The pieces continue to come together ahead of the 2026 G.J. Gardner Homes Tauihi season, with the latest round of signings delivering another mix of international scoring, returning club stalwarts and young New Zealand talent looking to take the next step in their basketball journey's.
The Kāhu have been particularly active, adding four very different backcourt and frontcourt options. American forward Talya Brugler arrives following a dominant NBL1 campaign in Australia, Shanique Lucas brings more than 20 points per game from her NBL1 North stint, Emily Monaghan begins her first Tauihi season after an extensive collegiate and Australian career, while former Junior Tall Fern Kayla Manuirirangi makes an intriguing return to top-level basketball.
Southern Hoiho continue to build around continuity with Lillian Dart and Samara Gallaher returning, while German-American forward Marie Bertholdt adds fresh European championship experience.
Defending champions Tauranga Whai continue to invest in their development pathway, with Riley McClenaghan, Isabella Gillard and Keija Miringaorangi all taking another step into the senior environment. Each has already represented New Zealand at age-group level, and all three arrive with strong connections to the Tauranga basketball pathway.
Mainland Pouākai, meanwhile, have added another NCAA Division I graduate in newly eligible Kiwi Rebekah Frisby-Smith.
Here is the latest look at free agency around the league.
The Kāhu roster continues to grow in both experience and offensive firepower.
Talya Brugler and Shanique Lucas arrive after outstanding individual Australian NBL1 campaigns, Emily Monaghan brings her own considerable experience from the Australian game, while Kayla Manuirirangi returns to top-level basketball with an extensive New Zealand and NCAA résumé behind her.
Together they add another layer to a Kāhu group that is looking to journey back to the postseason after falling short of finals qualification for the first time in the teams history last season
Talya Brugler arrives in Auckland as one of the more accomplished new imports entering Tauihi this season.
The 185cm American forward completed her rookie professional campaign in Greece before heading to Australia, where she starred for the Northern Suburbs Bears during the 2026 NBL1 season.
Brugler averaged 18.2 points and 8.8 rebounds per game, production that immediately identifies her as a significant scoring and rebounding threat for the Kāhu.
That output followed an outstanding four-year NCAA Division I career at Saint Joseph’s University.
Consistency defined her college career. Brugler averaged double figures in scoring in each of her four seasons, finishing with 1,736 career points, the third-highest total in the history of the Saint Joseph’s women’s programme. As a senior in 2024-25 she averaged 13.4 points and five rebounds per game.
Brugler gives Kāhu a genuine scoring presence in the frontcourt.
Her combination of size, physicality and touch means she can influence the game both as a scorer and on the glass, while her recent NBL1 numbers suggest she enters Tauihi in strong form.
With Kāhu already assembling considerable talent on the perimeter, having a forward capable of commanding attention around the paint gives the offence another dimension.
Shanique Lucas brings another major scoring threat to the Kāhu backcourt.
The Papua New Guinea-born guard arrives after leading the Rockhampton Cyclones in scoring during the 2026 NBL1 North season at 21.5 points per game.
Lucas has also played professionally in Britain with Durham and the Newcastle Eagles following an outstanding NCAA Division II career at Union University.
Across five collegiate seasons she started 132 of 151 games, scoring 1,941 points and adding 376 assists. She was recognised on the Gulf South Conference team in both her senior and graduate seasons.
The obvious answer is scoring.
Lucas has demonstrated an ability to carry a significant workload on that end of the court, but her collegiate assist numbers also point to a guard capable of creating for teammates.
Adding a player offering scoring production of that level gives Kāhu another potential primary scorer and creates considerable competition for offensive responsibility.
The challenge for opponents could simply become figuring out where the next attack is coming from.
One of the most intriguing stories of Kāhu’s offseason is the return of Kayla Manuirirangi.
The former Junior Tall Fern has spent several years away from top-flight domestic basketball but has remained connected to the game, most recently representing Poitūkohu Māori o Aotearoa against the Australian Indigenous All-Stars and winning the 2025 Tertiary National Championship with Waikato University.
Her basketball résumé goes back much further.
Manuirirangi was one of New Zealand’s leading junior guards, captaining national age-group teams and helping New Plymouth Girls’ High School win both the National 3x3 and Secondary Schools titles in 2014, earning Tournament MVP honours in the latter.
She later spent four years playing NCAA Division I basketball at Tulane University, appearing in 119 games and finishing her career tied for ninth in programme history with 157 made three-pointers.
More recently, basketball fans will also know Manuirirangi’s voice. As she was a newly minted addition to Sky Sport’s commentary team during the 2026 Sal’s NBL season.
Now she moves from analysing the game back to playing it. But fans of her mic work needn't worry as she will be appearing in the commentary booth when her Kāhu schedule allows it.
There is naturally some uncertainty around what Manuirirangi will look like after time away from this level, but the Kāhu will be leaning on her pedigree.
