Honey Cooney

Position: Guard

Height: 171cm

Born: 29 December, 2005

Junior Association: Tauranga City

High School: Tauranga Girls College

Previous NBL clubs – Rookie

Was Named MVP at the 2023 3×3 Secondary Schools National Championships after leading Tauranga Girls College to the title.

Played for Tauranga at the 2023 U19 National Championships.

Played for the Whai at the 2022 3×3 Schick Cup and for Tauranga City Coasters at the 2021 and 2022 D League Tournaments.

Currently the Deputy Head Prefect and Sports Captain at Tauranga Girls College in 2023.

Mikayla Cowling (Import)

Position: Guard

Height: 188cm

Born: 4 October, 1996 in Walnut Creek, California

High School: St Mary’s College, Benicia, California

Previous NBL clubs – Rookie

The 33^rd pick by Connecticut Sun in the 2018 WNBA Draft, Cowling has since played in France, Greece, Turkey and Israel.

Finished the 2022-23 European season playing for Antalya Gunesi in the Turkish League where she averaged 23.7 points per game. Shot the 3-ball at 41% and free-throws at 89%.

Cowling has played in New Zealand before when the University of California Berkeley played against New Zealand Select team in 2017. Cowling enjoyed a standout career for the Golden Bears playing 130 games with 123 starts.

She ended her Cal career tied fourth in programme history with 470 assists to accompany 1,274 career points. She is one of only four players in programme history with over 1,000 points and 400 assists.

McKenna Dale

Position: Forward

Height: 183cm

Born: 16 June, 1999

High School: Edwin O Smith High School, Connecticut

Highest Representative Honour – Junior Tall Ferns (2016)

Previous NBL clubs – Rookie

Dale played two years Ivy League at Brown University before transferring to Virginia University for a further two years.

In her senior year (2022-23) she played all 30 games for the Cavaliers averaging 5.5 points and 4.1 rebounds. Finished her NCAA Division I career with 677 points in 102 appearances. Named to the All- Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Team in 2023.

Graduated with a Masters of Education.

Dale was also an outstanding swimmer at high school winning a number of state titles.

Father Darren Dale competed for New Zealand in the 400m at the 1990 Commonwealth Games.

Makayla Daysh

Position: Forward

Height: 185cm

Born: October 10, 1995

Junior Association: Tauranga City

High School: Tauranga Girls College

Previous NBL clubs – Rotorua Vols (2012-13) Tauranga City Coasters (2015-18), Waikato Wizards (2014 and 2020-21), Whai (2022-present)

Playing in her home town ‘Maka’ played 5 games for Whai in 2022.

Played 2 years at Chadron State University, Nebraska (NCAA Division II) from 2014 to 2016 and has since represented New Zealand Maori.

Daysh played rugby for the Bay of Plenty in 2016 and 2017 and is currently a Sports teacher at Tauranga Intermediate School.

Alyssa Hirawani

Position: Guard

Height: 169cm

Born: June 8, 1998

Junior Association: Waikato

High School: Hamilton Girls High School

Highest Representative Honour – Tall Ferns (debut 2018)

Previous NBL clubs – Waikato Wizards (2016-20)

Played on the Tall Ferns gold medal winning team at the 2018 William Jones Cup.

Her elevation to the NZ national team came on the back of a prodigious 2018 WBC campaign when she averaged 18 points, 7 rebounds and 3.6 assists for the Waikato Wizards.

A multiple National Championship winner with Waikato age group teams.

Coached the Waikato team to the 2022 Boy’s U15 National title.

Pahlyss Hokianga

Position: Guard

Height: 166cm

Born: 9 October, 2007

Junior Association: Hawkes Bay

High School: Tauranga Girls College

Highest Representative Honour – New Zealand U15 team (2022)

Previous NBL clubs – Rookie

Named co-captain, alongside Bailey Flavell (Northern Kāhu), of the New Zealand team that attend the 2023 FIBA U16 Asia Cup in Jordan in July.

