Basketball is in NZ Tall Ferns players carry on family legacies

KIWI prodigy Charlisse LegerWalker will make history at the Cairns Convention Centre tonight, becoming the youngest player to represent the Tall Ferns basketball team in their opening round clash with Malaysia.

Leger-Walker is the third member of her family to represent New Zealand on the international stage, with her mum, Leanne, and sister, Krystal, also donning the prized “black singlet”.

Despite her tender age, the young guard already has basketball scouts and recruiters fawning over her ability with some observers going as far as to compare her to NBA great LeBron James.

But it still doesn’t mean she gets out of doing her homework.

“Pretty much,” the 16-yearold groans, her eyes widening as she contemplates an upcoming geography assignment. “At the moment I’m in Year 12 and in New Zealand you finish school in Year 13, so I’m still studying.

“But my friends are really supportive. There are always a few jokes about me playing for New Zealand, especially when I go away with the team.

“My school friends send me homework when I’m away and things like that, which is great.”

At this tournament the St Peter’s Cambridge student is joined by fellow teenage young gun and roommate Zara Jillings in a talented squad that combines longtime Kiwi stalwarts with some of Middle Earth’s most promising junior talent. But the burden of carrying on the family tradition doesn’t daunt Leger-Walker who has already won national secondary school titles and played with distinction for her hometown club, the Waikato Wizards in the women’s national competition.

“Obviously, it’s my first time representing the Tall Ferns and at a Commonwealth Games so I’m really excited,” she said.

“Mum’s been preparing me for these Games since she knew I was in the team.

“The best advice she gave me was to just go and learn as much as I can from the more experienced players and get amongst it all. The experience so far has been amazing. It’s such a higher level. Being with the older girls is different to playing in my age group. Here there’s a little more freedom to do what you want.”

Interestingly, Leger-Walker isn’t the only Tall Fern with strong basketball bloodlines. Forward Natalie Taylor will play alongside her younger sister, Kalani Purcell, for the first time at an international tournament.

“It’s always an honour to play for your country,” said Taylor, who previously played alongside her other sister, Charmian Mellars, at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

“We as a team always feel really proud to get together and be able to play for our country and to do it so close to home is really special too.”

Predictably, Taylor, a veteran of the New Zealand national program, said beating the Aussies to claim the gold medal would be a dream come true.

“The rivalry is probably not as fierce as the netball (or rugby union) at the moment but there’s definitely a competitive spirit there,” she said.

“I think any time Australia play New Zealand there’s that little bit of extra competition.

“We play against each other constantly in the domestic competitions and we’re fairly familiar with each other. In a way it’s kind of like going up against your mates but that’s good.

“Nicole Seekamp’s on the (Opals) team and we play together in Brisbane.

“I’ve played with Cayla George before and that’s really fun because she’s such a good player. It’s all laughs at the moment but it’ll be pretty serious when we hit the court.”

WE AS A TEAM ALWAYS FEEL REALLY PROUD TO GET TOGETHER AND BE ABLE TO PLAY FOR OUR COUNTRY AND TO DO IT SO CLOSE TO HOME IS REALLY SPECIAL TOO