Three Leger-Walker sisters will suit up in Waikato Wizards colours this season and play for Head Coach Leanne Walker, their mother. University of Washington stars Krystal and Charlisse will be joined by their younger sister Tannika, still a student at St Peter’s School, Cambridge.
Elsewhere, Tessa Boagni makes her return to competition for the Alloyfold Canterbury Wildcats for the first time since 2019 after the birth of her first child, and former Tall Fern Josie Stockill returns to Aotearoa after stints overseas, and will suit up for the Capital Swish.
The competition begins on Thursday August 12th, and will run every Thursday-Sunday for five weeks. Every game is live on Sky Sport.
Tickets cost just $10 (adults) per night, which includes both games when double-headers are being played (14 of the 19 nights). Everyone under the age of 18 receives free entry.
Tickets can be purchased at the door or online at salsnblwomen.flicket.co.nz
Here’s a quick rundown of each of the six teams…
Platinum Homes Harbour Breeze will return Ella Fotu, Tiarna Clark, Jazz Kailahi-Fulu, Keeley Tini and Ash Kelman-Poto from last season’s championship winning team but with 2020 MVP Brooke Blair and fellow Tall Fern Zara Jillings overseas, another unbeaten season looks unlikely. In addition there are injury concerns hanging over Kelman-Poto’s participation in the early rounds of this campaign.
The Waikato Wizards will not be relying solely on the Leger-Walker sisters to take them one step further than the runners-up spot they claimed in 2020. Tall Fern guard Pep Flavell returns alongside Kayla Manuirirangi giving The Wizards arguably the strongest back-court in the competition.
In addition to Stockill, Te Wānanga O Raukawa Capital Swish are bolstered by the inclusion of international Jacinta Beckley. With Fijian national representative Letava Whippy, an NBL All-Star 5 member in 2020, also suiting up, expect the Swish to be in contention at the sharp end of the season.
The same can be said of the ETCO Auckland Dream. In addition to retaining the core of last year’s team they have strengthened their lineup with the addition of Esra McGoldrick and Milomilo Nanai. McGoldrick averaged 11.7 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game for Waikato in the 2020 NBL season – she, along with Nanai, Katelin Noyer, Sharne Robati and Amanda Wayment give Dream an embarrassment of riches in the front court.
In addition to Boagni, the Alloyfold Canterbury Wildcats also welcome back Sapphire Wairau who also missed the 2020 season. Unlike last year Lauryn Hippolite is fully fit and raring to go after her inclusion in the recently named Tall Ferns squad while much interest will centre around Nicole Gleason’s inclusion in the Wildcats roster. The American guard was leading scorer at Texas Wesleyan University, in her senior year in 2019, before coming to New Zealand.
The Otago Gold Rush return a number of the squad that performed with such distinction in 2020 including the vastly experienced Bronwyn Kjestrup and Lisa Wallbuton. New additions for Gold Rush include former Junior Tall Fern Stirling Walker-Pitman, Scottish international Beth Mackie and Hannah Beede, daughter of former Tall Ferns manager Denise Beede.
All games are at Bruce Pulman Arena in Takanini, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.
Tickets cost just $10 (adults) per night, which includes both games when double-headers are being played (14 of the 19 nights). Everyone under the age of 18 receives free entry.
Tickets can be purchased at the door or online at salsnblwomen.flicket.co.nz
