Tall Ferns to tour Europe

Stella Beck with 51 caps is one of the more experienced Tall Ferns for the Asia Cup.
Photo: Photosport

The Tall Ferns have locked in three games against a top-10 team as they work towards qualifying for next year’s Olympic Games.

During a two week tour of Europe the Tall Ferns will face the world number 8 ranked Serbia three times in Belgrade as well as one-off games against the 11th ranked Turkey and world number 38 Poland both in Istanbul.

The five games against European opposition will be a warm up for next month’s FIBA Women’s Asia Cup in Sydney.

At the Asia Cup the Tall Ferns need to finish in the top four to ensure entry into the Olympic Qualifiers in February next year, which takes them one step closer to their ultimate goal of a place at the 2024 Paris Olympics for the first time since 2004.

In Group A at the Asia Cup New Zealand who are ranked 29th in the world will face world number 2 China as well as number 12 Korea and Lebanon who have dropped to 44th in the latest rankings.

The tournament has a hectic schedule with the Tall Ferns playing their three group games on consecutive days, with Korea first up on 26 June.

A squad of 18 players will begin preparations for the tournament with two camps in Auckland this month before they head overseas.

Eleven of the selected players have fewer than 10 caps for the Tall Ferns but they can call on the experience of Stella Beck, Penina Davidson, Chevannah Paalvast and Charlisse Leger-Walker.

Tall Ferns squad: Stella Beck, Tayla Dalton, Penina Davidson, Mary Goulding, Kendall Heremaia, Lauryn Hippolite, Ash Kelman-Poto, Charlisse Leger-Walker, Krystal Leger-Walker, Parris Mason, Chevannah Paalvast, Tera Reed, Ash Taia, Lilly Taulelei, Ritorya Tamilo, Josie Trousdell, Tahlia Tupaea and Amy West.