PAPUA NEW GUINEA (FIBA U15 Oceania Championship) - New Zealand U15 Head Coach Natalie Visger is looking forward to instilling the NZ style of play to the team competing in the FIBA U15 Oceania Championship on December 4-8 in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.

Visger shared that, like most of the teams coming to this tournament, this will be the first taste of FIBA competition for her young squad.

“For many of our players it will be their first FIBA event, and it will open their eyes to international competition and to a different part of the world,” Visger said.

“The opportunity for this group to continue to play on a grand stage is exciting, and I know we will do our best to qualify,” she added.

The AON New Zealand squad will be the first step for the program in building their future stars.

“We are focused on executing our NZ Style of Play, preparing the girls mentally for international competition and learning which combinations work the best for our rotations,” said Visger.

“I expect us to improve each game, as this will be a process focused event for us. Top two is our ultimate goal, but we will stay “at the moment” as much as possible,” she added.

The Women’s tournament will feature Australia, New Zealand, host Papua New Guinea, Fiji, and Samoa.

The competition will feature a round-robin format which will determine the Finals Phase of the tournament. The top two finishers will qualify to the FIBA U16 Asian Championship while third and fourth place finishers will advance to Division B.

Visger is eager to help the Aon perform admirably for New Zealand and is looking forward to the support they will get in Port Moresby.

“Thank you to all the supporters who will be making the trip to PNG., wave the Kiwi Flag proudly. For all those who couldn’t make it, keep us in your hearts and your thoughts. Go NZ!”

Story: fiba.basketball