The Tall Ferns' chances of reaching the qualifying tournament for the 2022 FIBA World Cup are over, after losing to Australia 72-61 at Amman in the Asia Cup qualification semi-final on Friday (NZ time).
Needing a top four finish to reach the qualification tournament for next year's World Cup, New Zealand's loss means they'll finish no higher than fifth.
The defeat will see the Tall Ferns face Chinese Taipei for fifth place, a repeat of the same fixture from the 2019 edition of the Asia Cup, that time held in India.
Even with both Leger-Walker sisters scoring double figures - Charlisse with 17 and Krystal with 12 - the Tall Ferns couldn't contain Australia star Sami Whitcomb, who scored 29 to go with seven rebounds.
Finishing the first quarter even at 20-20, Australia began to pull away by halftime, taking a 40-34 advantage into the break.
That became 54-45 after the third quarter, as New Zealand battled to stay in contention with the Opals.
And while the Tall Ferns were able to close the gap to three points, trailing 59-56 with just four minutes to play, Australia's class showed as the Opals went on to seal victory, and their place in the semi-final, winning the last quarter 18-16.
The Tall Ferns finish their campaign with the fifth-placed playoff on Sunday (NZ time), while Australia face Japan in their semi-final.
