It all comes down to round 10. Four teams have punched their post season tickets but the destination is unknown with 3 big games to play in the final week of the regular season. The Queens are in pole position, win and they are the top seed locking down home dates all the way to the final but the race isn't won. Currently teams stand:
Queens (111%) +132 points overall. Lead both ladders . They are strong favorites for a home semi based on their superior points percentage (+8 of closest team)
Hoiho (100%) +2 points overall. Sit 7-4 in Tauihi and are right with Queens on wins and on
Pouākai (103%) +49 points overall. 6-5 in Tauihi and 6–5 in Rapid and can still climb with help.
Whai (99%) -8 points overall. 6-5 in Tauihi and are alive for a top-two seed.
Any of the four teams above can finish in the top two depending on results from this weekends Tauihi and Rapid League games. Read on to find out what to look for.
Cowles Stadium, Christchurch
Rapid League 6:30pm, Tauihi 7:30pm
Tickets here
Pouākai: Fell 99-94 in Dunedin in a shootout. Taylor Mikesell caught fire for 25 and Morgan Yaeger poured in 24 with 6 assists. Charlotte Whittaker delivered her first Tauihi double-double at 15 and 10. Pouākai led by five in the third before the game flipped on a Hoiho barrage from deep. Positives were pace, perimeter shot creation, and Whittaker’s growth on the glass but the loss took away a realistic shot for top spot and put them on the outside looking in at a top two finish.
Kāhu: Snapped the skid in style with an 81-66 home win over Whai. Tahlia Tupaea posted a season-high 22 and became the third player to 600 career Tauihi points. Abigail Curtin added 23 and 9, Amy Jacobs 13, and the group controlled the stripe and late-game tempo. Defensive rebounding and half-court execution were markedly improved, a bit late to change course on the season but not too late to play spoiler.
Projected starters
Pouākai: PG Morgan Yaeger, SG Taylor Mikesell, F Bree Hall, F McKenna Dale, C Charlotte Whittaker
Kāhu: PG Tahlia Tupaea, G Amy Jacobs, F Haliegh Reinoehl, F Abigail Curtin, PG Lauren Mansfield
Pace vs poise: Pouākai want to run off makes and misses as they prep for their postseason run and look to take as big a margin as possible to lift their chances in any tie-break; Kāhu have looked more comfortable in transition but have found the most success with into a half-court game with Tupaea and Mansfield in control of on balls.
Arc pressure: Mikesell and Yaeger stretch coverage; Reinoehl and Curtin must show at the level of screens without surrendering slips to the rim on the backside. If the Kāhu get caught in switches look for the Pouākai to punish the post.
Frontcourt tussle: No Abi Fogg or Esra McGoldrick again, making Whittaker’s rim runs and seals against Reinoehl’s pick-and-pop and board work key. Can both players stay out of foul trouble while playing with a high level of physicality?
Perimeter heat vs paint touches: Pouākai have the league’s top two three-point volume threats this season in Mikesell and Marena Whittle who will return to action off the bench, while the Kāhu have leant on pick-and-pop from Haliegh Reinoehl and mid-post scoring from Abi Curtin, Tupaea is coming off her season best performance and could shift the balance of the court.
Glass battle: Pouākai’s defensive rebounding has been elite all season; Kāhu must finish defensive possessions before turning those stops into early offensive opportunities
Pouākai: McKenna Dale is now at 600 career points and sits third all-time. First Tauihi points ticked off for Ava Jones and Emilia Ainley.
Kāhu: With two games this round, Haleigh Reinoehl needs 3 points for 350 career and 18 rebounds for 200.
Last Time Out:
Pouākai: Won 31-29 at Hoiho with a composed finish. Hana Lacey-Rameka scored 16, including the late 3-point burst that tied it, and Ava Jones’ go-ahead lefty layup with 2 seconds left sealed it. Emilia Ainley grabbed a franchise-record 9 boards last round and continues to trend up.
Kāhu: Dominant 35-20 win over Whai. Vitolia Tuilave (9) and Keeley Tini (8) set the tone, Emma-Kaye Schroeder chipped in (7), and the defense held Whai to five points in every quarter.
Projected Rapid starters:
Pouākai: Hana Lacey-Rameka, Olivia O’Neill, Emma Rogers, Kavanah Lene, Emilia Ainley
Kāhu: Azure Anderson, Emma Schroeder, Vitolia Tuilave, Mary Morton-Jones, Keeley Tini
Defensive check: Kāhu’s pressure defense just held Whai to 20. Can they repeat that against a Pouākai unit buoyed by Lacey-Rameka's recent offensive burst?
X-factors: Emma Schroeder’s rim pressure for Kāhu vs Lacey-Rameka’s buckets for Pouākai.
Possession control: Pouākai thrive on second shots; Kāhu just held Whai to 20 by limiting clean looks, can they do it again?
Young impact: Lacey-Rameka vs Schroeder as tone setters but there are plenty of candidates in this match who may raise their hand
Scoring ledger watch: Azure Anderson is at 173 career Rapid points, trailing only Pahlyss Hokianga at 178.
Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre, Tauranga
Rapid League 2:00pm, Tauihi 3:00pm
Tickets here
Whai: Went toe to toe in Porirua but were edged 88-82 for the second loss of the round. Hannah Hank matched the game high with 26 and ripped a franchise-record 18 rebounds. Mikayla Cowling added a season-high 23 and crossed 500 career points. Emme Shearer had 17 and 7. Offensive glass was a plus; transition D and late-clock execution were the swing factors.
