Tall Ferns call in teenagers for tournament
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Tall Ferns Head Coach, Nat Hurst, has named ten-players in her squad for the Pre-Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Guadalajara, Mexico.
There are two debutants in the squad in contention for the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in February of 2028.
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University of Portland standout, Florence Dallow, has earnt her first call up for the national team following a great comeback season for the Pilots.
The Harbour Basketball junior and Epsom Girls Grammar alum, didn’t play during the 2024-2025 season due to injury, but returned to the court this year with impressive averages of 9.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.6 steals per contest.
Westlake Girls’ High star, Imani Rasmussen, 16 has just finished an impressive campaign with the New Zealand U17 Women who finished fifth at the U17 Women’s World Cup in Czechia.
Rasmussen’s 11.4 points and 8 rebounds per game averages a big contributor to the U17 Women’s success at the World Cup.
The call up to the Tall Ferns is well deserved for tRasmussenr who was also named in the All-Star Five and the Foot Locker Defensive Player of the Tournament at the Foot Locker U20 Nationals earlier this year in Porirua.
Should she make her debut in the Tall Ferns opener against Argentina, she’ll become the fourth youngest Tall Fern at age 16 years 301 days behind Jess McCormack, Pahlyss Hokianga and Charlisse Leger-Walker.
The increasingly experienced guard trio of Tayla Dalton, Hokianga and Bailey Flavell return as well as Emme Shearer who reunites with her Portland Pilots teammate, Flo Dallow.
Baylor Bear, Ella Brow is set to make a return also – making her first appearance in black since the 2025 Trans-Tasman Showdown.
The Whittaker sister, Charlotte and Lauren suit up together at the centre spots, while standout forward Ella Tofaeono looks to follow up an impressive showing at the World Cup Qualifying Tournament in Puerto Rico.
Tofaeono led the Tall Ferns in scoring at that tournament with 11.0 points per game at 68% from the field.
It's a difficult schedule for the New Zealand side as they face South American powerhouses Argentina & Brazil in their first and second games of the tournament, before taking on South Sudan.
A top two finish in their pool will see them head through to the semi-finals. A win there will see them head through to the final where they can secure an early spot in one of the Olympic Qualifying Tournaments which will take place at the beginning of 2028.
Tall Ferns Squad for the 2026 Pre-Olympic Qualifying Tournament:
G Ella Brow (Baylor University, 2 appearances)
G Florence Dallow* (University of Portland, debutant)
G Tayla Dalton (Tauranga Whai/Waverley Falcons, 23 appearances)
G Bailey Flavell (University of Hawai’i, 9 appearances)
G Pahlyss Hokianga (University of Portland, 18 appearances)
C Imani Rasmussen (Harbour/Westlake Girls’, debutant)
G Emilia Shearer (Tauranga Whai/Kilsyth Cobras, 13 appearances)
F/C Ella Tofaeono (Townsville Flames/Tasmania Jewels, 16 appearances)
C Charlotte Whittaker (Mainland Pouākai/UC Capitals, 13 appearances)
C Lauren Whittaker (Gonzaga University, 6 appearances)
Head Coach – Natalie Hurst
Assistant Coaches – Mel Bennett, Kerryn Mitchell
Tall Ferns schedule
Tuesday 18th August
Tall Ferns v Argentina, 8:45am
Wednesday 19th August
Tall Ferns v Brazil, 2:30pm
Friday 21st August
Tall Ferns v South Sudan, 8:45am
Saturday 22nd August
Pre-Olympic Qualifying Tournament, semi-finals TBC
Monday 24th August
Pre-Olympic Qualifying Tournament, final 11:30am
*all times are New Zealand Standard Time (NZST)