Matangiroa Flavell

Club: Waikato Wizards
Height: 177cm
Born: September 28, 1997
Junior Association: Rotorua
High School: Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Koutu

Previous NBL Clubs: Harbour Breeze (2019)

Debuted on the Tall Ferns team that finished runners-up at the 2019 William Jones Cup.

Following high school Flavell spent a year at Otago University before attending Midland Community College in Texas for two years. After graduating from Midland she moved on to Houston Baptist University for the 2018/19 NCAA season.

Played for Harbour in the 2019 WBC season helping the Breeze reach the Grand Final. Prior to that had played for Rotorua Vols. Will play for Waikato Wizards in 2020.

Played in the Tall Ferns Showcase Game in August.

Arielle Parai

Club: Waikato Wizards
Height: 175cm
Born: April 2, 1986
Junior Association: Auckland/Wellington 
High School: Church College/Avondale College

Previous NBL Clubs: Capital Swish, Waikato Country

Won the  Secondary Schools National Championships with Church College and Avondale College. Named MVP at the 2004 Tournament – top scored for Avondale College with 18 points in the Grand Final win against Otago Girls High School.

Following high school Parai attended Salt Lake Community College (2004-5).

The former Junior Tall Fern and New Zealand Maori representative played for Capital Swish in 2019. She scored 16 points in the Division 2 Grand Final against Wellington last year.

Kelcy Ballantyne

Club: Waikato Wizards
Height: 186cm
Born: October 8, 1997
Junior Association: Tauranga
High School: Otumoetai College

Previous NBL Clubs: Tauranga City Coasters

Forward Kelcy Ballantyne is in her fourth season with the Wizards.

Played for New Zealand U18’s in 2014 and in 2015 represented New Zealand at the FIBA 3×3 U18 World Cup in Hungary.

Has represented Waikato University at 3×3 and 5×5 Tertiary National Championships.

Played on the Waikato team that won the 2017 U23 National Championships – Named to the Tournament Team.

Courtney Wilson

Club: Waikato Wizards
Height: 175cm
Born:
Junior Association: Tauranga
High School: Aquinas College, Tauranga

Previous NBL Clubs: Tauranga City Coasters, Rotorua

Played all her age-group basketball for Tauranga City and progressed through to the Tauranga Coasters playing four seasons for the WBC team.

Played for New Zealand U20 in 2013.

A graduate of AUT, Wilson is a practicing physiotherapist for Body in Motion at the High Performance Centre with Bay of Plenty Women’s Rugby.

Natasha Lenden

Club: Waikato Wizards
Height: 175cm
Born: June 2, 1981
Junior Association: Bay of Plenty/Waikato
High School: Tauhara College, Taupo

Previous NBL Clubs: Waikato Wizards

Tash Lenden is one of the longest serving players in the NBL.

Following high school went to Nebraska Community College and Southwest Baptist University, Missouri (NCAA Div II) where she played 22 games for the Bearcats in the 2002-03 season.

Played a season for the Tall Ferns in 2014.

Played for New Zealand at the FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup in Mongolia in 2017.

Husband Puke Lenden is a former NBL player.

Makayla Daysh

Club: Waikato Wizards
Height: 185cm
Born: October 10, 1995
Junior Association: Tauranga 
High School: Tauranga Girls College

Previous NBL Clubs: Tauranga City Coasters

Daysh, having previously played for Tauranga, was due to play for the Wizards in 2019 but missed the season due to injury.

Played 2 years at Chadron State University, Nebraska (NCAA Division II) from 2014 to 2016.

Alyssa Hirawani

Club: Waikato Wizards
Height: 169cm
Born: June 8, 1998
Junior Association: Waikato
High School: Hamilton Girls High School

Previous NBL Clubs: Waikato Wizards

Hirawani has won multiple age-group championships with Waikato.

Hirawani missed the bulk of the 2019 season after a prodigious campaign in 2018 when she averaged 18 points, 7 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game – form that propelled her into the Tall Ferns.

Played a season for the Tall Ferns gold medal winning team at the 2018 William Jones Cup.

