Effort pays off for Lockwood | Basketball New Zealand

When CASEY LOCKWOOD finally got the good news of her selection, Tall Ferns staff were somewhat unprepared for her excitement.

“We thought we might need fire extinguishers to dowse the flames coming out of her dancing feet,” quipped head coach KENNEDY KEREAMA. “She was very excited.”

For the naturalised American, that joy hasn’t dissipated.

“What was my reaction?” she reflects. “How do you spell ‘wooooooooo hoooooooo’?

Something like that, perhaps.

“It’s just a dream come true,” she says. “I’m so stoked to have the opportunity.”

It’s been a long struggle for Lockwood to at last win a place in the national women’s basketball team, a journey that began in 2009, when she and her boyfriend tended a Stewart Island paua farm as part of a working holiday.

Hearing of her Princeton University pedigree, the Southland association recruited her into a Pearls roster that also included internationals Donna Wilkins and Suzie Bates, and went on to capture the NZ second division title in Invercargill.

Lockwood hadn’t played for a couple of years since leaving college, but her class was obvious, and her team-mates encouraged her to stick around and apply for citizenship.

“We just loved New Zealand and were going to stay here no matter what, but it was awesome I could get back into basketball,” she says. “We fell in love with the country first and then got back into basketball second.”

But it wasn’t as easy as that. Lockwood (26) was initially hampered by a knee injury and even after she became a “Kiwi”, she faced stern competition for the one naturalised spot available on the national team. Last year, Kereama opted for the size of American-born centre Rebecca Dew, but after a summer with the Townsville Flames in the Australian WNBL, Lookwood’s case was too strong to ignore.

Still, she had missed the previous national camp with a fractured hand and now carries a stabilising plate in the damaged mitt.

“It was a no-brainer that we could only pick one of three players for that naturalised position,” says Kereama. The other to miss out this time was British-born Natasha Hall.

“It came down to performance on court during the camp and Casey brings us a different ex-factor entirely. Since she went away to Townsville, you can clearly see the improvements in her game and she’s playing fantastic basketball right now.”

Lockwood is the only debutant in the Tall Ferns squad that flies out for China tomorrow and then on to Turkey for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament later this month. But the roster is also significant for the return of veteran CHARMIAN MELLARS (nee Purcell), who hasn’t represented her country since the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Dew’s absence creates an opening for KARLENE KINGI, a skilful centre in the best shape of her career. Veteran point guard Noni Wharemate interrupts retirement to cover the loss of dual international Bates, while young guard ERIN ROONEY reclaims her place in the programme.

Initially, the Ferns face hosts China, Australia and Angola in two tournaments at Wuxi and Changzhou. All three nations have already qualified for the Olympics as their respective zone champions, although it’s believed the Australians will field a development side at this preliminary event.

“We go away with a bit of confidence,” says Kereama. “Last year, we beat China away and the only loss we had to them was by seven points. We know their entire playing group and nothing much will have changed since then.

“I think they’ve a fantastic offensive team, but I don’t think they’re a great defensive team at all. When we go over there, they really underestimate us as a nation and I think that bites a lot of teams in the behind.”

The Tall Ferns twice prevailed last time they faced Angola as part of their Beijing build-up and Kereama, who was video analyst for that team, expects them to play a very physical style.

The full squad is:

Micaela Cocks, Toni Edmondson, Jillian Harmon, Jordan Hunter, Karlene Kingi, Casey Lockwood, Kate McMeeken-Ruscoe, Charmian Mellars, Erin Rooney, Natalie Taylor, Lisa Wallbutton, Noni Wharemate

New Zealand begin their itinerary against China next Saturday, 11.30pm NZ.