Hoiho: Outgunned Pouākai 99-94 at home behind a 2025 league-high 36 from Lil Dart. Rebecca Pizzey and Claire Jacobs chipped in 17 apiece and Paige Bradley set a personal high with 14 assists. Hoiho spacing and quick-hitting drag screens unlocked triple volume in the second half where they showed their best.
Projected starters
Whai: PG Jessica McDowell-White, G Jade Kirisome, W Mikayla Cowling, W Emme Shearer, , C Hannah Hank (Note: Laina Snyder could return from injury)
Hoiho: PG Paige Bradley, SG Claire Jacobs, SF Taylah Simmons, PF Rebecca Pizzey, C Jessie Edwards
Boards, boards, boards: Hank is fresh off a Whai record 18 rebounds, while Rebecca Pizzey and Jessie Edwards form a heavy-duty Hoiho interior. Former Hoiho stalwart Laina Snyder may still be unavailable with her injury, her presence could shift the front court balance.
Guard orchestration: Bradley vs McDowell-White is must-watch tempo control. Bradley has been the engine in transition and her passes have penetrated defenses all season long. McDowell-White has been a similar table setter but her threat as shooter out of the on-ball makes her a scoring threat as well.
Arc danger: Dart’s 8 threes last outing stretch any coverage; Whai counter with Emme Shearer’s spacing and Cowling’s slashing. Shearer’s relocation threes versus Dart’s pull-up and catch-and-shoot rhythm will be key in the 3-point battle.
Notes:
Whai: Laina Snyder is 5 boards shy of 300 career
Hoiho: Bradley needs 3 points for 500 and 6 assists for 250 career.
Last time out:
Whai: Fell 46-34 at Queens but found better rhythm than in the previous outing. Sophia Locandro led with 11, Charis Broughton 9, and rookie Riley McClenaghan added 7. 3-point volume is trending up.
Hoiho: Narrow 31-29 loss to Pouākai. Lil Dart had 10 and 4 assists, Eva Langton 7, and Zoe Richards 5. The group led 29-26 late before late-game execution slipped.
Projected Rapid starters:
Whai: Sophia Locandro, Sophie Rogers, Riley Mcclenaghan, Graecyn Parahi, Laura Kuka
Hoiho: Tia Pavihi, Samara Gallaher, Lil Dart, Eva Langton, Zoe Richards
Shot quality vs pressure: Whai need clean catch-and-shoot looks for the Rogers-Locandro tandem; Hoiho will hunt early-clock paint touches.
Possession game: Hoiho’s Rapid group thrives when they win the rebound count. Whai will try to unlock Sophie Rogers and Sophia Locandro early after a tough offensive week.
Eventfinda Stadium, Auckland
Rapid League 2:00pm, Tauihi 3:00pm
Tickets here
Kāhu: This will be their second game of the round after having traveled to Christchurch. But looking back to round 9 the defensive footing returned in the win over Whai as depth scoring from Curtin and Jacobs backed Tupaea’s control.
Queens: Beat Whai 88-82 in a high-level clash. Kristy Wallace was outstanding on return with 26 and 8 assists, Penina Davidson added 12, 6 and 6 and Lou Brown had a 10p and 14r double-double, her fifth of the season and fourth straight. Brooke Basham added a season-best 15 off the bench. Queens hammered the offensive glass and won clutch time to put themselves in position for top spot on the ladder.
Projected starters
Kāhu: PG Tahlia Tupaea, PG Lauren Mansfield, F Haliegh Reinoehl, F Abigail Curtin, G Amy Jacobs
Queens: PG Kristy Wallace, W Stella Beck, F Jihyun Park, C Penina Davidson, PF Lou Brown
Paint control: Queens dominate the offensive glass behind Penina Davidson and Lou Brown first and foremost, but Park and Basham are game for chances as well; securing first-shot boards is non-negotiable for Kāhu, if they give up second chance points consistently they will go down.
Backcourt chess: Wallace’s creation versus the tandem of Mansfield and Tupaea. Wallace is on the short list for MVP after a stellar season has her team on the precipice of the regular season crown, but Tupaea is coming off her best game and Mansfield has been solid all season long. Having an impact while taking care of the ball will be key.
Stretch threats: Jihyun Park’s pick-and-pop and Stella Beck’s slashing put stress on help rules, opening up opportunities for o-boards or kick outs for three. Can the Kāhu defend at multiple levels with consistency.
Queens: Lou Brown’s double-double streak sits at four while Davidson is 1 point from 500 career.
Kāhu: Momentum opportunity to close the regular season at home while playing the role of spoiler against their day 1 rival.
Kāhu: They will be coming into their second game of the weekend, but the unit has been playing well and defense is trending up while depth of scoring has balanced the attack.
Queens: Rolled Whai 46-34. Keriana Hippolite hit 18, Briarley Rogers 13, and Josie Trousdell added 6 and 6. Queens shot 53 percent from three last round and have won nine in a row.
Century watch: Queens’ top duo of Briarley Rogers and Keriana Hippolite are both closing in on 100 Rapid points this season as the already-crowned champs tune up for finals.
Defend the arc: Can Kāhu chase Hippolite and B. Rogers off the line?
Century watch: Rogers (94) and Hippolite (90) are closing on 100 points for the season.
Four teams are still jostling for a top-two seed and home court. If teams finish tied on wins, placement is decided by overall points percentage: total points scored in Tauihi and Rapid combined divided by total points conceded in both. If still tied, points percentage in head-to-head games between the tied teams decides it. Every quarter matters.
