BEIJING, CHINA

AP photo

New Zealand's Nonila Wharemate tries to score against the Czech Republic during an Olympic game in Beijing. Teammates Charmian Purcell and Nonila Wharemate were selected to represent their native New Zealand in women's Olympic basketball competition with the agreement of coaches who understood that they would not compete on Sundays. For the two, that meant sitting out their country's match against the U.S. women's basketball team.

AP photo

New Zealand's Charmian Purcell defends in a game against the Czech Republic.

Already eliminated from medal contention, the New Zealand women's basketball team wrapped up its Beijing Olympics participation Sunday, Aug. 17, against the gold-medal favorite United States.

But for New Zealand "Tall Ferns" players Charmian Purcell and Nonila Wharemate, competition came to an end with Friday's 90-59 loss to the Czech Republic, because the two Church members kept commitments to not play on Sundays.

For the pair, it was "Game's over."

At least the two made it to Beijing, because their no-Sunday-play stance at one point jeopardized their chances to even make the Olympic team.

New Zealand head coach Mike McHugh was understandably hesitant to put two players on his 12-member roster whom he knew would both be unavailable for the same game.

"But we've stuck with our guns and come to the Olympics, the main event, and he decided that he'd take both of us," Purcell said.

Wharemate, who played collegiately at Texas-El Paso, told prospective recruiters from the start of her commitment to not play, practice or train on Sundays.

"I sort of made that a criteria from the beginning, right from the recruiting process," she said. "It weeded out a lot of schools."

And when UTEP coaches were facing important Sunday games, they still asked Wharemate about the possibilities of playing, but they kept their promises when she politely declined.

Purcell didn't play collegiate basketball in the United States and wasn't faced with the Sunday conflicts until joining the national team. That's when it became a challenge, with coaches and officials asking her and Wharemate to reconsider and one or both play on Sundays, suggesting that their no-Sunday stances could affect national-team roster spots.

"We still stuck with our guns — no, we're not going to play on Sundays," she said. "Sometimes he decided he'd just take one of us (to previous tournaments). We haven't both been able to go on every tour."

Wharemate said the uncertainty made for worrisome, sleepless nights leading up to the selection of the Tall Ferns' Olympic roster.

"You both want to go, and you don't want to affect each other's chances of making the team," she said. "You think that if maybe you fold and you play on Sunday, they'll pick the both of you.... You don't want to be responsible for somebody else not making the team."

In the end, both Wharemate and Purcell were selected for a memorable Beijing Olympics experiences — testing their skills against the world's best players and visiting with elite peers from other countries in the Athletes Village.

E-mail to: taylor@desnews.com