Don't Poke The Bear
Upon reflection, Californian McKenzie Forbes might go about things a little differently the next time the BNZ Northern Kāhu play the ProBuild ITM Pouākai, mind you she isn't the first and won't be the last to learn what happens when you poke Tahlia Tupaea. Almost from the opening jump, Forbes and Tupaea tangled, and it became a theme for the duration of the game - problem for Forbes is this is exactly the sort of battle Tupaea thrives on.
End result - the Kāhu won by 26 points, Tupaea starred with 29 points and 5 triples, while Forbes ended on 7 points on 3/13 shooting.
Lesson for the week - don't poke the bear!
Whai Need A Shake-Up ... And It's Coming
The Northern Group Tauranga Whai are on a 4-game losing streak, a dramatic slide that has been compounded by injuries and some questionable defending. Since an opening round 18-point win over the Pouākai, the Whai have suffered losses to the Kāhu (12 points), Queens (2 points), Hoiho (7 points) and Queens (12 points). The heavy reliance on Ashley Joens to score is telling, the noted WNBA sharpshooter is averaging 30% of the Whai's score, is taking 25% of all Whai field goal attempts, and a staggering 47% of all Whai free throws.
But a change is coming, and that change is Mikayla Cowling. The Tauihi star is nearing a required level of fitness after foot surgery and an illness. The addition of Cowling is significant and if coach Alex Stojkovic can successfully get Cowling, Joens, Snyder and McSpadden playing well together then the Whai will soon be on the rise from their 1-4 start to the season.
Double-Headers In Tauihi Are Tough
Double-headers are proving to be a tough task in Tauihi '24 with only the Kāhu mastering the challenge of dual wins in R2. However, for the Hoiho, Whai and the Pouākai it has been far less positive with all three teams coming up empty handed. Only the ANZCO Tokomanawa Queens are yet to face a double-header, that challenge won't present itself for the 2022 champs until R7.
Each team in Tauihi '24 plays two double-headers and eight single games across 10 rounds. Next up (R5) will be the Whai, who have already played a double, losing to the Queens and Hoiho in R3.
Whai Reliance On The Three-Ball Is Huge
Where do you draw the line on relying on the three-ball? Every team has a different threshold, and the limit is usually (and should be) aligned with how many three-point shots are actually going through the bottom of the net and whether or not the team is winning games as a result.
The Whai's huge reliance on the three-ball makes for interesting reading. After five games, which has included four losses, the Whai are shooting 48% of all field-goal attempts from beyond the arc, which included an even more staggering 67% (46 attempts) in their R3 loss to the Southern Hoiho.
The Jihyun Park Factor
Not to brush over Jordan Horston's performance against the Whai, because it was exceptional at 20 points, 17 rebounds, 5 assists and four blocks, but so too was the elite show put on by Jihyun Park. The South Korean international star is silky smooth in everything she does, and when it comes to her long-range shooting it is exceptionally pure.
Park dropped 28 points on the Whai, a season high for the versatile guard, which included 5 triples, plus she grabbed 7 rebounds and played all 40 minutes. With Horston, Lou Brown and Florencia Chagas all proving to be more than a handful for opposing teams, Park has become just another headache to contend with.
Tauihi Is More Competitive In 2024
The 2024 G.J. Gardner Homes season is 12 games old, and the averaging winning margin is 9.6 points, which has included three games decided by 5 points or less, eight games decided by 9 points or less, and just one game decided by more than 13 points (Kāhu's blowout 26-point win over Pouākai).
Looking back at the first 12 games in 2022, the average winning margin was 12.4 points, while in 2023 through the first dozen games the average winning margin was 11 points.
Tauihi Average Winning Margin - Opening 12 Games
2022 - 12.4 points
2023 - 11 points
2024 - 9.6 points
Kiwi Watch
As the international talent rises in Tauihi so too does the Kiwi talent with a number of young players are starting to make their mark. Pahlyss Hokianga continues to shine for the Whai and has taken on extra responsibility with Morgan Yaeger (wrist) sidelined, Ashlee Strawbridge gets better with every game at the Pouākai, and the Rogers sisters (Sophie and Emma) have been very impressive at the Whai.
Two of the players to keep an eye on moving forward are Kodee Williams-Sefo (Kāhu) and Keriana Hippolite (Queens) who both already look very confident and capable of playing alongside some of their more senior stars.
