Basketball New Zealand has locked in the first international 3x3 teams for a pinnacle event since the start of the pandemic with the 3X3 Tall Ferns and 3X3 Tall Blacks named for the FIBA 3X3 World Cup in Belgium in June.
Experienced Tall Fern Kalani Purcell will turn out for New Zealand's 3x3 team at the FIBA 3x3 World Cup in June. Photo: Photosport
Ella Fotu, Jillian Harmon, Kalani Purcell and Tiarna Clarke make up the 3x3 Tall Ferns. With Sharne Pupuke-Robati and Tayla Dalton named as reserves.
Dom Kelman-Poto, Jayden Bezzant, Nikau McCullough and Tai Wynyard will feature for the 3X3 Tall Blacks, with Richie Rodger and Zach Easthope named as reserves.
Both teams qualified for this pinnacle basketball event following tournament wins at the FIBA 3X3 World Cup Qualifier Asia 2022 in Doha in March.
Both squads will depart New Zealand on 14 June, where they initially head to France to participate in the Big Twelve 3x3 basketball tournament - featuring many of the best 3X3 nations in the world - for the first time.
Following this tournament, the teams travel to Antwerp to compete in the Crelan FIBA 3X3 World Cup.
The 3X3 Tall Blacks have been placed in Pool A which includes top-ranked Serbia as well as France, Puerto Rico and Brazil.
The 3X3 Tall Ferns will be in Pool A alongside second-seeded France, United States, Austria and Brazil.
Each squad will play all other teams in their pool once each over with the top in each pool advancing directly to the quarter-finals, while the second and third team in each pool plays a crossover playoff game to determine a quarter-final spot.
Tall Blacks 3x3 player Tai Wynyard. Photo: Photosport Ltd 2021
3X3 Tall Blacks head coach, Piet Van Hasselt said the team had a "tremendous opportunity" with the World Cup, Asia Cup and the pinnacle event - the Commonwealth Games - just around the corner.
"I know that it means a great deal to these players to represent Aotearoa and take on the world's best. We have a special group of players across the extended squad who lead with their hearts, seek to lift up others and have that great Kiwi quality of finding a way to come together stronger in the face of any adversity we encounter as a team," van Hasselt said.
3X3 Tall Ferns head coach, Justine Reed said it was a tough decision to select six players.
"The calibre of players at the camp was really high and we had a few players that really surprised us - we've settled on a team with a mix of 3X3, life and general basketball experience, so I'm looking forward to working with these players.
"Our focus now is to get our combinations right, as we know we're not going to get much time together before the World Cup. Our expectations are definitely to get into that quarter-final and beyond, and this tournament also serves as a building block for our main focus - which is the Commonwealth Games."
Reed said the Big Twelve 3x3 basketball tournament in France would help to build team chemistry in advance of the world cup.
"We've got Jillian [Harmon] already based in France and Kalani [Purcell] in Australia, Tiarna and Ella have played together a little bit, so they'll be used to each other.
"But in 3X3 it's vital everyone is one the same page, so the Big Twelve is a great opportunity for us to go against some of the best countries in the world - including a few we'll meet in the World Cup - so we can get used to playing together and meshing as a team."
The 3X3 Tall Ferns and 3X3 Tall Blacks will be in action at the Crelan FIBA 3X3 World Cup 2022 from 21-26 June.
The New Zealand teams for the FIBA 3X3 Asia Cup 2022 (July 6-10) and Commonwealth Games in Birmingham (28 Jul-8 Aug 2022) will be announced at a later date.
3X3 Tall Ferns squad for Crelan FIBA 3X3 World Cup 2022:
Ella Fotu (Mainland Pouakai, GJ Gardner Tauihi)
Jillian Harmon (Basket Landes, LFB France)
Kalani Purcell (Sydney University Flames, Australian WNBL)
Tiarna Clarke (Mid-North Whai, GJ Gardner Tauihi)
Sharne Robati (Mid-North Whai, GJ Gardner Tauihi), Reserve
Tayla Dalton (St Mary's College, NCAA), Reserve
Head Coach: Justine Reed
3X3 Tall Blacks squad for Crelan FIBA 3X3 World Cup 2022:
Dom Kelman-Poto (Southland Sharks, Sal's NBL)
Jayden Bezzant (Franklin Bulls, Sal's NBL)
Nikau McCullough (Otago Nuggets, Sal's NBL)
Tai Wynyard (Taranaki Airs, Sal's NBL)
Richie Rodger (Taranaki Airs, Sal's NBL), Reserve
Zach Easthope, Reserve
Head Coach: Piet Van Hasselt