Star power, championship experience and extraordinary depth shape a loaded Queens roster that is looking to return to its championship heights
Head Coach: Tania Tupu (5th Season, 31-22)
2025 Finish: 8-5, 1st place regular season, lost in Semi Final
Key Returnee: Penina Davidson
Key Signing: Charlisse Leger-Walker
Player to Watch: Charlisse Leger-Walker
There is not be a more intriguing roster in the 2026 G.J. Gardner Homes Tauihi competition than the ANZCO Tokomanawa Queens.
For Head Coach Tania Tupu, now entering her fifth season as the only head coach in franchise history, the challenge is different from what she was tasked with 12 months ago, but not one she is unfamiliar with.
The Queens were already a strong team in 2025, finishing 8-5 while producing one of the league's better two-way profiles. They averaged 82.5 points per game while allowing 79.2, shot 44 percent from the field and outrebounded opponents by 3.5 boards per game.
They have now added another level of talent to a team that is used to playing during the business end of the season.
Charlisse Leger-Walker makes her Tauihi debut following one of the greatest collegiate careers ever assembled by a New Zealand basketball player before becoming the first-ever kiwi to be drafted into the WNBA.
She will reunite with older sister Krystal, herself one of the most experienced Tall Fern guards in the competition.
Taylor Mikesell crosses from the Pouākai after finishing among Tauihi's leading scorers and three-point shooters last season. Hailey Van Lith arrives with WNBA, NCAA and Olympic 3x3 experience. Mimi Collins adds another seasoned professional presence in the frontcourt.
The influx of talent buoys a core that had found plenty of success before the talent reinforcement arrived.
Reigning two-time Defensive Player of the Year Stella Beck is back. Penina Davidson returns after an All-Star Five campaign in which she led Tauihi in rebounding. Around them is a deep group combining experienced internationals with players still making their way into the professional game.
The biggest problem Coach Tupu may face is one most coaches would happily accept.
You can only roll out one ball and there are only so many minutes to go around.
New arrivals from the 2025 Queens roster in bold.
Victoria Ikenasio
Aria Cowley
Mimi Collins
Krystal Leger-Walker
Charlisse Leger-Walker
Grace Hunter
Stella Beck
Taylor Mikesell
Penina Davidson
Alaska Rhebok
Hana Lacey-Rameka
Nahala Toeleiu
Hailey Van Lith
The Queens were already well balanced last season.
They finished 8-5 (including postseason), including a 5-2 record at home, and outscored opponents by an average of 3.3 points per game.
Kristy Wallace led the offence at 19.5 points and 6.5 assists per game as she claimed league MVP honours to go along with her All-Star Five nod, while Penina Davidson averaged 15.9 points in her All-Star Five campaign. Jihyun Park contributed 12.8 points, Lou Brown 11.8, and Stella Beck 11.2.
Beck was again outstanding defensively, leading the competition at 2.15 steals per game and adding a block per contest en-route to defensive player of the year honours.
Davidson and Brown controlled the glass, with Davidson leading Tauihi with 10.23 rebounds per game and also topping the competition with 3.69 offensive rebounds while Brown pulled down 9.4 boards per contest in strong support.
| Team Stat | 2025 Queens | League Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Scoring offence | 82.5 ppg | 4th |
| Scoring defence | 79.2 ppg allowed | 2nd |
| Scoring margin | +3.31 | 2nd |
| Field goal percentage | 44% | 2nd |
| FG% defence | 42% | 2nd |
| 3-point percentage | 31% | 4th |
| Free throw percentage | 70% | 5th |
| Rebounding margin | +3.46 | 2nd |
| Assists | 18.3 apg | 4th |
| Steals | 8.9 spg | 1st |
| Blocks | 3.3 bpg | 4th |
| Turnovers | 12.2 per game | 1st fewest |
| Turnover margin | +2.2 | 1st |
| Assist/turnover ratio | 1.5 | 3rd |
The major difference this season is that much of the production previously carried by Wallace, Park and Brown now needs to come from a very different collection of players.
But this collection of players has the bona fides to pick up the statistical slack and then some.
Even with all the roster changes experienced from year to year the Queens have had one constant on the sideline.
Tania Tupu has coached the franchise since the competition began in 2022 and enters her fifth season having already guided Tokomanawa to the inaugural Tauihi championship, two runners-up and a postseason appearance every season.
That continuity at the top should be particularly valuable this year.
Tupu has an unusually deep group to manage, including WNBA-level talent (the likes of which she has experience coaching in Tauihi), established Tall Ferns, proven Tauihi stars and young players trying to earn professional minutes.
Finding the right combinations will be just as important as identifying a starting group.
The Queens have enough offensive talent to play in multiple ways, but establishing roles quickly will be critical in a relatively short season, especially with multiple players who are used to playing with the ball in hand.
The first thing that jumps off the roster is the quality of the backcourt.
