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Basketball: Bay of Plenty NBL team Whai visit schools ahead of historic first Rotorua game

Last week, a handful of Whai players visited schools around Rotorua to roll out the initiative Whai in the Community in association with the Rotorua Basketball Association (RBA).Whai Basketball co-founder John Miller said community was at the heart of everything they did at Whai Basketball.Read the full story here...https://www.nzherald.co.nz/rotorua-daily-post/news/basketball-bay-of-plenty-nbl-team-whai-visit-schools-ahead-of-historic-first-rotorua-game/TQHEFDFQI5BKFOZR7EGW2UEXQY/...

Whai basketballers shake Rotorua for historic game

An NZNBL team is “making the dream feel real” for aspiring youth ahead of tonight’s milestone first-time home game in Rotorua.The Tauranga Whai men’s team have started their second season in the National Basketball League (NZNBL), and are making their presence known in the wider Bay of Plenty.Last week, a handful of Whai players visited schools around Rotorua to roll out the initiative Whai in the Community in association with the Rotorua Basketball Associat...

Basketball: Ashley Joens – from WNBA to playing for Bay of Plenty

Ashley Joens has played for WNBA teams the Dallas Wings, Las Vegas Aces and Phoenix Mercury. But in the WNBA off-season she had two simple requests – a league with a shorter season and a gym she could get in all the time. A team in Tauranga came to the party. Kaitlyn Morrell reports.Ashley Joens had never been to New Zealand until she signed with the Tauranga Whai as an import for the 2024 season – and dominated the league.She was the top point scorer, top ...

Tauranga basketball star overcomes adversity

Lara McSpadden hasn’t let diabetes stop her from doing what she loves most — playing basketball.Coming to New Zealand from Australia as an import for the 2024 Tauihi women’s professional league season, Tauranga Whai centre McSpadden is one of the league’s leaders in second-chance points, defensive rebounds and overall rebounds.She was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2006 when she was 7 and got into playing basketball at the age of 12, debuting professionally in 2016...

Type 1 diabetes: Tauranga basketball star Lara McSpadden overcomes adversity

Lara McSpadden hasn’t let diabetes stop her from doing what she loves most — playing basketball.Coming to New Zealand from Australia as an import for the 2024 Tauihi women’s professional league season, Tauranga Whai centre McSpadden is one of the league’s leaders in second-chance points, defensive rebounds and overall rebounds.She was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2006 when she was 7 and got into playing basketball at the age of 12, debuting professionally in 2016...

Tauranga Whai transition from pretenders to champions

An unrelenting faith in “swift transition” has driven Tauranga Whai to their first Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa championship. At a boisterous Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre, the visiting Tokomanawa Queens were blown away 90-71 in the final.Whai led by 20 points at halftime as their urgent movement and unflinching faith in three-point shooting from anywhere reaped dividends. Read the full story here...https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/12/23/tauranga-whai-transition-from-pretenders-t...

Whai complete incredible turnaround with Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa championship triumph

At Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre, Tauranga: Whai 90 (Morgan Yaeger 19 points, McKenna Dale 16, Lara McSpadden 14, Ashley Joens 11, Jade Kinisome 10) Queens 71 (Lou Brown 19 points, Jihyun Park 17, Jordan Horston 13, Stella Beck 13). Quarter scores: 31-19, 57-37, 68-47.The Tauranga Whai have won their first Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa championship.Read the full story here...https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360532136/whai-complete-incredible-turnaround-tauihi-basketball-aotearoa-champion...

Tauranga Whai storm to Tauihi basketball crown

Tauranga Whai have proved stormed to their first Tauihi national women's basketball crown with an emphatic 90-71 win over Wellington's Tokomanawa Queens in Tauranga.It was a remarkable turnaround for the Alex Stojkovic-coached Whai, who won their first match and then dropped their next five as they battled without injured stars Mikayla Cowling and Morgan Yeager .Read the full story here...https://www.msn.com/en-nz/news/national/tauranga-whai-storm-to-tauihi-basketball-crown/ar-AA1wiWSv...

Tauranga Whai storm to Tauihi basketball crown

Tauranga Whai have proved stormed to their first Tauihi national women's basketball crown with an emphatic 90-71 win over Wellington's Tokomanawa Queens in Tauranga.It was a remarkable turnaround for the Alex Stojkovic-coached Whai, who won their first match and then dropped their next five as they battled without injured stars Mikayla Cowling and Morgan Yeager .Read the full story here...https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/sport/537414/tauranga-whai-storm-to-tauihi-basketball-crown...

Alex Stojkovic: Complete faith in Whai Basketball team

Whai Basketball Head Coach joins the show to discuss his teams upcoming final.What is working well for the Tauranga based team?Listen to the interview here...https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/the-all-sport-breakfast/audio/alex-stojkovic-whai-basketball-head-coach-on-the-upcoming-final-and-his-teams-plan/...

Tauranga women’s basketball team make history

Tauranga women’s basketball team the Whai have made history by reaching their first grand final since joining the national professional Tauihi League three years ago.What’s more, the final will be played in front of a home crowd.The Whai took down the 2023 winners, Northern Kāhu 63-78 in Sunday’s semi-final in Auckland, and head coach Alex Stojkovic said planning on how to beat them started immediately after last year’s semi-final loss.Read the full story here...http...

Queens or Whai for Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa glory

The climax to the third edition of the New Zealand women's basketball league has arrived with the Wellington based Tokomanawa Queens, facing the Tauranga Whai in the Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa grand final on Sunday afternoon.Read the full story here...https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/sport/537198/queens-or-whai-for-tauihi-basketball-aotearoa-glory...

