Cantabrian Mary Goulding has been called into the Tall Ferns squad for the upcoming tour of Japan and Taiwan where they will defend the William Jones Cup title won last year. Goulding comes in to replace the experienced Tall Ferns Captain Natalie Taylor, who has needed to withdraw from the team in order to help care for a recently unwell family member.
Goulding is currently playing alongside Brooke Blair at the Rockhampton Cyclones. The Cyclones are second on the Queensland Basketball League ladder with Goulding averaging 10 points and 6 rebounds per game.
Goulding’s inclusion in the 14-player squad heading away on July 12 will take the number of debutants to six. Goulding joins Matangiroa Flavell, Ella Fotu (both Harbour Breeze), Esra McGoldrick, Charlotte Whittaker and Amy West (all McAlpines M10 Mega North Canterbury Spirit) as the rookies on the tour.
The Rangiora High School alumna and former Mainland Eagles standout attended Gillette College in Wyoming in her 2016-17 freshman season averaging 16.9 points and 10.6 rebounds per game before being recruited by Coach Stephanie Gaitley to the Fordham University Rams programme where she excelled for three years.
“Mary had a storybook senior year. Her game, her leadership, and her confidence has grown every day. In my opinion she was the most improved player in the conference,” said Gaitley.
Her performances in her final year make impressive reading.
She earned First Team All-Conference honours, Most Outstanding Player accolades at the Atlantic 10 Championship and named to the A-10 All-Academic Team. Goulding led the Rams to the programme’s second-ever Atlantic 10 Championship.
Playing alongside fellow Kiwis Zara Jillings and Kendell Heremaia, Goulding led Fordham in a number of statistical categories including rebounding (8.4rpg), assists (2.9apg) and three-point shooting (41 from 103 at 39.8%).
Commenting on Goulding’s move into the professional ranks Gaitley said, “I am extremely excited for Mary and also very proud of her. She has worked very hard to achieve her goal of playing professionally. She just keeps getting better and her best is still ahead.”
In 2016 Goulding played for New Zealand Select against China B and now gets a deserved chance at the senior level.
Tall Ferns Team:
Stella Beck (Launceston Tornadoes/Melbourne Boomers)
Tessa Boagni (Alloyfold Canterbury Wildcats)
Micaela Cocks (Townsville Fire)
Penina Davidson (Harbour Breeze/Melbourne Boomers)
Toni Farnworth (Ringwood Hawks)
Matangiroa Flavell (Harbour Breeze)
Ella Fotu (Harbour Breeze)
Mary Goulding (Rockhampton Cyclones)
Charlisse Leger-Walker (Waikato Wizards)
Esra McGoldrick (McAlpines M10 Mega North Canterbury Spirit/North Carolina State University)
Chevannah Paalvast (Sunshine Coast Rip)
Kalani Purcell (Auckland Dream/Melbourne Boomers)
Amy West (McAlpines M10 Mega North Canterbury Spirit/Liberty University)
Charlotte Whittaker (McAlpines M10 Mega North Canterbury Spirit/University of Colorado)
