If the New Zealand Force Academy is playing you can be sure a Blair is on court.
The Auckland-based women's basketball team has a squad of eight and three of them share the same surname.
Three years ago the Blair sisters teamed up to help Rangitoto College overpower Massey High School 80-61 in the premier girls' final of the Auckland basketball championships. Now Mikayla (20), Shinae (18) and Brooke (16) are back on the same team and this time they are trying to help the Academy reach the playoffs of the Women's Basketball Championships being staged in Dunedin this week.
The talented trio all play in the guard position but boast quite different styles. Mikayla, the oldest, is a scorer and part of a useful starting five. The middle sister , Shinae, adds impact from the bench and likes to mix it up a bit more, while the youngest, Brooke, is, perhaps fittingly, the speedy one.
With two older sisters hogging the ball or chasing after her, speed was no doubt a crucial strategy during those backyard games.
The siblings got their start at primary school and fell in love with the sport, mainly because they were better than the boys.
"We'd play boys and beat them," Mikayla said, laughing.
"Then we'd get back to school and they would tease us."
The sisters enjoy playing together but do not give an inch in the battle for family bragging rights.
"When we play against each other we're pretty competitive and always try to beat each other," Shinae said.
"But when we play together we just click. We know where we need to be and where each other is on court."
The Academy found the going tough on the opening day, losing both matches. But classy point guard Amanda Harris top-scored with 21 points and almost helped her side stun Otago on day two yesterday.
The home side produced a lacklustre performance but held on to win 59-55.
