Trans-Tasman: Five things you need to see

• Dean Vickerman and Paul Goriss will coach the Boomers and Opals in the series
• Four players will make their debut for the Opals
• The NZ men will be without Flynn Cameron and Corey Webster (injury)

The Opals and Boomers are back in action tonight, taking on New Zealand in the Trans-Tasman Throwdown. The first of three double-header nights will tip-off in Adelaide tonight, before heading to the Sunshine Coast and Hamilton (NZ) later in the week.

There are storylines aplenty to keep an eye out for with young guns and experienced veterans set to take to the court for Australia.

With that in mind, let’s dive into what to watch out for during the Trans-Tasman series.

THE OPALS DEFENCE

When you look at the squad selected for the Opals, the amount of ruthless perimeter defenders that will take to the court is astounding. Steph Reid, Maddy Rocci, Abbey Ellis and Nyadiew Puoch are all relentless defensive guards or wings and it’s going to be a nightmare for the New Zealand guards trying to force their way into the paint.

Reid, Ellis and Rocci annoy the life out of opposing guards with full-court pressure, while Puoch can lock down guards on the perimeter and cause havoc in the paint with her innate ability to block or disrupt shots.

The Opals pride themselves on defence and with Paul Gorris taking the coaching reins for this series, he’s going to have plenty of options to throw at New Zealand.

JACOB FURPHY

Jacob Furphy has already committed to the University of Connecticut for the 2025-26 college season, but before he enters one of the most storied programs in the sport, he’ll be back in the green and gold, where he has already made a name for himself throughout a terrific junior career.

Still just 18-years-old, Furphy has all the makings of being a constant feature in Boomers squads for years to come. He’s the type of wing player that can make highlight plays on the offensive end, but also just gets the job done by doing all the little things right.

It will be interesting to see how much coach Dean Vickerman utilises Furphy in this series, with a logjam of talent, but it would be great to see some flashes of Furphy brilliance.

THE RETURN OF SARA BLICAVS

Sara Blicavs’ comeback is truly remarkable. It’s been just over a year since Blicavs underwent major surgery; a spinal fusion and disc replacement. Since the surgery she has fought her way back to full health and is in unbelievable form with the Melbourne Tigers in NBL1 South, playing alongside fellow Opal Izzy Borlase, who remains one of the brightest young stars in the country.

Currently averaging 21.6 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, Blicavs is looking like the player that made Opal Olympic and World Cup squads not too long ago. She will have a huge role to play, on and off the court, for the Opals in this series as clearly the most experienced member of the squad and only player to have played at an Olympics or World Cup.

IS DJ VASILJEVIC THE OFFENSIVE ENGINE ROOM?

We all know what DJ Vasiljevic is capable of on the offensive end and you get the feeling he’s going to have the opportunity to be a focal point of the Boomers offence. He can catch fire at any moment and turn a game on its head.

Currently dominating for the Forestville Eagles in NBL1 Central, Vasiljevic has scored more than 20 points in six of seven games so far, including a ridiculous 38-point outing against Central Districts late last month. Earlier this year in the NBL, Vasiljevic scored 32 points on 10 three-point makes as heled Adelaide to a win over Cairns.

NBL1 STARS TAKE CENTRE STAGE

They are names well-known to avid Australian basketball followers but may be lesser known to the general public. Elijah Pepper and Angus Glover play strong roles in the NBL, while Lauren Scherf has dominated the WNBL in previous years before heading to Europe. Currently, they are absolutely starring in NBL1 across the nation and will be suiting up for the Boomers and the Opals.

Elijah Pepper and Angus Glover are two of the most prolific flamethrowers in NBL1 West and South, respectively, while Lauren Scherf is back to her dominant best in NBL1 South after a great season in Turkey.

Pepper is on another level for the Warwick Senators, averaging one of the most insane stat lines you’ll ever come across: 43.7 points (7.2 threes per game), 7.3 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 2.2 steals through six games. Unbelievably, he scored over 50+ points in three of the first four games!

Glover is a star of NBL1 South and is suiting up for Ringwood in 2025. Last season for Elwood, Glover was dominant as the Hawks won the NBL1 South Championship and he was crowned Grand Final MVP with 30 points and 4 rebounds. He caught fire in that game, hitting seven triples.

That scoring flash that both players possess will be a great luxury for Vickerman to call upon when needed.

Scherf is going to be a backbone of the Opals frontcourt during this series and will be looking to continue her dominant NBL1 form. Having played three games for Frankston so far, Scherf’s all-round game has been on full display, averaging 17.3 points, 10.7 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals per game.

Scherf is a great post player on both ends of the court, but her passing is what truly separates her from other bigs, so keep an eye on her operating out of the high post and finding teammates cutting to the basket.

THE TRANS-TASMAN THROWDOWN

Game 1: Wednesday, May 7at Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide.

Game 2: Friday, May 9 at UniSC Arena, Sunshine Coast.

Game 3: Sunday, May 11 at GLOBOX Arena, Hamilton, New Zealand.

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