Te Araroa Sopoaga

Position: Forward

Height: 180cm

Born: 1 April, 2002

Junior Association: Hutt Valley

High School: St Mary’s College, Wellington/Queen Margaret College, Wellington

Highest Representative Honour – Cook Islands National Team (2019)

Previous NBL clubs – Otago Gold Rush (2020)

Had an outstanding season at Cloud County Community College (JUCO) in 2021-22.

One of only two players to appear in all 31 games for Cloud County averaging a team best 12.6 points to go with 8.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.6 steals per game.

In her NBL debut season in 2020 she averaged 9.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game – named 2020 NBL Youth Player of the Year.

Played for the 2018 Junior Tall Ferns but then switched allegiance representing the Cook Islands Senior team at the 2019 Pacific Games where she averaged 12.4 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.

Sopoaga was a member of the St Mary’s College Secondary Schools National Championship winning team in 2017.

Stella Beck

Position: Guard

Height: 180cm

Born: 25 September, 1995

Junior Association: Hutt Valley

High School: Hutt Valley High School

Highest Representative Honour – Tall Ferns – debuted 2018.

Previous NBL clubs – Hutt Valley Flyers (2012-14), Capital Swish (2021)

Named to the Capital Swish roster for the 2021 NBL season but was injured the week before the league commenced.

Won a WBC championship with Hutt Valley Flyers back in 2013 – Named MVP in the same season.

Beck enjoyed a standout career at St Mary’s College, California where in 2018 she was named first team All-West Coast Conference for the second time in her career after leading the Gaels in scoring, steals and free-throw shooting in her final collegiate season. She was also named to the WCC All-Academic First Team for the third time in her career. Beck finished her career 10th on the all-time scoring list at Saint Mary’s with 1,439 career points, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Neuroscience.

Post college Beck played four seasons in the Australian WNBL – two seasons with Townsville Fire then a further two seasons with Melbourne Boomers in 2019/20.

Debuted for the Tall Ferns at the William Jones Cup in 2018 (averaged 17.8ppg). Played all three games at 2019 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Auckland – has made 47 appearances in the black singlet.

Jacinta Beckley

Position: Forward

Height: 185cm

Born: July 30, 1995

Junior Association: Kapiti Coast

High School: Paraparaumu College

Previous NBL Clubs: Hutt Valley Flyers (2012-14), Capital Swish (2021)

Played both games for the Swish in 2021 averaging 15 points per game.

Following high school enjoyed a 4-year career at University of Seattle (NCAA Division I) playing 94 games for the Redhawks. In her senior year was named to the All-Western Athletic Conference Second Team after averaging 12.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.

Began her professional career playing for BEAC Ujbuda in Hungary followed by 2 seasons with Sunbury (2019 and 2021). This season she was averaging 21 points per game before heading home to play for Swish.

Has played 10 games for the Tall Ferns since debuting in 2015 and was on the gold medal winning team at the 2018 William Jones Cup.

Won a WBC championship with Hutt Valley Flyers in 2013 playing alongside Stella Beck.

Florencia Chagas (Import)

Position: Guard

Height: 180cm

Born: June 27, 2001

High School:

Highest Representative Honour – Argentinian National Team

Previous NBL clubs – Rookie

A 3^rd Round WNBA Draft Pick by Indiana Fever in 2021.

Debuted in the Italian League as a 15-year old in 2016.

Has played six years in the Serie A, most recently for Magnolia La Molisana where she averaged 9 points per game.

Played for Italian champions Schio in 2019-20, alongside Tall Fern Jillian Harmon.

Played on the Argentine National Team in 2019 (has Italian and Argentine eligibility).

Tallied 8 points, 7 steals, 6 rebounds and 6 assists against New Zealand at the 2018 U17 World Cup in Belarus. The NZ team included Sharne Robati (Whai Stingrays), Ella Bradley and Jazz Kailahi-Fulu (both Northern Kāhu).

Aliyah Dunn

Position: Forward

Height: 188cm

Born: 19 October, 1999

Junior Association: Southland

High School: Verdon College, Invercargill

Highest Representative Honour – Junior Tall Ferns

Previous NBL clubs – Rookie

Better known for her netball exploits – Dunn debuted in the ANZ Premiership in 2017 and was capped by the Silver Ferns in 2018  – she was a Junior Tall Fern in 2016.

The Junior Tall Ferns squad in 2016 included Tauihi Aotearoa players Tera Reed, Esra McGoldrick, Kendell Heremaia and Nicole Ruske.

Elin Gustavsson (Import)

Position: Forward/Centre

Height: 190cm

Born: January 18, 1993

High School: Sandagymnasiet HS, Angelholm, Sweden

Highest Representative Honour – Swedish National Team

Previous NBL clubs – Rookie

Played at Colorado State University – where James and Jessica Moors currently play.

A 4-year starter Gustavsson played 131 games for the Rams, the team winning the Mountain West Conference in all 4 years.

With 1,477 points she sits 8^th on the Rams all-time scoring list and 10^th all-time on the rebounding list with 698.

Since graduating in 2017 she has played in Spain, Belgium and most recently France where she averaged 9.4 points and 5.1 rebounds for Saint-Amand in 2021-22.

