Kalani Purcell (born 13 January 1995) is a New Zealand professional basketball player.
| Melbourne Boomers | |
|---|---|
| Position | Forward |
| League | WNBL |
| Personal information | |
| Born | 13 January 1995 Ōtāhuhu, New Zealand |
| Nationality | Samoan/Dutch, New Zealand |
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Listed weight | 196 lb (89 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | John Paul College (Brisbane, Queensland) |
| College |
|
| WNBA draft | 2017: undrafted |
| Playing career | 2017–present |
| Career history | |
| 2017–present | Melbourne Boomers |
| Career highlights and awards | |
College
editPurcell began her college career at Hutchinson Community College in Hutchinson, Kansas for the Blue Dragons.[1] 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.[2] During her time at BYU, Purcell received several awards in the West Coast Conference of NCAA Division I.
Statistics
edit| 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 | |
Career
editWNBL
editPurcell has signed a two-year deal with the Melbourne Boomers in the Women's National Basketball League. There, she will play alongside the likes of Liz Cambage and Jenna O'Hea, under coach Guy Molloy.[3]
In June 2019, Purcell signed on for her third year with the Melbourne Boomers for the 2019–20 season.[4]
National team
editYouth level
editPurcell 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.[5]
Senior level
editPurcell made her senior international debut with the Tall Ferns at the 2013 FIBA Oceania Championship. She has taken home the silver medal on two occasions. Purcell played for the Tall Ferns at the 2016 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Nantes, France. After losses to France and Cuba, New Zealand failed to qualify.
Personal life
editPurcell, hailing from Hamilton, New Zealand, 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.[6]
Purcell and her partner, NBL player Tyrell Harrison, are expecting their first child in 2023.[7][8]
References
edit- ^ "Kalani Purcell #32 F Hutchinson Community College – Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference". kjccc.org.
- ^ "BYU women's basketball: Purcell has found success, happiness and love in Provo". sltrib.com.
- ^ "Deakin Melbourne Boomers Land Key Tall Ferns Forward". wnbl.com.au.[dead link]
- ^ "KALANI PURCELL". instagram.com. Archived from the original on 24 December 2021.
- ^ "Kalani Purcell's profile - 2009 FIBA Oceania U16 Championship for Women - ARCHIVE.FIBA.COM". archive.fiba.com.
- ^ "New Tall Fern following in sisters' footsteps". stuff.co.nz.
- ^ Hinton, Marc (20 April 2023). "Tyrell Harrison standing tall for Franklin Bulls through impressive start to NBL". stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
- ^ Tailor, Leena (18 May 2023). "Basketball stars Tyrell and Kelani's baby joy". nowtolove.co.nz. Retrieved 31 May 2023.