Played for the Junior Tall Ferns in 2016 – Named to the Tournament Team at Secondary School Nationals in the same year.

Kayla Manuirirangi

Club: Waikato Wizards
Height: 170cm
Born: September 19, 1997
Junior Association: Taranaki
High School: New Plymouth Girls High School

Previous NBL Clubs: Taranaki Thunder

Graduated from Tulane University, New Orleans (NCAA Division I) in 2020 after playing 119 games for the Greenwave. Ended her career tied for ninth at Tulane in 3-pointers made all-time with 157.

In 2014 led New Plymouth Girls High to the double winning the National 3×3 title and the National Secondary Schools Championship – named MVP at that championship.

Captained the Junior Tall Ferns at the 2014 FIBA U19 Oceania Championships in Fiji having played for a number of New Zealand age-group teams previously.

Played in the Tall Ferns Showcase Game in August.

Alana Paewai

Club: Waikato Wizards
Height: 
Born: April 4, 2004
Junior Association: Waikato
High School: St Peter’s School, Cambridge

Previous NBL Clubs: Waikato Wizards

Won an U17 National Championship titles with Waikato in 2019 and 2020 – Named to the Tournament Team on both occasions. Averaged 21.4ppg at the 2020 Tournament.

Was a member of the St Peter’s championship winning team at Secondary Schools Nationals in 2019.

Named to the New Zealand team to contest the 2020 FIBA U16 Asia Championships but the event was cancelled due to Covid pandemic.

Zarya Poulava

Club: Waikato Wizards
Height: 178cm
Born: April 13, 1999
Junior Association: Waikato
High School: Hamilton Girls High School

A multiple age group national champion with Waikato.

Attended the University of Mount Olive (NCAA Division II) in 2018-19 and 2019-20.

Breeje Schuler

Club: Waikato Wizards
Height: 
Born: November 15, 2003
Junior Association: Te Aroha
High School: Te Aroha College/St Peter’s School, Cambridge

Previous NBL Clubs: Waikato Wizards

Won an U17 National Championship titles with Waikato in 2019 and 2020 – Named to Tournament Team in 2020.

Played for Te Aroha College at 2019 Secondary Schools Nationals. Te Aroha finished runners-up to Kavanagh College with Breeje named to the Tournament Team alongside older sister Dejaan.

Named to the New Zealand team to contest the 2020 FIBA U16 Asia Championships but the event was cancelled due to Covid pandemic.

Jayze'lee Waihi

Club: Waikato Wizards
Height: 
Born: April 4, 2003
Junior Association: Waikato
High School: St Peter’s School, Cambridge

Previous NBL Clubs: Waikato Wizards

Won U17 National Championship titles with Waikato in 2019 and 2020 – Named Tournament MVP on both occasions. Averaged 23.6ppg at the 2020 Tournament.

Was a member of the St Peter’s championship winning team at Secondary Schools Nationals in 2019.

Jayze’lee has committed to Wichita State University (NCAA Division I) from 2021.

Quaye Walker-Eketone

Club: Waikato Wizards
Height: 152cm
Born: May 17, 2002
Junior Association: Waikato
High School: Hamilton Girls High School

Previous NBL Clubs: Waikato Wizards

Played for Hamilton Girls High School at 2019 Secondary Schools National Championships – finished runners-up to St Peter’s.

Named as a reserve for the 2020 Junior Tall Ferns.

Esra McGoldrick

Club: Waikato Wizards
Height: 188cm
Born: September 19, 1997
Junior Association: North Canterbury
High School: Rangi Ruru Girls School

Previous NBL Clubs: North Canterbury Spirit

Was a member of the Tall Ferns team that finished runners-up at the 2019 William Jones Cup.

Played for the Junior Tall Ferns in 2016. 

Played WBC for North Canterbury Spirit in 2018 before heading to North Carolina State University for a year (2018-19).

Played for the Spirit again in 2019 and was named to the WBC Division 2 All-Star 5 after averaging 15 points and 8.6 rebounds per game.