Won a silver medal with the New Zealand team at the 2022 FIBA U15 Oceania Championships in Guam – averaged 15.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.

Won the 2023 3×3 Secondary Schools National Championship with Tauranga Girls College playing alongside Honey Cooney and Anika Hyland.

Pahlyss will play as an amateur to preserve her American college eligibility.

Jade Kirisome

Position: Guard

Height: 172cm

Born: 15 January, 2000

High School: Brisbane State High School

Previous NBL clubs – Rookie

Joins the Whai having been playing for South West Metro Pirates in the NBL1 North.

Played 109 games during her 4 years of NCAA Division I basketball. Spent her freshman year at North Carolina State University followed by three years at St Mary’s. Played all 31 games for the Gaels in her senior year (2022-23), averaging 3 points per game.

Kirisome was raised in Queensland but has New Zealand parentage. Won two Queensland Secondary Schools Championships with Brisbane State High School.

Brother Tane Kirisome played for the Tall Blacks in the one-off test against Australia in Cairns in 2021.

Waiaria Putaranui-Henderson

Position: Guard

Height: 180cm

Born: 12 April, 1997

Junior Association:

High School: St Peter’s School, Cambridge

Previous NBL clubs – Waikato Wizards (2016), Harbour Breeze (2020)

Most recently played the 2021 NBL1 season for Albury Wodonga Bandits. Scored a season best 12 points against Bendigo Lady Bandits.

Won the 18in18 Championship with Harbour Breeze in 2020.

Henderson played two years at Bossier Parish Community College, Louisiana (2017-19). Also attended California State East Bay High School.

Won a Secondary Schools National Championship playing for St Peter’s School, Cambridge in 2015.

Born in Auckland but calls Te Kuiti home.

Sarah Sagerer (Import)

Position: Forward

Height: 190cm

Born: 8 February, 1996 in Vocklabruck, Austria

High School: The Rock, Gainsville, Florida

Previous NBL clubs – Rookie

From Schörfling, Austria, Saggerer has competed for the Austrian national team at various 3×3 events including the 2021 Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

Played NCAA Division I basketball at Stetson University graduating in 2019. In 2016-17 she helped the Hatters win the Atlantic Sun Conference regular season title. Named to the Conference Defensive Player of the Year after ranking first in rebounds and blocks.

Finished her career as Stetson’s all-time leading shot blocker (213) and seventh all-time leading rebounder (717).

Has played professionally in Spain, Poland and, in the 2022-23 season, in Italy where she averaged 6.6 points and 4.9 rebounds for Akronos Moncalieri.

Amy West

Position: Forward

Height: 191cm

Born: 19 November, 1999

Junior Association: Manawatu

High School: Palmerston North Girls High School

Highest Representative Honour –Tall Ferns – debuted in 2019 (7 appearances)

Previous NBL clubs – Rookie

A late bloomer after switching from hockey to basketball as a 15 year-old.

Debuted for the Tall Ferns in 2019 at the William Jones Cup in Taiwan.

Played 77 games during her 4 years of NCAA Division I basketball. Spent her freshman year at Liberty University followed by three years at St Mary’s. Played 24 games in her senior year (2022-23) for the Gaels.

Aaliyah Wilson (Import)

Position: Guard

Height: 177cm

Born: 28 August, 1998 in Oklahoma

High School: Muskogee High School, Oklahoma

Previous NBL clubs – Rookie

Wilson arrives at the Whai having recently played in the Belgium League for Namur Capitale where she averaged 17.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.

Wilson was the 11^th pick in the 2021 WNBA Draft by the Seattle Storm. Traded to the Indiana Fever where she played 14 games.

Played her freshman collegiate year at the University of Arkansas before embarking on a 3-year career at Texas A&M University.

Played all 28 games as a starter in her senior year (2020-21) when she averaged 12.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per game as the Aggies went all the way to the Sweet Sixteen at the NCAA Tournament.