She is a natural point guard with extensive experience, a history of leadership and a strong understanding of the game. If she can rediscover the rhythm that made her such a highly regarded junior and collegiate player, Kāhu may have secured one of free agency’s more interesting additions.
Emily Monaghan will make her Tauihi debut after building a substantial basketball career on both sides of the Pacific.
The Melbourne-born guard is eligible as a New Zealand local through her mother, and spent five years playing NCAA Division II basketball at Southern Nazarene University.
Monaghan appeared in 125 collegiate games, starting 99, to finish with 1,144 career points.
She has since developed into an experienced NBL1 guard with the Frankston Blues, playing four seasons with the club. During the 2026 campaign she averaged 12.2 points per game and played alongside fellow Kāhu signing Megan Mullings.
Monaghan adds another composed and experienced backcourt option.
She brings solid experience, especially as a scorer, and will have some familiarity with her teammates baked in. That existing chemistry could help with the transition into a new league, while her New Zealand eligibility adds another interesting dimension to the Kāhu roster.
Player to watch: Brugler has the combination of recent production and high-level collegiate experience to make an immediate impact. An 18-point, nine-rebound player arriving directly from NBL1 should command attention from the opening round.
Southern Hoiho continue to retain players strongly connected to the club while adding another experienced international forward.
Lil Dart returns following an impressive Australian campaign, Sammy Gallaher becomes another five-season member of the Hoiho and Marie Bertholdt brings championship experience from one of Germany’s leading clubs.
Lil Dart is back for a second season in Dunedin after an impressive introduction to Tauihi.
The Australian guard averaged 14.9 points per game in 2025 while shooting 49 percent from the field and 49 percent from three across her 13 Tauihi appearances.
She produced one of the league’s biggest individual scoring performances of the season with 36 points against Mainland Pouākai.
Dart has since carried that form into NBL1 South with Eltham Wildcats, where she earned First Team honours.
The Hoiho already know the answer.
Dart provides scoring and perimeter shooting, but more importantly she showed during 2025 that she can produce those things efficiently at Tauihi level.
Returning after another high-quality Australian season should make her an even more dangerous proposition in year two.
Few players have a stronger connection to basketball in the South than Sammy Gallaher.
The Dunedin guard becomes another Hoiho player preparing for her fifth season with the organisation, having represented the club since Tauihi began in 2022.
Gallaher has made 45 appearances for Hoiho, the second-highest total in franchise history. Her Tauihi career includes a 19-point best against Kāhu, an eight-assist game against the Queens and an 11-rebound performance.
Her history in southern basketball stretches back further, including championships with the Otago Gold Rush in 2011 and 2015.
Gallaher’s value lies as much in continuity and experience as raw statistical production. She knows the organisation, understands the competition and provides a link between the region’s basketball history and the current Hoiho programme.
On a roster already retaining several important players, having another experienced local voice matters.
Marie Bertholdt gives the Hoiho frontcourt a completely new element.
The 6'0" American-German forward arrives from ALBA Berlin, where she was part of a championship and cup-winning programme.
Bertholdt averaged 7.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game last season, numbers reflecting contributions at both ends of the floor.
European experience, defensive activity and another versatile forward.
The 1.6 steals per game stand out for a frontcourt player and suggest someone capable of disrupting opponents rather than simply protecting the paint.
Her experience in a successful ALBA Berlin environment should also fit well with a Hoiho team that has retained several of its established leaders.
Player to watch: Dart looks primed to build on an outstanding debut Tauihi campaign. A guard who can approach 15 points per game while shooting close to 50 percent from three gives Hoiho a genuine offensive weapon.
The Whai’s latest free agency announcements are less about headline names who will step into starring roles this season and more about what comes next for Tauranga basketball.
Riley McClenaghan and Isabella Gillard move into development-player roles after spending time around the programme, while Keija Miringaorangi joins after a standout domestic season and further New Zealand age-group experience.
All three are young players already building strong representative résumés, and all three have a clear connection to the Tauranga basketball pathway.
For the back-to-back champions, the future continues to sit alongside the present.
Keija Miringaorangi joins Whai as a development player after steadily building one of the stronger résumés among New Zealand’s emerging guards.
Miringaorangi has been playing for Tauranga Girls’ College and has been selected in the BBNZ U18 Junior Tall Ferns team that will travel to Malaysia in October for the FIBA U18 Women’s Asia Cup.
Her recent domestic performances underline the talent Whai are investing in.
Miringaorangi was Waikato’s leading scorer at the 2026 U20 National Championships at 18.9 points per game, after averaging 16.1 points for Hamilton Girls’ High School at the 2025 Secondary Schools National Championships. She also represented New Zealand U18 on its 2026 tour of China and is set to take up an NCAA Division I scholarship at Fairleigh Dickinson University in 2027.
There is also a strong connection to Whai already in place.
Miringaorangi first experienced women’s league basketball training with Whai during the club’s inaugural season, and says she has pictured herself wearing the Whai jersey ever since.
