Canada captures 3x3 Women's Series basketball title in Shanghai in OT thriller

Merissah Russell led the way as Canada defeated Amsterdam in overtime to claim the 3x3 Women's Series title on Sunday in Shanghai.

The Ottawa native scored seven points in a 19-17 win at the Global Harbor to cap off a dominant tournament, earning MVP honours. Russell led Canada's undefeated run with a tournament-leading 33 points across five games.

Canada's team also includes veterans Paige Crozon of Humboldt, Sask., and Katherine Plouffe of Edmonton, along with rookie Tara Wallack of Surrey, B.C.

Plouffe and Crozon scored six and four points, respectively, to help Canada complete a comeback in the thrilling final, both going two for two from the two-point line.

Wallack matched Crozon and Russell with a team-high four rebounds.

FIBA Women’s 3x3 Basketball World Series Shanghai Finals: Canada vs. Netherlands

Kiki Fleuren led the Dutch team with six points, including a pair of two-pointers, to help give her team a 15-11 lead late in regulation.

Canada retook the lead at 17-16 in the final seconds before Amsterdam's Zoë Slagter forced the extra period. Russell ended the game by sinking a pair of clutch free throws.

Canada reached the final with a pair of playoff wins earlier in the day, beating Thailand 21-14 in the quarterfinals before taking down Beijing 21-11 in the semifinals.

The Canadian squad, led by head coach Daniel Ferguson, opened the tournament with wins over Yanjing and Austria on Saturday.

FIBA Women’s 3x3 Basketball World Series Shanghai Semifinals: Canada vs. Beijing