WELLINGTON, New Zealand — BYU guard Arielle Mackey-Williams is set to compete for the New Zealand Tall Ferns in the FIBA 3x3 – Edmonton Stop on July 29-30, Basketball New Zealand announced on Thursday.
“It’s going to be an awesome experience for us,” said Mackey-Williams. “Being able to play for my country is always special. It’s a honor and a privilege that I am incredibly grateful for. I play for my Ngāti Porou iwi and my family who have sacrificed a lot for me.”
Mackey-Williams is one of four players selected to represent the Tall Ferns at the FIBA 3x3 - Edmonton Stop, each of which is playing college basketball in the United States. She will join Saint Mary’s Tayla Dalton, University of Portland’s Emme Shearer and Dominique Stephens of Rocky Mountain College in the two-day event.
The product of Ngati Porou, New Zealand will be making her second appearance for the New Zealand National Team and is no stranger to the 3x3 circuit. In 2018, Mackey-Williams helped New Zealand to the silver medal at the U18 3x3 Asia Cup and most recently won the New Zealand 3x3 national basketball tournament as part of the 2020 Auckland Dream.
Mackey-Williams started 24 of 33 games for the Cougars during the 2022-23 campaign and was a staple for head coach Amber Whiting’s squad. She was the third-leading scorer for BYU at 8.8 points per game on 41.0 percent shooting, 36.4 percent from behind the arc. The junior also dished out 2.1 assists per contest, grabbed 1.9 rebounds and recorded 24 steals on the year.
“I am super proud and excited for Ari to have the chance to represent New Zealand and BYU on the world stage,” Whiting said. “She has been working incredibly hard this summer to refine her game and I am excited to see her compete on this stage and show out for her country.”
Dalton helped New Zealand to a fourth-place finish at the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup last month while Mackey-Williams, Shearer and Stephens will each be making their first appearance on the FIBA Women’s 3x3 circuit.
The FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series – Edmonton Stop – tips off in Edmonton, Canada from 29-30 July. The 3×3 Tall Ferns will compete against 11 other national teams at this stop, including heavyweights USA, France, Canada, China and Germany, with an official draw to be released soon.
A livestream of the event will be available on July 29-30 at the FIBA 3×3 YouTube page.