

Better yet, Canada has a good shot at a gold medal with the world's No. 1-ranked team in women's 3x3. Twin sisters Katherine and Michelle Plouffe, Paige Crozon and Kacie Bosc captured their second consecutive FIBA Women's 3x3 Series title last year after