The Tall Ferns haven't featured at an Olympics since 2008 but within the next two months they have an opportunity to put themselves back in the frame.
The squad assembles in Auckland this week ahead of a busy schedule in the lead up to next month's Asia Cup in Australia.
Head coach Guy Molloy said the team’s preparations are already off to a much better start than their last campaign which was hindered significantly by the pandemic.
“We prepared over Zoom which was the world we lived in the time and arrived and played a couple of days later,” Molloy recalled.
This time, Molloy and the Tall Ferns have the luxury of two mini camps and a tour of Europe before heading to Australia for the Asia Cup.
Molloy said his side knows what’s at stake across the Tasman.
“We feel like if we get a fair shake at things and we get a chance to prepare, we're certainly capable of sneaking into that top four which is the first thing we need to do at Asia Cup.”
Star player Charlisse Leger-Walker said the team have noticed the improvement to their run-in to tournaments.
“In the past, we have always had the burden of not getting any or a lot of time before having to go and play against the top 10 countries in the world,” Leger-Walker said.
“Trying to compete for spots to qualify, it’s really, really hard when you only have three or four days.”
It’s nothing like what she has experienced at Washington State University, coming off a successful season which left US commentators wondering if she’d enter the WNBA draft.
“When scouts, GMs, agents were getting in contact, I realised, ‘oh my gosh, it’s all happening’,” she said.
“I thought about putting my name in the draft earlier but ultimately I decided to go back for my senior year to finish my degree and refine my skills.”
There’s no better way to refine her skills than against some of Europe's best with three games against Serbia as well as friendlies against Turkey and Poland lined up.
After that, it’s on to face Korea, China and Lebanon at the Asia Cup where they’ve finished fifth in the last two editions.
“We've come so close every time and it is a bit disheartening but, typical Kiwis, we'll get back up and try again,” Krystal Leger-Walker said.
“Our coaches have gone back to the drawing board and come back with a new game plan.”
A game plan they hope breaks a long Olympic drought.
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