The wait could finally be over for Grace Nweke as the teenage sensation eyes her Silver Ferns debut tonight.
The 1.93m 19-year-old Mystics shooter has been named in Dame Noeline Taurua's team to face the England Roses in the second test of the Taini Jamison Trophy series in Christchurch.
Nweke'simpressive skillset first saw her name thrown in conversation after her debut ANZ Premiership season in 2019, but Taurua had been hesitant on introducing the teen to the international court too early.
She was selected to the Silver Ferns' development squad earlier this year, before earning the promotion after another stellar season with the Mystics. Nweke was named MVP at the grand final as the competition's leading scorer.
She'll be vying for court time against fellow shooters Tiana Metuarau, Te Paea Selby-Rickit and Maia Wilson.
Sulu Fitzpatrick and Tiana Metuarau after the first test agasint England. Photo / Photosport
Metuarau, in particular, was standout in the first test on Monday in what was her Ferns debut, netting 17 of 19 attempts. Meanwhile, the experienced Selby-Rickit is yet to take the court.
Peta Toeava and Kate Heffernan will also be looking to make their Ferns debut tonight after being included in the team, while Sulu Fitzpatrick gets promoted to captain with Gina Crampton sitting out the match with a hip adductor strain.
Fitzpatrick said they expected a lift in intensity for the second test.
"I do believe that it's going to now lift up a notch," she told Newstalk ZB.
"[England's] game plan is really sound, they executed it really well [on Monday] and I think it's a matter of us executing our game plan … that's the key for us moving forward.
"They're very experienced and they've had a good look at us and how they can counter us and they can expose us, so for us, Noeline wants us to focus on our own game plan and the little changes we can make to lift a level."
