NZ and Australia teams named for 3x3 showdown in Invercargill
Former Southland Sharks fan favourite Dom Kelman-Poto will return to ILT Stadium Southland this month with the NZ men's 3x3 team that will play Australia.
The stage is set for the first-ever 3x3 Trans-Tasman showdown later this month, with Basketball New Zealand and Basketball Australia announcing their respective national teams for this inaugural 3x3 international series.
The series will be played at the 3x3 Cup at ILT Stadium Southland from 25-28 October 2023.
3x3 Trans-Tasman Women’s Series – 3x3 Tall Ferns
The 3x3 Tall Ferns, coached by Justine Reed, will include: Azure Anderson, Kendell Heremaia, Lauryn Hippolite, Chevannah Paalvast and Olivia O’Neill.
They will face a 3x3 Australia national women’s team that includes Mikhaela Cann, Jacqui Trotto, Bride Kennedy-Hopoate and Teyla Evans.
Hippolite comes into this 3x3 Tall Ferns squad as its most experienced 3x3 player; the 23-year-old winning silver at the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup this year, while also appearing for NZ in the FIBA 3x3 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 3x3 Tall Ferns at the FIBA 2018 Asia Cup in China. Paalvast and O’Neill also both competed for the 3x3 Tall Ferns at the FIBA 3x3 Women’s Series earlier this year, while Heremaia and Anderson will make their 3x3 Tall Fern debuts.
3x3 Trans-Tasman Men’s Series – 3x3 Tall Blacks
The 3x3 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 3x3 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 3x3 Tall Blacks. His resume includes the FIBA 3x3 World Cup 2022 and 2022 Commonwealth Games, as well as New Zealand’s last two FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup teams; winning silver in 2022 and bronze in this year’s edition.
Kelman-Poto re-unites with his 3x3 Asia Cup teammate in sharpshooter McIntosh, along with his 3x3 World Cup compatriot McCullough, to form a strong inside-outside trio. Brooke and Fahrensohn will both make their 3x3 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 3x3 World Tour in Manila.
Series Format
These men’s and women’s 3x3 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 3x3 Trans-Tasman Challenge Plate.
The international series – which sees the 3x3 Tall Blacks and 3x3 Tall Ferns playing on home soil for the first time ever – will be the showcase event of the 2023 edition of the 3x3 Cup, which brings together some of the best young talent from across Aotearoa to compete for the 3x3 Cup trophy.
All 3x3 Trans-Tasman Series games and 3x3 Cup games will be screened live on Sky Sport.
3x3 Tall Ferns for 3x3 Trans-Tasman Women’s Series
Azure Anderson
Kendell Heremaia
Lauryn Hippolite
Chevannah Paalvast
Olivia O’Neill
3x3 Tall Blacks for 3x3 Trans-Tasman Men’s Series
Denhym Brooke
Taki Fahrensohn
Dom Kelman-Poto
Chris McIntosh
Nikau McCullough
3x3 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
3x3 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