BENGALURU (FIBA U16 Women's Asia Championship 2017) - New Zealand and Australia have done something they never did before with both qualifying for the FIBA U17 Women's Basketball World Cup 2018.

Take note, this is not the first time both Oceania powerhouses will play at the world level, but it is the first time in history both have managed to qualify at the same time. In the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2009, Australia qualified after ruling the Oceania sub-zone tournament, while New Zealand was also seeded as the hosts.

In the FIBA U16 Women's Asia Championship 2017 here in Bengaluru, though, both New Zealand and Australia won in the Quarter-Finals and have consequently booked their slots to the FIBA U17 Women's Basketball World Cup next year in Minsk, Belarus.

In a tournament that has seen more than its fair share of historic moments, this qualification by both the Sapphires and U16 Tall Ferns can be considered another milestone in the advancement of women's basketball in the region.

FIBA