Eight survivors from the Sydney 2000 Olympics have been named in the New Zealand women's basketball team to compete in Athens.
T he New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) in conjunction with Basketball New Zealand today confirmed the 12 member team for the Games in August.
Point guard Leanne Walker will captain the
team, while vice-captain Gina Farmer, Rebecca Cotton, Megan Compain, Donna Loffhagen, Tania Tupu, Sally Farmer and Julie Ofsoski also return for their second Olympic campaign.
Kirstin Daly, who captained the team at Sydney, will assist coach Tom Maher this time round.
The Tall Ferns will be hoping the Athens Games are more successful than their first Olympic outing in Sydney where they finished 11th out of 12 teams registering their only win over lowly Senegal.
Fresh-blood named today included 18-year-old Australian-based point guard Angela Marino attended her first national squad camp just two weeks ago, but was selected after promising performances in the series against Poland and Korea last week.
Forward Jody Tini has overcome injury to gain a spot in the squad and is now likely to join her brother, men's team captain Pero Cameron, on the plane to Greece.
Squad: Megan Compain (guard), Rebecca Cotton (forward), Gina Farmer (forward), Sally Farmer (forward), Aneka Kerr (guard), Donna Loffhagen (forward), Angela Marino (guard), Julie Ofsoski (forward), Jody Tini (forward), Tania Tupu (guard), Leanne Walker (captain, guard), Kim Wielens (guard).
Tall Ferns' Olympics draw: Aug 14 v US, Aug 16 v Korea, Aug 18 v Spain, Aug 20 v China, Aug 22 v Czech Republic.
- NZPA
