Purcell named to New Zealand Tall Ferns Squad

PROVO, Utah—Junior forward Kalani Purcell has been named to the 14-member New Zealand National Team, the Tall Ferns Basketball Team, for its upcoming tour of China.

The team will tour China and Europe ahead of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in June in France.

This is Purcell’s third time playing on the Tall Ferns National Team, previously on the team in 2013 and in 2015. She was also on the U17 New Zealand National Team in 2008.

Purcell is one of four players who competed on U.S. university rosters last season and one of two student-athletes from the West Coast Conference. Stella Beck, from Saint Mary’s College is the other WCC player. They are joined by Penina Davidson from the University of California, Berkeley and Brooke Blair, from Idaho State University.

Four other members are New Zealand natives while six others are currently playing professionally overseas.