The stage is set for the first-ever 3×3 Trans-Tasman showdown later this month, with Basketball New Zealand (BBNZ) and Basketball Australia (BA) today announcing their respective national teams for this inaugural 3×3 international series – to be played at the 3×3 Cup at Invercargill’s ILT Stadium Southland from 25-28 October 2023.
3×3 Trans-Tasman Women’s Series – 3×3 Tall Ferns
The 3×3 Tall Ferns, coached by Justine Reed will include: Azure Anderson, Kendell Heremaia, Lauryn Hippolite, Chevannah Paalvast and Olivia O’Neill.
They will face a 3×3 Australia national women’s team that includes Mikhaela Cann, Jacqui Trotto, Bride Kennedy-Hopoate and Teyla Evans.
Hippolite comes into this 3×3 Tall Ferns squad as its most experienced 3×3 player; the 23-year-old winning silver at the FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup this year, while also appearing for NZ in the FIBA 3×3 U23 Nations League.
Joining her is Paalvast, who played 60 games for the Tall Ferns in the 5 on 5 setting – including a bronze medal finish at the 2018 Commonwealth Games – with the veteran winning gold with the 3×3 Tall Ferns at the FIBA 2018 Asia Cup in China. Paalvast and O’Neill also both competed for the 3×3 Tall Ferns at the FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series earlier this year, while Heremaia and Anderson will make their 3×3 Tall Fern debuts.
3×3 Trans-Tasman Men’s Series – 3×3 Tall Blacks
The 3×3 Tall Blacks, helmed by Pete van Hasselt will comprise of: Denhym Brooke, Taki Fahrensohn, Dom Kelman-Poto, Chris McIntosh and Nikau McCullough.
They will clash with a 3×3 Australia national men’s team that features Josh Dent, Jacob Furphy, James O’Donnell and Dan Trist.
Kelman-Poto headlines this group for New Zealand, with the 6’7” forward – who is currently playing for the NZ Breakers in the Australian NBL – a regular fixture in the 3×3 Tall Blacks. His resume includes the FIBA 3×3 World Cup 2022 and 2022 Commonwealth Games, as well as New Zealand’s last two FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup teams; winning silver in 2022 and bronze in this year’s edition.
Kelman-Poto re-unites with his 3×3 Asia Cup teammate in sharpshooter McIntosh, along with his 3×3 World Cup compatriot McCullough, to form a strong inside-outside trio. Brooke and Fahrensohn will both make their 3×3 Tall Blacks debuts, with Taki having made 13 appearances for the Tall Blacks in the 5 on 5 setting. Brooke, McIntosh, McCullough and Fahrensohn all recently represented Auckland NZL at the FIBA 3×3 World Tour in Manila.
Series Format
These men’s and women’s 3×3 national teams will each battle it out in an eight-game series, held from 25-28 October 2023 at ILT Stadium Southland in Invercargill.
Each national team play its counterpart twice per evening over four exciting days, with the squad winning the most games – or with the better points differential in the event of a tie – taking home the inaugural 3×3 Trans-Tasman Challenge Plate.
The international series – which sees the 3×3 Tall Blacks and 3×3 Tall Ferns playing on home soil for the first time ever – will be the showcase event of the 2023 edition of the 3×3 Cup, which brings together some of the best young talent from across Aotearoa to compete for the 3×3 Cup trophy.
All 3×3 Trans-Tasman Series games and 3×3 Cup games will be screened live on Sky Sport.
Find out more about the 3×3 Trans-Tasman Series at www.3×3.co.nz
Tickets to the 3×3 Cup are available at bbnz.link/3x3CupTickets
3×3 Tall Ferns for 3×3 Trans-Tasman Women’s Series
Azure Anderson
Kendell Heremaia
Lauryn Hippolite
Chevannah Paalvast
Olivia O’Neill
3×3 Tall Blacks for 3×3 Trans-Tasman Men’s Series
Denhym Brooke
Taki Fahrensohn
Dom Kelman-Poto
Chris McIntosh
Nikau McCullough
3×3 Trans-Tasman Women’s Series Schedule
Game 1 – 6.45pm NZT, Wed 25 Oct
Game 2 – 8.25pm NZT, Wed 25 Oct
Game 3 – 6.25pm NZT, Thu 26 Oct
Game 4 – 8.05pm NZT, Thu 26 Oct
Game 5 – 6.45pm NZT, Fri 27 Oct
Game 6 – 8.25pm NZT, Fri 27 Oct
Game 7 – 6.45pm NZT, Sat 28 Oct
Game 8 – 8.45pm NZT, Sat 28 Oct
3×3 Trans-Tasman Men’s Series Schedule
Game 1 – 6.25pm NZT, Wed 25 Oct
Game 2 – 8.05pm NZT, Wed 25 Oct
Game 3 – 6.45pm NZT, Thu 26 Oct
Game 4 – 8.25pm NZT, Thu 26 Oct
Game 5 – 6.25pm NZT, Fri 27 Oct
Game 6 – 8.05pm NZT, Fri 27 Oct
Game 7 – 7.05pm NZT, Sat 28 Oct
Game 8 – 9.05pm NZT, Sat 28 Oct