Basketball history: Tauranga Whai team reaches first national final in Tauihi League

Tauranga women’s basketball team the Whai have made history by reaching their first grand final since joining the national professional Tauihi League three years ago.What’s more, the final will be played in front of a home crowd.The Whai took down the 2023 winners, Northern Kāhu 63-78 in Sunday’s semi-final in Auckland, and head coach Alex Stojkovic said planning on how to beat them started immediately after last year’s semi-final loss.“Last year gave us an idea, a...

Former WNBA player Ashley Joens shows her class in Tauihi Basketball

It may have taken a while to get used to driving on the left-hand side of the road, but Ashley Joens hasn’t had any trouble fitting in to the Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa league.Joens is one of the most prolific players in the New Zealand league this season, bringing her WNBA experience to the Tauranga Whai team.Having played for the Dallas Wings, Las Vegas Aces and the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA, Joens heard about the NZ league through her agent.“I didn’t even realise there was a league he...

Whai Women’s Basketball: Returning players and fresh faces to tip off a new season

Returning players and fresh international faces are geared up as Tauranga’s Whai basketball team returns for a third year.Kicking their Tauihi season off this Saturday at Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre (QEYC), the Whai go head-to-head against the Mainland Pouakai from Christchurch in the women’s league.Read the full story here...https://www.nzherald.co.nz/bay-of-plenty-times/news/whai-womens-basketball-returning-players-and-fresh-faces-to-tip-off-a-new-season/RNUX...

Former WH standout Snyder signs with team in New Zealand

Laina Snyder has played all over Europe during her professional basketball career, and she has recently signed on to play in a new area for a new team.The Whai Basketball organization said it is excited to welcome Snyder to the Whai Tauihi team for the upcoming season.Read the full story here...https://thebargainhunter.com/news/sports/former-wh-standout-snyder-is-eager-to-join-whai-basketball-for-this-season...

Whai professional basketball debut for high school players Carter Hopoi, Xanda Marsters

In a sport where height matters, Carter Hopoi is the tallest player on the Whai NBL roster. He’s also one of the youngest. Hopoi and teammate Xanda Marsters are balancing their final year of schooling with making their NBL debuts and scoring the first points of their professional careers.Mount Maunganui College student Carter Hopoi and Rotorua Boys’ High School’s Xanda Marsters made their NBL debuts for the Whai during the season’s opening game against the Hawks on March 28 at Mercury Ba...

Kiwi women’s basketball league Tauihi Aotearoa doubles salaries in significant makeover

In a groundbreaking move being heralded as a global first, New Zealand’s national women’s basketball league is undergoing a significant makeover that will see player salaries doubled, the season shift its time-frame and international expansion on the cards.Most significantly, with confirmation of a major salary infusion courtesy of broadcasting partner Sky Television and chief commercial partners, the women of Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa will now earn more than their male counterparts for the...

Straight Shot: The Whai Need to be Entertainers

The inaugural season for the Whai promises to be an exciting journey as men's professional level basketball finally comes to Tauranga on a permanent basis. Sky Sport commentator Justin Nelson thinks the ride will be anything but smooth for the newcomers, but the wins will come if they swing hard and fear nobody.Read the full story here...https://nznbl.basketball/straight-shot-the-whai-need-to-be-entertainers/...

Basketball: Tauranga-based Whai men’s team to join NBL, Matt Lacey revealed as head coach

Tauranga is set to have a Whai men’s basketball team join the National Basketball League (NBL) next year - the only North Island club to have a men’s and women’s professional team competing at the sport’s top level in New Zealand.Whai Basketball director of coaching Alex Stojkovic said the Whai Basketball franchise had secured a licence to join the Sal’s NBL competition after putting in a bid to join the league in 2021.Matt Lacey’s appointment as fulltime head coach of the men’s te...

Whai name Matt Lacey Head Coach for inaugural season

The Sal’s National Basketball League (Sal’s NBL) is excited to share that the Whai Men’s Basketball team based in Tauranga have announced Matt Lacey as the Head Coach for their inaugural 2024 season.Matt will commence his role with the organisation in the new year and is looking forward to joining the Whai to continue building on a successful track record of developing talent while winning two national schoolboy championships at Rosmini College and as the current Junior Tall Blacks Coach.&...

Basketball: Tauranga women’s team Whai Basketball inspires new players and fans

Interest in women’s basketball is “definitely increasing” in Tauranga as a professional national league competition plays its second season, and international scouts are eyeing some of Tauranga’s top talent.Co-founders of Tauranga’s professional women’s basketball team say the national league, Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa, is the “perfect vehicle” to inspire young women to try the “fastest-growing sport” in the country.Read the full story here...https://www.nzherald.co.nz/bay-o...

Whai Women’s Basketball players taking our Year 9, Year 10 and Girls through some cool drills.

Thank you to Aaliyah, Mikayla & Alyssa from the Whai Women’s basketball team for running some awesome drills for our Junior Year 9, Year 10, Mixed and Girls teams.Read the full story here...https://otc.school.nz/2023/07/sports-news-roundup-28-july-2023/...

Tauranga Whai Wikipedia

The Tauranga Whai Wikipedia page provides context and history in an open an public platform.  Read the wiki here...https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tauranga_Whai...

Tauranga basketball camp a slam dunk

An invitational-only basketball camp being run this month in Tauranga by Whai Academy has brought together future basketball players from across the motu and Australia.15-year-old Kupah Ipo (Tūhoe) who lived in Australia has been supported by his parents to attend the camp and says that training and development is a lot faster here than in Australia."Training has been intense to be honest," says Kupah.Read the full story here...https://www.teaonews.co.nz/2022/12/23/tauranga-basketball-camp-a-sl...