The White Ferns have suffered a tough injury blow just days out from the start of their Cricket World Cup campaign on home soil.
Batter Lauren Down has been ruled out of the tournament after suffering a fractured thumb in Thursday's fifth and final ODI against India in Queenstown.
New Zealand Cricket confirmed Down's status on Thursday, adding the 26-year-old would now return home to Auckland for medical advice and recovery.
White Ferns coach Bob Carter said the team was hit hard by the news.
"Quite simply, the entire squad is absolutely gutted for Lauren," Carter said.
"She's a very popular member of the group and it's fair to say the team were quite emotional when we got the news she was out of the tournament.
"You saw the impact Lauren had in the recent series against India; she played some really mature innings' in the middle order and her fielding was at an exceptional standard."
Carter said Down would be replaced by Georgia Plimmer from the Wellington Blaze for the tournament which begins next Friday when the White Ferns take on the West Indies at Bay Oval in Mt Maunganui.
Carter added Auckland Hearts seamer, Molly Penfold, was also set to join the squad as a traveling reserve player.
Both players will undergo the necessary five-day 'bridging in' isolation period before officially joining the White Ferns group for the campaign.
The White Ferns have warm-up matches against Pakistan and Australia on Sunday and Tuesday, respectively, before Friday's curtain raiser.
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