Sienna Lehmann is playing basketball alongside some of the best in the world at just 15 years of age.
The young rising star from a regional town of fewer than 3,000 people has been selected to represent Australia in the Under 15 Oceania Championships in Guam in November.
Basketball Australia's director of high-performance coach development, Peter Lonergan, said the upcoming competition set young players on the path to achieving success at the highest levels.
"For someone like Sienna, it's an opportunity to wear the green and gold in an international tournament for the first time," he said.
"She's been identified [as a key player] for a couple of years now and we're excited about her future as she's a versatile athlete and can play both guard positions."
For Sienna, the chance to travel overseas, play against different countries and learn different styles of play are all highlights of the championships ahead, which will centre around five games across six days.
"I'm also looking forward to getting to know my teammates better and finally playing with them, after spending so long playing against them at country carnivals and nationals," she said.
Sienna shoots for success
The Waikerie teenager from SA's Riverland region is building a strong future in the sport and was selected as just one of 11 Australians to compete in the United States at the National Basketball Association (NBA) Global Academy in July.
"I met so many amazing coaches and players … and am very fortunate to have had the exposure to scouts and college coaches," Sienna said.
"I love the style of play over there, the intensity of trainings and games, and feel lucky to have played with some of the best in the world."
Mr Lonergan said, while young regional players did not often get to experience the same level of competition their city counterparts did, having the support of a country community could help project player careers.
"Sport is such an important part of the fabric of regional Australia and country kids have got a lot of really good volunteers invested in them as people and young players," he said.
"Young regional basketballers play a lot of different sports against older players at a very young age, so players like Sienna get a great grounding in their local associations and country programs."
Following the international championships, Sienna will continue to develop her skills in the sport, with the goal of securing a scholarship at The Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence.
"I've always wanted to stay in Australia with friends and family if I can, but I love the physicality of the game in the US, so I'm looking a bit more into [those opportunities] too," she said.
