At first glance, there may not appear to be too much in common between Penina Davidson and Bailey Flavell, beyond the fact they’re both currently in Mexico – battling it out at the FIBA World Cup Pre-Qualifiers as 2degrees Tall Ferns teammates.
One is the undisputed veteran of this Tall Ferns team, a powerhouse 6’3” forward heading into her 11th year in the black jersey – with 63 Tall Ferns appearances under her belt, including leading roles at New Zealand’s last three FIBA Asia Cup campaigns.
The other is a rising young guard, who on Monday made her Tall Ferns debut versus Montenegro at 17 years old – following an impressive U17 World Cup campaign last month, which saw her finish among the tournament’s leading scorers.
But despite their differences, there’s an undeniable bond between these two players which is easy to see when they’re together. It was a bond first forged as teammates on the Northern Kahu last season; with that squad going on to win the 2023 Tauihi Aotearoa Basketball championship.
“It’s cool to be able to give back”
Penina says that she remembers what it was like to come into Tall Ferns camp as a young, wide-eyed athlete – and how important it was to have support and guidance from senior players.
“I was Bailey’s age, 17, when I first played for the Tall Ferns, so I know what it’s like”, says Davidson.
“It’s cool to be able to give back a little bit now, it’s actually amazing. I remember how much of an impact the seniors had on my time when I was first played for the Tall Ferns – specifically Natalie Purcell. When I first got there I was so nervous that I wanted to cry, but Nat was instantly there to help; she’d ask if I needed anything and was there for me from the start.
“Aik [assistant coach Aik Ho] said to us in a speech at our singlet presentation, ‘you want to leave the jersey better than you found it’ and that’s such a cool legacy. I remember what it felt like at the start of my Tall Ferns journey, how special it was to have someone take me under their wing. It’s a full circle moment – I’m trying to be that person for Bailey now, even if it means sometimes buying Wing Stop for the ‘baby’ of the team!”
“She’s taken me under her wing”
It’s been a busy 2024 for Bailey, with a call-up to the Tall Ferns the icing on the cake for her many basketball achievements this year. She played a leading role for the New Zealand U17 national team at the FIBA U17 World Cup, while also representing Harbour at both the Foot Locker U20 Nationals and the Harbour Breeze in Women’s TUPU League – winning a national championship for the latter, while leading the U20s in scoring and earning Tournament MVP.
Bailey says that Penina’s guidance has helped her ease into the senior national team setting,
“It’s been a really great experience so far. Obviously it’s been my first time being here, so it challenges you – but it’s been made easier by having great teammates like Penina, who has helped me out and supported me both on and off the court,” says Flavell.
“Definitely knowing Penina before [with the Kahu] has helped, she’s taken me under her wing a little bit here and helped me out a lot. I’m excited for another Kahu season with her later this year.”
With Bailey committed to play for the University of Hawaii Women’s basketball team in 2025 – joining Tall Ferns teammate Ritorya Tamilo, who begins in November – Bailey knows what she wants to get out of her first Tall Ferns experience.
“It’s obviously a different environment from my time at U17 World Cup, it’s a similar team culture but everything here is held to a higher standard – everyone is expected to perform at their absolute peak, as we’re going up against some of the world’s best athletes.
“I’m the young one on this team so for me, I want to take away as many learnings as I can both on and off the court. About the players, the Tall Ferns team culture, everything. Hopefully it’s something I can take back to my own teams back home; at school and for Harbour [Association] and Kahu, so I can have a bigger impact on those teams.”
“The women’s game is growing so rapidly”
Looking back on her time with the Tall Ferns, Penina can see the positive changes – and opportunities – for this squad since she first suited up in 2013 at the FIBA Oceania Champs.
“Year 11 of being a Tall Fern is good; we’ve got Aik [Ho] back which has been cool, as he was there when I first debuted. At our singlet presentations he alluded to all the change that has happened [with the Tall Ferns] over the past dozen or so years; just the opportunities we now have to even be at a tournament like this, against the world’s best.
“Back when I debuted we would play Australia three times each year, but now this year alone we’re playing China, Japan, Montenegro, Mexico and several other teams. The women’s game is growing so rapidly and it’s cool to see it as a senior player.
“And to see someone like Bailey, who was my age when I debuted, and helping them on their journey – I can’t wait to see what it might be like for her in 10 year’s time.”
Facing Mexico
The Tall Ferns will face Mexico tonight in another historic first; with Monday’s game against Montenegro the first time that any New Zealand senior basketball team has played in this country – and tonight’s game being the Tall Ferns first ever versus a Mexico squad.
Penina says that the team is locked in on what they want to achieve from this tournament.
“It’s really exciting. We’ve all been pretty transparent about what our goal is here; our ultimate goal is the 2028 Olympics and the FIBA Women’s World Cup is our stepping stone to that.
“So what an amazing opportunity we have now, we appreciate that last time we didn’t even have an opportunity to be part of a pre-qualifying tournament. So it’s an exciting step to take and we’re ready.”
The 2degrees Tall Ferns face Mexico in their second game of the FIBA World Cup Pre-Qualifiers; catch it live from 2.30pm NZT at www.youtube.com/FIBA
