Parents give Aliyah an assist
There’s no shortage of basketball talent in Aliyah Dunn’s family.
With a father who played for the Southland Sharks and a mother who played Southland representative basketball, it comes as no surprise that Dunn has excelled in the sport.
She has just made the national under-17 girls’ basketball squad.
Those who went to watch the Harlem Globetrotters in action recently would have seen her complete the halftime challenge.
Dunn’s father, Terrence, said the first thing they bought for their house was, you guessed it, a basketball hoop.
‘‘All the kids sort of lowed along.’’
Aliyah’s four siblings have all played basketball at a representative level, her father said.
The 15-year-old forward from Verdon College got her start playing for the school team at Te Wharekura O Arowhenua.
From there, she made the Southland under-13 team when she was 11 years old and had played A grade basketball since, Dunn said.
She took a break from representative basketball to play netball, where she has also gained representative honours.
Dunn played for various Invercargill Netball Centre teams until she made the Southland under-17 team.
At the moment she is focusing on basketball but Dunn said she had no idea which sport she wanted to play long-term.
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It changes from time to time, her father said.
‘‘Like in April she got picked up by the North Harbour under-19 Maori netball team for their tournament. She really enjoyed that and got a look in at netball again.’’
Basketball took preference this year because we decided to put the netball on hold, her father said.
Due to injury, Dunn ended up missing the first trial for the under-17 squad.
‘‘She’s had four knee injuries over the past 12 months.
‘‘It’s been a bit of mission to try and get her fit,’’ said Terrence.
She has had a dislocated knee cap, three MCL strains and an ACL stretch.
She managed to make the second trial after which the squad was named, her father said.
Of the three players from Southland to trial for the team, Dunn was the only one selected for the squad.
The squad is working towards the 2015 FIBA Oceania Women’s Championship, which take place in Melbourne, Tauranga and Wellington in August.