Basketball: Tall Ferns captain brings experience

By PETER JESSUP

The Tall Ferns have appointed double international Leanne Walker as their captain for the Athens Olympic campaign, meaning both national basketball teams will be led by Waikato players.

Walker is having a tough introduction in Canberra where the Ferns have been beaten by Australia's Opals in a three-match series, although they fought hard in a narrow 68-64 loss in the last match.

Walker, 33, has been in the Ferns squad since 1993 and represented New Zealand at the 1994 world championships and 2000 Sydney Olympics, also fitting in four world touch football championships.

Touch has allowed her to maintain top fitness levels. New Ferns coach Tom Maher endorsed his predecessor Carrie Graf's selection of Walker, which was only confirmed once the coaching handover went smoothly.

Walker has been one of the most consistent players in the domestic WNBL, taking the best guard title five times. She was co-captain with Gina Farmer at last year's Oceania qualifying series. Farmer is still heavily involved with her Hungarian league side and has been named as vice-captain.

In Australia, the Ferns were missing both Farmer, still in Europe, and Megan Compain, who played game one but returned to her side in Wales on Wednesday.

Maher rated Donna Loffhagen's game against the world-ranked Aussie guard Lauren Jackson and praised Aneka Kerr's game.

He said he wanted to see continual improvement.