Tall Ferns visit Tauranga Intermediate

Tauranga Intermediate students were given the chance to ask some of New Zealand's top female basketballers some very important questions.

The entire Auckland Dream squad visited Tauranga Intermediate School after their successful opening game of the Womens Basketball championship in Tauranga on Friday.

Tall Ferns co-captain Natalie Taylor and former Tall Fern Charmian Mellars spoke about their experiences as players in the New Zealand basketball team and answered a range of questions from the year 7 and 8 students.

Basketball New Zealand marketing and communications coordinator Conor Gilchrist said some of the more serious questions included what their career highlights were and which team member they would pick to play on their team if they could only chose one.

"Who is the most awkward team mate was one of the more humorous ones," he said.

Taylor had made a quick trip back across the Tasman to Tauranga after claiming bronze against Canada in the Commonwealth Games a couple of weeks ago.

Gilchrist said Taylor had brought her bronze medal to show the students in a rare visit back on home soil.

"We don't often get elite players returning to the country after playing professionally overseas," he said.

"But when they do come, it is really cool. They are fronting the game."

He said the players are "faces to remember" for the children who aspire to one day represent their country in a sport that was growing in popularity.

"It gives them [young players] something to aspire to and a bit of a pathway."

Talking to the students, Taylor said there were many opportunities for students if they worked hard towards what they wanted to achieve.

"If you work really hard or it is something you want to explore when you get a bit older, there is so many opportunities out there for you to travel, go to school, see the world as well as playing a sport that you really enjoy," she said.

Taylor and her teammates secured an early 88-69 win against the Harbour Breeze on day one of the Womens Basketball championship at the Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre in Tauranga.

The Auckland Dream team lost their second game against the Waikato Wizards on Saturday and were up against Otago Gold Rush on Sunday morning.