Dunn happy with netball but misses basketball
She has quickly emerged as one of New Zealand’s most promising netball players but Silver Ferns youngster Aliyah Dunn admits she misses playing basketball.
The 19-year-old was the second most accurate shooter in the ANZ Premiership last year, scoring 524 goals at 90.80 per cent for beaten finalists Central Pulse.
Her breakout second season led to a deserved call-up to the Silver Ferns, going on to play four times for the national team throughout 2018.
Dunn has already picked up where she left off last season, scoring a game-high 37 from 40 in the Pulse’s one-sided 62-39 opening-round win over the Northern Mystics.
If she carries that strong form through the season, Dunn should be right in contention for a place in Silver Ferns coach Noeline Taurua’s Netball World Cup squad.
However, despite having no regrets about the path she decided to take – opting to pursue a professional career in netball after the Junior Tall Ferns failed to qualify for the world championships – the Southland product said she does miss playing her first passion, basketball.
‘‘I am [missing it] a lot,’’ she said.
She plays one-on-one against Pulse team-mate Sulu Fitzpatrick in their spare time and said she wants to utilise more of her basketball skills on the netball court, hoping it might expand her game and therefore improve it too.
‘‘I need to add some variety. I’m just a holding shooter so I’ve got to do something else different. It adds a bit more fun I guess. ‘‘Standing there is kind of boring sometimes. It’s my go-to but I definitely need to expand on my skill-set.
‘‘I’ve got heaps to improve on. From d[efence] to offence, and just lots of little things.’’
Despite her impressive domestic season, Dunn was left out of the Silver Ferns squad for the recent Quad Series due to her lack of fitness. She said it remained her biggest area of improvement.
‘‘Yeah, it’s not my favourite,’’ Dunn reluctantly revealed. ‘‘But you’ve got to get it done. We all push each other to make each other better. Even though we hate it we know everyone is going through it so we have to just push through it.’’
Dunn spurned offers from other franchises before signing a contract extension with the Pulse. Even though the competition for places in the shooting circle is at a premium with Ameliaranne Ekenasio and Tiana Metuarau also challenging for the GS and GA bibs, she felt it was the best place to continue her development and to win trophies.
‘‘It was definitely more than I expected. I thought I’d come in the first season as a newbie and just make my way [in slowly] but it’s been really good and that’s why I came back.
‘‘I want to get a solid win with this team. There’s such a good culture here. We’re just like a big family, which is nice. I think Wellington is a nice city to live in and the girls are heaps of fun.
‘‘We all want the best for each other so we will push each other. Whoever makes the starting seven, we know they’re out there for a reason because we’ve all put the work in.’’
The Pulse’s next match is against Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic in Rotorua on Monday.