Basketball: Tall Ferns optimistic Japan matches will help them qualify for Rio Olympics

The Tall Ferns are in selection camp in Otara, South Auckland. Photo / Getty Images

The Tall Ferns are hoping their series against Japan in August will give them the ideal preparation to beat Australia later in the month to qualify for the Rio Olympics.

The Oceania series will consist of a match in Melbourne on August 15 and another in Tauranga two days later, with the winner automatically gaining entry to the 2016 games.

The Tall Ferns are in selection camp in Otara, South Auckland, to pick a team for the home series against Japan in early August - the first home series apart from Oceania the team will have hosted in 10 years.

But despite the significance of hosting an international team, they have only one thing on their minds - beating the Australian Opals.

"The focus is all about beating Australia, that's our ultimate goal so we can qualify for the Olympics," said senior player Micaela Cocks.

"Of course we're all very competitive we'll all be wanting to win, but winning the tournament is not the main focus."

Cocks, who also plays for the Townsville Fire in Australia and has 10 years of experience playing professional basketball, said the games against Japan would be a chance for Tall Ferns players to gel so they were in top form when it came to facing the Opals.

When asked if beating the Aussies, one of the top women's basketball teams in the world, was likely, Cocks was optimistic.

"Definitely. The Opals have a whole lot of new players coming in, younger ones," Cocks said.

"They're a world class team - top 3 - so it's not going to be easy, but it's definitely possible."

In her third season with the Fire, Cocks played a key part in the team winning their first Australian WNBL title for the 2014-15 season.

Cocks said she was excited to be back playing on home turf.

"To get to put the black singlet on and be part of the New Zealand culture and have your family come and watch, that's awesome," she said.

"There's a few of us [who] have been together for a long time.

"We all live in Australia so it's always nice coming in and you know, we're not only team mates we're really good friends and to get to play on the court together, it's like family," said Cocks.