Fakalata Named to Australian Gems Squad

MELBOURNE – Nunawading Spectres rising star Luisa Fakalata has been named in the preliminary Australian Gems squad for the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup announced by Basketball Australia earlier today.

Both the Gems (women) and Emus (men) will come together for a 4-day camp, February 27 – March 2, to be held at Basketball Australia’s Centro of Excellence based at the Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra. The 2021 FIBA U19 Word Cup for Women is scheduled to take place in Debrecen, Hungary in August.

“This camp signifies the start of an important journey for our national Under 19s men’s and women’s teams, as we look to medal at both World Cups later this year,” Basketball Australia Head of High Performance and National Teams Jan Stirling said.

“Australian basketball through its connected high-performance pathway and elite coaching continues to produce world class talent, which is reflected in the strength of the squads that have been named for our preliminary camp later this month.

“Both the Emus and Gems will be led by experienced coaching personnel at this year’s Worlds and we look forward to seeing the progression of both squads over the coming months.”

This is not the first time Fakalata has been named for national duty, the lightning quick guard having already represented Australia at U17 (Sapphires) level.