Basketball: Walker to lead Tall Ferns at Athens

1.00pm

Veteran guard Leanne Walker has been named captain of the New Zealand women's team for their Athens Olympic basketball campaign.

The announcement was made by outgoing coach Carrie Graf and endorsed by successor Tom Maher during the current training camp at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra.

Walker, 33, has been a regular in the national team since 1993, and played in the 1994 world championships and the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Since Graf assumed the Tall Ferns coaching role in early 2003, the team has operated under a leadership committee, but Walker and forward Gina Farmer shared the captaincy during the Oceania series against Australia last August.

Farmer, currently playing professionally in Hungary, has been named vice captain for Athens.

Walker will turn 34 shortly before the Olympics but has maintained a superb standard of fitness over the years through her exploits in touch rugby, another sport she has achieved international status in. Last year, she attended her fourth world touch championships as co-captain of the open women's side.

Playing for Waikato, she has won women's National Basketball League outstanding guard honours five times, including last year's award.

Walker achieved the only triple double in the 2003 national league -- men or women -- when she compiled 10 points, 10 assists and 11 steals against Canterbury in Hamilton.

"This is really good news," Walker said.

"After being captain with Gina last September, it doesn't come as a huge shock but it's definitely an honour to be able to lead the team at the Olympics."

Walker's leadership has become key in the transition between Graf and Maher, who guided the Australian Opals to the silver medal at the Sydney Olympics.

"It's basically the same programme," Walker said.

"It's just a matter of adjusting to a new personality style.

"We're relishing the opportunity to learn from one of the top coaches in the world. It's pretty surreal ... Tom used to be on the opposition bench."

Walker's appointment gives Waikato basketball the probable distinction of providing captains for both New Zealand basketball teams in Athens. Pero Cameron is likely to lead the Tall Blacks.

- NZPA