Basketball: Tauranga teenager joins Tall Ferns

Tauranga teenager Elsa van der Wal is the bolter for next week's Tall Ferns basketball camp as new coach Mike McHugh begins his search for the next wave of women's international players.

McHugh has named 19 players for the camp in Lower Hutt over Queens Birthday Weekend (June 3-6), his first since taking over from Athens Olympic coach Tom Maher.

The extended squad includes several -- namely Jody Cameron, Rebecca Cotton, Donna Loffhagen, Angelo Marino and Leanne Walker -- who helped the Ferns to the Olympic quarterfinals last year, but also features several newcomers hoping to earn selection for the first time.

The 1.83m Van der Wal, 17, has been through Basketball New Zealand's age group ranks, but has never before trialled for the Tall Ferns nor played for the Junior Tall Ferns.

"Elsa has come to our notice through the Basketball New Zealand high performance programme," McHugh said.

"She is someone we have done quite a bit of work with, but I have yet to see her play.

"Twelve months ago, no one had heard of Angela Marino either and right now we are also scouring for other eligible players in Australia."

Adelaide-based Marino was only identified as a potential Tall Fern three months before the Athens Olympics and emerged as one of the campaign's outstanding performers.

From the team that contested last year's Athens Olympics, four players -- Gina Farmer, Megan Compain, Julie Ofsoski and Aneka Kerr -- are unavailable for the camp.

Three others -- Tania Tupu, Sally Farmer and Kim Crocker -- have retired.

The Ferns are scheduled to contest the William Jones Cup tournament in Taiwan from July 15-22 as part of their buildup for the Oceania series against Australia in August, which doubles as a world championship qualifying event.

* Tall Ferns training squad:

Jody Cameron (Harbour), Micaela Cocks (Harbour), Rebecca Cotton (Wellington), Antonia Edmondson (Canterbury), Jane Gowans (Hawke's Bay), Gemma Kerr (Victoria), Donna Loffhagen (Otago), Angela Marino (South Australia), Jessica McCormack (Harbour), Monique Ross (Northwestern Junior College), Stacey Mabey (Canterbury), Kate McMeeken-Ruscoe (Queensland), Lisa Pardon (Tasmania), Charmian Purcell (Harbour), Laura Thompson (Canterbury), Elsa Van der Wal (Bay of Plenty), Leanne Walker (Waikato), Lisa Wallbutton (Harbour), Noni Wharemate (Harbour).

- NZPA