Charlisse Leger-Walker, Krystal Leger-Walker, Hailey Van Lith and Taylor Mikesell all have strengths that look to play well off one and other.
Charlisse can create for herself and others, and this dual skill set will be key.
Her NCAA career ended with 2,061 points and 602 assists across 143 starts, making her the highest-scoring New Zealand player, male or female, in NCAA Division I history. She spent four years with Washington State before completing her collegiate career as an NCAA champion with UCLA and was subsequently selected 18th overall by Connecticut in the 2026 WNBA Draft.
Van Lith brings another player accustomed to performing at the highest levels of the game.
She was selected 11th overall by Chicago in the 2025 WNBA Draft after a five-year collegiate career spanning Louisville, LSU and TCU where she was named Big 12 Player of the Year. On top of the stellar collegiate career she also owns an Olympic bronze medal from the USA 3x3 team that competed in Paris edition of the Olympics.
Mikesell might be the player who benefits most from the gravity that the Queens ballhanders play with.
She averaged 13.9 points per game for Pouākai last season and led Tauihi with 43 made three-pointers, hitting 38 percent from deep.
Leave her to help on Charlisse or Van Lith and there will be consequences.
Then there is Krystal Leger-Walker, who provides another genuine organiser. She enters the season with 42 Tauihi appearances, extensive Tall Ferns experience and 621 assists from her NCAA Division I career.
The frontcourt has plenty of quality too.
Davidson remains one of Tauihi's most accomplished interior players, Collins brings professional experience from Spain, Slovakia, Mexico and Japan, while Beck's versatility allows Tupu to use her anywhere and on anyone.
This looks like a team capable of playing big, small, fast or through the half court depending on the opposition and the situation.
The Queens have lost considerable production.
League MVP Wallace's 19.5 points and 6.5 assists per game leave the biggest hole statistically. She finished second in Tauihi scoring and third in assists last season.
Park's 12.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists also disappear, as does Brown's interior production after she averaged 11.8 points and 9.4 rebounds.
Those would be season altering departures for most teams.
But the Queens' recruitment means they look more like roles to be redistributed than unfilled holes.
Everything begins with Charlisse Leger-Walker.
She is not simply another high-level signing. Her arrival gives Tauihi the most accomplished New Zealand player of her generation while providing the Queens with a primary creator, scorer and leader.
The opportunity to play alongside Krystal adds a layer to the story. The pair previously shared the floor at Washington State but now get the chance to do it professionally in New Zealand.
Mikesell adds elite perimeter shooting, while Van Lith brings another high-level guard capable of scoring and creating, making this a team that is sure to attack pressure with confidence.
Mimi Collins strengthens the frontcourt. The 190cm American has played professionally in around the world and averaged 7.1 points and 4.3 rebounds in Japan last season. Her NCAA career included stops at Tennessee, Maryland and NC State, where she averaged 10.6 points and 6.2 rebounds in her final year, stats all indicating tough two-way play.
Hana Lacey-Rameka also arrives in strong form after leading Southwest Slammers in both scoring at 15.1 points and rebounding at 8.3 per game in NBL1 West.
Alaska Rhebok comes to Tauihi after five NBL1 West seasons and was the competition's Youth Player of the Year in 2025.
The collection of depth is considerable and brings in plenty of youth to learn at the feet of talented veterans.
Despite all the new names, the returning Queens provide much of the team's identity.
Davidson was arguably their most important frontcourt player last season.
She averaged 15.9 points and a league-leading 10.2 rebounds, earning selection to the Tauihi All-Star Five. Entering 2026 she is also the competition's all-time leading rebounder with 372 boards.
Beck remains the heartbeat of the Queens.
She has won consecutive Tauihi Defensive Player of the Year awards and led the league with 2.2 steals per game last season while contributing 11.2 points and 5.6 rebounds. She is the Queens' all-time leader in appearances, points, assists, steals and blocks.
Grace Hunter returns to a club she knows well. The Tall Fern and member of the inaugural championship team has played 33 games for the Queens and provides additional experience on the perimeter.
Still only 16, Nahala Toeleiu is one of the country's most promising young players and returns after being part of New Zealand's historic fifth-place finish at the 2026 FIBA U17 World Cup. She averaged a Wellington-best 17.5 points per game at the U20 National Championships.
Her pathway this season is likely to run heavily through Rapid League, where she can play meaningful minutes while continuing to develop around one of the deepest senior rosters in Tauihi.
There is no need to overcomplicate this one.
Leger-Walker arrives with a skill set capable of changing games and a résumé unlike almost anyone to have previously entered Tauihi.
She can score at all three levels, initiate the offence and create for teammates.
The more interesting question may be how Tupu uses her.
Does Charlisse dominate the ball, or does the depth of creators around her allow her to spend more time attacking from different spots on the floor?
Either way, she offers a world of possibilities to the Queens.
Mikesell's gravity is enormously important.