Head Coach Tane Bennett describes Miringaorangi as a player who “lives in the gym”, with a work ethic that complements her natural feel for the game. That combination is reflected in how quickly she has progressed through school, representative and national age-group basketball.
Whai now provide the next step.
Rather than needing to carry a major role immediately, Miringaorangi can learn inside an established championship environment, compete alongside experienced Tauihi players and continue developing before heading to the United States.
Her familiarity with the club should also make the transition more natural than it might be for a typical first-year development player.
Riley McClenaghan continues her progression within the Whai programme after making three Rapid League appearances in 2025. The Mount Maunganui guard has already accumulated a considerable list of achievements at age-group level.
McClenaghan helped Mt Maunganui win the 2026 New Zealand Secondary Schools 3x3 National Championship and was selected to the Tournament Team. She was also part of Tauranga’s 2025 U18 national championship side and the New Zealand team that claimed silver at the 2025 FIBA U16 Asia Cup. She subsequently became a Junior Tall Fern in 2026.
Head Coach Tane Bennett sees a guard with a point of difference.
McClenaghan’s first-step quickness, willingness to find teammates and ability to apply full-court ball pressure give her tools that can translate into senior basketball. As a development player, the priority is not immediate production. It is exposure to the professional environment and gradually expanding what she can contribute.
Isabella “Issy” Gillard takes another step after spending last season as a Whai training partner. The 190cm forward played one Rapid League game in 2025 and has continued to progress through the New Zealand age-group system.
She represented New Zealand on the U18 tour of China in August, was part of Tauranga’s bronze-medal team at the 2026 U20 National Championships and previously averaged 4.6 points per game during New Zealand’s silver-medal campaign at the 2025 FIBA U17 Oceania Cup.
At 190cm, Gillard provides size and length that cannot be taught.
For the Whai, the objective is now to add senior-level experience to those physical tools. Moving from training partner to development player represents another meaningful step in that process.
Player to watch: Among Whai’s development group, Miringaorangi stands out because of both her recent scoring production and her trajectory. With Junior Tall Ferns selection and an NCAA Division I opportunity ahead, 2026 gives Whai fans an early look at a player whose pathway is moving quickly.
Mainland Pouākai continue to add depth to their frontcourt, this time through a player preparing for both her Tauihi and New Zealand basketball debut.
Adelaide-born Rebekah Frisby-Smith joins the club after recently gaining New Zealand citizenship.
The 183cm forward completed a five-year NCAA Division I career at the College of William & Mary, making a school-record 131 appearances.
Her best individual season came as a junior, when she averaged 7.1 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.
More importantly from a team perspective, her collegiate career finished on a historic note. Frisby-Smith helped William & Mary capture its first Coastal Athletic Association championship in 2024-25 and make the programme’s first NCAA Tournament appearance.
Before heading to the United States, she developed in South Australia with Forestville Eagles and was part of the club’s 2019 Basketball SA Premier League championship team.
Frisby-Smith arrives without professional or Tauihi experience, but she does not lack high-level basketball exposure.
Playing 131 NCAA Division I games demonstrates durability and familiarity with structured basketball, while her rebounding numbers suggest another player capable of helping Pouākai around the glass.
Her addition also gives the club another New Zealand-eligible player entering the national basketball system after developing overseas.
For a Pouākai roster already containing considerable star power, Frisby-Smith does not need to arrive carrying a major offensive burden. She can compete for minutes, defend, rebound and find the areas in which she can complement the experienced talent around her.
Player to watch: Frisby-Smith’s Tauihi debut is an intriguing one. With a record number of appearances at William & Mary and an NCAA Tournament campaign behind her, she enters the league with far more experience than the moniker “rookie” might suggest.
This stage of free agency illustrates just how different roster building can look from club to club.
The ANZCO Tokomanawa Queens reveled the vast majority of their roster a week ago but may have a surprise or two yet to be revealed.
The Kāhu continue to assemble a team capable of attacking opponents in multiple ways. Brugler brings interior production, Lucas arrives as a 20-point scorer, Monaghan adds another experienced guard and Manuirirangi provides one of the season’s more fascinating comeback stories.
At the other end of the country the Hoiho are leaning into both familiarity and proven performance. Dart returns after an excellent first Tauihi season, Gallaher remains one of the club’s constants, and Bertholdt introduces another level of European experience.
The attention of the Whai remains firmly on both now and next. The defending champions already possess an established senior core, allowing McClenaghan, Gillard and Miringaorangi to develop without being asked to carry the team before they are ready.
And Mainland Pouākai have again gone looking for versatility, adding Frisby-Smith’s NCAA experience to a roster already loaded with proven professional talent.
The names may not all carry the profile of the blockbuster signings announced earlier in free agency, but that is part of what makes this stage of roster construction important.
Championship teams need stars.
They also need depth, role players, young talent ready to emerge and players capable of becoming more than they were when the season began.
The 2026 Tauihi rosters are increasingly looking to have all of the above.
WATCH HER GAME.
