photo credit: @juniorfilmsnz
The opening round of G.J. Gardner Homes delivered so many talking points with the Queens, Whai and Kāhu all taking wins. There were new faces, rising Kiwis and plenty of familiar names putting on a great show, and let's not forget about the big crowds in Wellington and Auckland!
So, let's take a look at what we learned in week 1.
As Expected, The Whai Love A Basket
There was no shortage of talk ahead of the season around the firepower brought together on The Northern Group Tauranga Whai roster, and by quarter time against the ProBuild ITM Pouākai it was easy to see that all the talk was warranted. Leading 29-15, the Whai were well on the way to what ended as a 98-80 win. The only sour note came just 2 minutes into the game when Australian guard Morgan Yaeger left the game with a broken wrist.
Ashley Joens Can Score
It shouldn't come as a surprise that 19-game WNBA guard Ashley Joens is a 'score-at-will' player, but we all know now! The talented scorer delivered the goods for the Whai first up, landing 25 points in rather effortless fashion, whilst also leaving plenty of opportunities on the table for the likes of Lara McSpadden and Laina Snyder. We're only one round into the season, but we may have just found our league leading scorer for 2024.
Super Stella Beck
All the headlines will justifiably go to Lou Brown and Jihyun Park in the ANZCO Tokomanawa Queens win over the Southern Hoiho, and they both deserve plenty of the spotlight, but it's worth looking closely at captain Stella Beck's body of work. The Queens skipper had her fingerprints all over this win, stuffing the stat sheet and coming up with the ball time and time again when a contest was there to be won. Beck looks in great form and true to her nature she will play a supporting role alongside her star teammates, always putting the team first - but boy is it an important role.
Injuries Will Be A Factor
We may only be one round into the season, but injuries are already proving to be a factor across all teams. The Whai are battling significant injuries to Mikayala Cowling (foot surgery) and Morgan Yaeger (broken wrist), while both Ash Taia (Queens, knee) and Megan Mullings (Kāhu, knee) looked hobbled in round 1. There is no doubt in a quickfire competition like Tauihi, injuries will play a huge factor and teams will need to be agile and nimble with how they make decisions around injured players, especially those with long-term ailments.
Road Doubles Are Tough
Every team has to undertake road doubles in Tauihi and first up the task fell to the Hoiho. Despite competitive showings against both the Queens and Kāhu, unfortunately some poor shooting by the Hoiho was a negative factor in both games and they returned home on Monday morning with two losses. Expect a fierce bounce-back performance this Saturday night against the visiting Pouākai after a full week of putting up shots.
Aussies Deliver The Goods
The Tauihi has made a strategic move this season to open up a couple more international spots in every team and we immediately enjoyed the impact of foreign players as a result, especially from a large Australian contingent. Lara McSpadden (Whai), Lou Brown (Queens), Chloe Forster (Kāhu) and Chelsea D'Angelo (Hoiho) were the pick of the bunch, while Mikhaela Cann's (Pouākai) 13 assists won't have gone unnoticed either.
Kāhu's Dynamic Trio Is Back
It didn't take long for Penina Davidson, Iimar'I Thomas and Tahlia Tupaea to enjoy playing some hoops together again with the dynamic trio accounting for 61 of the BNZ Northern Kāhu's 87 points in a win against the Hoiho. It was an ominous sign and a warning shot to the rest of the competition. The champs are back!
McGoldrick Magic Shining Bright
It wasn't a winning start for the Pouākai, but it was a shining opener for Kiwi forward Esra McGoldrick. A 19-point haul for McGoldrick is an early sign of her continued growth after a season in Australia's WNBL, her importance to the Pouākai on show in a tough loss to the Whai. Set for a break-out year, McGoldrick looks to have been given a green light from new coach Paul Flynn, which can only mean good things from the rising Tall Fern.
The China Bug That Almost Floored The Queens
The Queens walked away from their season-opening game with a win over the Hoiho, but it didn't come without a dose of drama as a travel bug picked up on the way home from their pre-season trip to China ripped through the squad. Argentinian Florencia Chagas was the biggest casualty as she missed the game and watched on from the sidelines with barely any energy at all, while as many as four other Queens players were under the weather and dug deep to battle the bug and step on court. Even assistant coach Mel Bennett felt the wrath of the bug with a trip to hospital earlier in the day. Good news is the Queens sick ward emptied out over the weekend, including Chagas, and everyone is expected back to full health in time for this Sunday's grand final rematch with the Kāhu.
The Rogers Sisters Have Arrived
We are now all accustomed to the Sky Broadband Rapid League showcasing rising Kiwi talent, and this year's stars promise to be some of the best, including Whai sisters Sophie and Emma Rogers. If their performances in the opening round of Rapid against the Pouākai is anything to go by, there is every chance the Rogers girls will be in the headlines much like teammate Pahlyss Hokianga was last season. The Whai sure do know how to produce and showcase talented young stars via the innovative world-first competition.
