Source: Radio New Zealand
Caitlin Clark for USA and Emma Rogers for the Tall Ferns will both made their senior team debuts at the Basketball World Cup qualifiers this week. Photosport
Three of the biggest stars of USA women’s basketball share something special with a trio of inexperienced New Zealanders.
Jade Kirisome and cousins Emma and Briarley Rogers will make their debut for the Tall Ferns in Puerto Rico this week as New Zealand attempts to qualify for this year’s Basketball World Cup.
On the opposite side of the court WNBA stars Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese are also in line to make their senior national team debuts for USA at the six-team tournament.
While New Zealand’s newbies shone in the domestic competition Tauihi, which is broadcast internationally, Clark, Bueckers and Reese are a different level of recognisable for hoops fans around the world.
USA basketballer Paige Bueckers. ISHIKA SAMANT
Regardless of where they come from, the stadiums they normally play in, or the domestic accolades they already have, all players are bound to feel a few butterflies when they pull on their national team kit for the first time on the world stage.
Just getting the call from coach Nat Hurst that she had made the team was nervous moment for Emma Rogers who was named Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa’s Most Improved and Youth Player of the Year last year.
“Literally my hands were shaking, and my hands were sweating so much but was just really excited,” she said.
For Clark, who plays for the Indiana Fever, the opportunity to be back on court after an eight month injury lay-off added to her emotions.
“I don’t want to call it nerves but excitement to play,” Clark told American media this week.
“This is a really cool opportunity. If you don’t feel that way, then you probably don’t care enough.”
USA are the reigning world champions and have already booked their place at September’s global showpiece in Germany, so the qualification tournament is an opportunity to build connections between a group that does not play together often.
In stark contrast the Tall Ferns need to build on-court chemistry and win.
Tayla Dalton is the most experienced Tall Fern at this week’s World Cup qualification tournament. Supplied / BBNZ
With 18 games for the Tall Ferns captain Tayla Dalton is the most experienced player on the youthful roster that is missing players with American college commitments and injury.
Dalton has seen veteran players leave after the last Olympic cycle and is now helping to guide the new talent like Kirisome and Rogers.
“Everyone has their own journey to make it to this level and it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to go from high school to America for college and then here, or it doesn’t mean you have to play WNBL.
“You can play in Tauihi, you can play from high school. There’s so many different pathways.”
While some thought New Zealand had been dealt a bad hand by landing in the qualification group that included the world champs and world number six Spain alongside Senegal, Italy and hosts Puerto Rico, Dalton had a different view.
“When the pool first got announced I had so many people sending it to me going, ‘oh my goodness you guys got ripped off’ or ‘you’re in the hardest pool’.
“But I honestly was just so excited, it’s not every day you get to play USA, the last time the Tall Ferns played them was over 15 years ago.
“And Spain, these are some of the best players in the world and this is why you play, because you want to compete against the best.
“And then personally, quite selfishly, I was on the team that lost to Puerto Rico on the buzzer beater to get to the Paris Olympics, so to get to have them in our pool and play against them in their home country, I think it would be pretty cool to win that game back.”
The top three teams from the tournament will go to the World Cup, but with USA already locked in, the fourth of the six teams should also get their ticket punched.
With five games in seven days Dalton said they would need to be strategic in San Juan.
“That’s the thing with these FIBA tournaments, they’re pretty full on, pretty heavy load on the body and very quick turnaround.
“So that’s why we’re just making sure all 12 girls are ready to go, because at any moment, anyone’s number’s going to be called up.
“I think we’re very realistic, we’ve got three target games in particular.
“USA and Spain, if we’re being very honest, these are two of the best teams in the world and we’ll get out there and we’re not competing to come close, we’re competing to win against all five teams.
“But there might be a couple games where we really rotate everyone through.”
The Tall Ferns first game of the World Cup qualification is on Thursday at 7am (NZT).
The Tall Ferns squad
- Tayla Dalton (Tauranga Whai), 18 games
- Tegan Graham (Perth Lynx), 3 games
- Pahlyss Hokianga (Tokomanawa Queens & University of Portland), 13 games
- Jade Kirisome (Tauranga Whai), debutant
- Rebecca Pizzey (Southern Hoiho), 5 games
- Sharne Robati (Adelaide Lightning), 5 games
- Briarley Rogers (Tokomanawa Queens), debutant
- Emma Rogers (Mainland Pouākai & Fairfield University), debutant
- Emme Shearer (Tauranga Whai & UC Capitals), 8 games
- Ashlee Strawbridge (Adelaide Lightning), 11 games
- Ella Tofaeono (Adelaide Lightning), 11 games
- Charlotte Whittaker (Mainland Pouākai & Adelaide Lightning), 8 games
The games
- March 12 v Spain, 7am
- March 13 v Italy, 10am
- March 15 v Senegal, 7am
- March 16 v United States of America, 7am
- March 18 v Puerto Rico, 1pm
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