She led Tauihi with 43 made threes last season and has a collegiate season in which she shot 47.5 percent from deep on her résumé.
Opponents already have to make difficult decisions against Charlisse, Van Lith and the rest of the Queens creators.
Helping too aggressively could leave one of the competition's best shooters open or open the door for Davidson to punish the glass, neither option looking to be a good one.
With so much discussion likely to centre on the Queens' guards, Davidson can almost do her work under the radar.
That would be a mistake for defenses.
She was fifth in Tauihi scoring and first in rebounding last season, provides a consistent interior target and remains one of the league's premier offensive rebounders. She's arguably the best big the league has seen and her combination of power and finesse in the post has proven to be difficult to counter.
The amount of perimeter talent around her could provide more room to work than she has yet enjoyed in Tauihi, creating the possiblility of an even bigger impact.
There may be no bigger storyline in Tauihi this season.
Charlisse and Krystal Leger-Walker have followed different professional paths since playing together at Washington State.
Now they reunite at home.
Krystal brings control and experience, while Charlisse arrives as one of the headline players in the competition.
They already understand each other's games, removing some of the usual adjustment involved when two high-level ball-handlers are brought together.
For supporters, it is also something much simpler.
Two of New Zealand basketball's most recognisable sisters are finally sharing the floor again, this time in Tauihi.
The depth of the senior roster means opportunities will inevitably be limited for some players.
That is where Rapid League becomes especially valuable.
Nahala Toeleiu already has Rapid experience and should again have an opportunity to play a larger role there while continuing to push for Tauihi minutes. She averaged 2.1 points in eight Rapid appearances last season, but her subsequent age-group performances suggest there is considerably more offence waiting to be unlocked.
Aria Cowley could also see Rapid League as an important opportunity. She has already demonstrated her scoring ability at tertiary level, averaging 18.4 points for Waikato University's championship team, but enters a Queens guard rotation loaded with international experience.
For Victoria Ikenasio, Rapid minutes may similarly provide a chance to establish herself in the New Zealand game after returning from a five-year American collegiate career and a season in NBL1 South.
Those players will still push for Tauihi opportunities, but the Queens' depth means Rapid League should carry genuine importance in keeping the wider roster involved and developing.
And don't forget, Rapid League points differential impacts the Tauihi Standings, and in a season looking to be a tight one, home court advantage will be key.
The Queens are not simply stacked with established names.
Lacey-Rameka is only 21 but comes in after leading an NBL1 team in both scoring and rebounding. Rhebok is another 21-year-old already carrying five seasons of NBL1 experience. Toeleiu is just 16.
That gives Tupu the ability to compete now without sacrificing the opportunity to develop players for the future.
The Queens have a roster capable of chasing immediate success and a secondary group with significant room to grow.
Most teams enter a season wondering whether they have enough depth.
The Queens may confront the opposite side of that issue.
Charlisse Leger-Walker, Van Lith, Mikesell, Beck, Krystal Leger-Walker, Davidson, Collins and others are all capable of commanding significant roles.
But there are still only 200 regulation minutes available in each Tauihi game.
Finding the right combinations without asking talented players to become spectators will be one of Tupu's biggest challenges.
It also makes role acceptance important.
Not everyone needs to (or can) score 20 points. Not everyone will close every game. Some players may have major roles one night and much smaller ones the next.
If the Queens embrace that depth rather than fight against it, it can become one of their greatest strengths.
The standards are high. The expectations might be higher.
The Queens went 8-4 last regular season before missing out on the Grand Final with a semi-final loss on their home court at the hands of the eventual champion Whai. And now, the returning core has now been supplemented with several players carrying successful resumé's from the highest levels of the game.
The offence should have considerably more creation and perimeter shooting with personnel that are primed to play at a higher pace then last season's Queens.
The defence still has Beck at its heart.
The rebounding foundation remains Davidson.
And the rotation is deep enough that there should rarely be a major drop in experience when Tupu goes to her bench.
For this group, success means converting that talent into cohesion quickly enough to give themselves another opportunity at a championship.
The Queens took the inaugural Tauihi title, and appeared in the first four grand finals before bowing out in the semi's for the first time ever a season ago.
This roster was built to get the Queens crowned again.
The 2026 ANZCO Tokomanawa Queens have assembled a roster capable of attracting attention before any ball is bounced.
Charlisse Leger-Walker was as big a signing as there has been in league history.
Hailey Van Lith adds another internationally recognised guard. Taylor Mikesell supplies the shooting. Krystal Leger-Walker provides another elite organiser. Penina Davidson and Stella Beck remain two of the competition's most proven performers on both ends of the court.
And behind the established names sits a mixed layer of experience and youth.
Now that the talent has been assembled the challenge lies in deciding how to use it.
Tania Tupu has been there for every season of the Queens' Tauihi journey.
In year five, she may have her deepest roster yet, but the question remains - can that talent bring the crown back to the Queens?