Played for the Swedish National team in 2021.

Grace Hunter

Position: Guard

Height: 177cm

Born: 4 July, 2000

Junior Association: Porirua

High School: St Mary’s College, Wellington

Highest Representative Honour – Junior Tall Ferns (2018)

Previous NBL clubs – Wellington Swish (2017 and 2019)

Following high school played 2 years at South Plains Junior College, Texas and then the 2021-22 season at Florida International University (NCAA Division I). Scored 232 points at 9.3ppg for the Panthers.

Played on the New Zealand team at the 2018 FIBA U18 Asia Championship in Bangalore, India.

Played on the St Mary’s College team that won the 2018 Secondary Schools National Championship – named to the Tournament Team.

Eva Langton

Position: Wing

Height: 185cm

Born: March 17, 1999

Junior Association: Opunake

High School: St Mary’s Diocesan School, Stratford

Previous NBL clubs – Taranaki Thunder (2016-19)

Following high school played two years at Western Nebraska Junior College before moving on to Texas A&M International (NCAA Division II) for three years.

Started 25 of 26 games in the 2021-22 season averaging 8.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.

Head Girl at St Mary’s Diocesan School, Stratford in 2016, Langton graduated from Texas A&M in 2022 having majored in Kinesiology.

Parris Mason

Position: Forward

Height: 184cm

Born: 13 December, 2002

Junior Association: Taranaki

High School: New Plymouth Girls High School/ Manukura School

Highest Representative Honour: Played for NZ at the 2019 FIBA U17 Oceania Championships

Previous NBL clubs – Rookie

The cross-code athlete comes to the Tokomanawa Queens following a successful season with the Central Pulse in the ANZ Premiership Netball League.

Played on the New Zealand silvermedal winning team at the 2019 FIBA U17 Oceania Championships in New Caledonia.

Has also represented New Zealand in Touch.

Jamie Nared (Import)

Position: Wing

Height: 188cm

Born: September 14, 1995

High School: Westview HS, Oregon

Previous NBL clubs – Rookie

A 2^nd Round WNBA Draft pick by Las Vegas Aces in 2018 – played 31 games averaging 2.5 points and 1.5 rebounds per game.

Played one game for the Aces in 2019 followed by seasons in Israel, Italy and France.

Began the 2021-22 season playing in Russia but moved to Turkey following the outbreak of the war with Ukraine.

In Turkey Nared averaged 20.9 points and 7.8 rebounds per game for the  Antalya 07 club.

Played 4 years at the University of Tennessee (2014-18).

Lilly Taulelei

Position: Forward

Height: 190cm

Born: 13 March, 2005

Junior Association: Wellington

High School: Queen Margaret College, Wellington

Highest Representative Honour –

Previous NBL clubs – Capital Swish (2020-21)

Played both games for the Swish in 2021.

The youngest player in the 2020 Sal’s NBL at 15yrs, she averaged 4.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.

Won 2021 Secondary Schools 3×3 National title with Queen Margaret College playing alongside Lauren Tewhata and Naomi Sopoaga.

Named Tournament MVP at the 2020 U15 National Championships – top scored for Wellington in their Grand Final victory against Waikato.

In 2019 represented Asia Pacific at the Junior NBA Tournament in Orlando, Florida.

Named to the 2022 NZ U17 National Team to compete at the Asia Cup in Jordan.

The Los Angeles born Taulelei is Head Prefect at QMC.

Lauren Tewhata

Position: Forward

Height: 183cm

Born: 24 December, 2004

Junior Association: Taranaki

High School: New Plymouth Girls High School/Queen Margaret College, Wellington

Highest Representative Honour – NZ U17 National Team (2022)

Previous NBL clubs – Taranaki Thunder (2020), Capital Swish (2021)

Had a double-double of 20 points and 14 rebounds in Taranaki Thunder’s D League championship win in 2020.

Won 2021 Secondary Schools 3×3 National title with Queen Margaret College playing alongside Lilly Taulelei and Naomi Sopoaga.

Named to Tournament Team at 2021 U17 Nationals.

Born in Bayonne, France she returned to NZ with her whanau in 2015.

Josie Trousdell (née Stockill)

Position: Forward

Height: 190cm

Born: 29 December, 1993

Junior Association: Hawkes Bay

High School: Napier Girls High School

Highest Representative Honour – Tall Ferns (debut 2014)

Previous NBL clubs – Taranaki (2010-12), Capital Swish (2021)

Played both games for Capital Swish in NBL 2021 averaging 15 points per game.

Stockill is currently studying for a Masters degree at Canterbury University. Played on the University team that won the 2021 Tertiary 3×3 Tournament.

Debuted for the Tall Ferns on the tour of China in 2014 and was a member of the New Zealand bronze medal winning team at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.

Stockill graduated from Colgate University in 2016 after an outstanding four year career in which she set a number of records including the programme’s career leader for blocked shots in a game (13), season (105) and career (241).

In her senior year she was named Colgate’s Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year and named to the elite five member Academic All-Patriot League team.

Graduated with a degree in Neuroscience.

Post university played three seasons for Sunbury Jets (Melbourne) winning the Big V League title in 2017 and 2018.