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Kalani Purcell

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Kalani Purcell
Personal information
Born (1995-01-13) 13 January 1995 (age 30)
Auckland, New Zealand
Listed height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Career information
High schoolJohn Paul College
(Brisbane, Queensland)
College
WNBA draft2017: undrafted
Playing career2012–present
PositionForward
Career history
2012South West Metro Pirates
2013Waikato Wizards
2014Auckland Lady Hawks
2017Brisbane Spartans
2017–2020Melbourne Boomers
2018South West Metro Pirates
2019Auckland Dream
2020–2022Southern Districts Spartans
2021–2022Sydney Uni Flames
2023Tokomanawa Queens
2024Southern Districts Spartans
Career highlights and awards
  • WBC champion (2019)
  • 2× WCC First Team (2016, 2017)
  • WCC Defensive Player of the Year (2017)
  • WCC Newcomer of the Year (2016)
Medals
Representing  New Zealand
Women's Basketball
Commonwealth Games
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Gold Coast Team competition
FIBA Oceania Championship
Silver medal – second place 2013 Australia / New Zealand Team
Silver medal – second place 2015 Australia / New Zealand Team

Kalani Purcell (born 13 January 1995) is a New Zealand professional basketball player.

Early life

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Purcell was born in Auckland, New Zealand.[1] She later moved to Australia, where she attended John Paul College in Brisbane, Queensland.[1]

College career

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Purcell began her college career at Hutchinson Community College in Hutchinson, Kansas for the Blue Dragons.[2] After two seasons with Hutchinson, Purcell became the most decorated player in Blue Dragons history, earning her a transfer to Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah for the Cougars.[3] During her time at BYU, Purcell received several awards in the West Coast Conference of NCAA Division I.

Statistics

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Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG TO PPG
2013–14 Hutchinson 36 5 26.3 .522 .421 .593 10.3 3.7 3.6 1.4 3.2 13.7
2014–15 Hutchinson 34 34 31.0 .561 .174 .733 11.9 5.1 3.5 1.2 3.0 18.1
2015–16 Brigham Young 33 33 35.6 .451 .237 .678 12.6 4.7 2.0 0.7 4.3 12.0
2016–17 Brigham Young 32 32 36.8 .469 .286 .622 10.5 4.9 2.2 1.3 4.9 12.7
Career 135 104 32.2 .504 .270 .658 11.3 4.5 2.8 1.1 3.8 14.1

Professional career

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WNBL

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Purcell joined the Melbourne Boomers of the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) for the 2017–18 season.[4] She continued with the Boomers in 2018–19, 2019–20,[5] and the 2020 WNBL Hub season.[6] She joined the Sydney Uni Flames for the 2021–22 WNBL season.[6]

National team

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Youth level

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Purcell made her international debut for the New Zealand under-17 team at the 2009 FIBA Oceania Under-16 Championship in Brisbane, Queensland, at just the age of 14.[7]

Senior level

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Purcell made her senior international debut with the Tall Ferns at the 2013 FIBA Oceania Championship. She went on to play for the Tall Ferns at the 2016 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Nantes, France. Her last appearance for the Tall Ferns was at the 2021 FIBA Women's Asia Cup.[8]

Purcell played for the New Zealand women's national 3x3 team at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.[9]

Personal life

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Purcell is the youngest of seven children to Ingrid and Brian Purcell. Two of her older sisters, Charmian and Natalie, have also represented the Tall Ferns and are both Olympians.[10]

Purcell and her partner, NBL player Tyrell Harrison, had their first child in 2023.[11][12]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Kalani Purcell - Women's Basketball 2016-2017". BYU Athletics - Official Athletics Website - BYU Cougars. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  2. ^ "Kalani Purcell #32 F Hutchinson Community College – Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference". kjccc.org.
  3. ^ "BYU women's basketball: Purcell has found success, happiness and love in Provo". sltrib.com.
  4. ^ "Deakin Melbourne Boomers Land Key Tall Ferns Forward". wnbl.com.au.[dead link‍]
  5. ^ "KALANI PURCELL". instagram.com. Archived from the original on 24 December 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Kalani Purcell, Basketball Player, News, Stats - australiabasket". Eurobasket LLC. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  7. ^ "Kalani Purcell's profile - 2009 FIBA Oceania U16 Championship for Women - ARCHIVE.FIBA.COM". archive.fiba.com.
  8. ^ "Kalani Purcell (New Zealand) - Basketball Stats, Height, Age | FIBA Basketball". www.fiba.basketball. 21 January 2025. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  9. ^ "Kalani Purcell | New Zealand Olympic Team". olympic.org.nz. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  10. ^ "New Tall Fern following in sisters' footsteps". stuff.co.nz.
  11. ^ Hinton, Marc (20 April 2023). "Tyrell Harrison standing tall for Franklin Bulls through impressive start to NBL". stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  12. ^ Tailor, Leena (18 May 2023). "Basketball stars Tyrell and Kelani's baby joy". nowtolove.co.nz. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
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