Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa

The Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa is a women's professional basketball league in New Zealand.

Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa
SportBasketball
FoundedDecember 2021
First season2022
General ManagerMaree Taylor
No. of teams5
CountriesNew Zealand
ContinentFIBA Oceania (Oceania)
Most recent
champion(s)
Tauranga Whai (1st title)
TV partner(s)Sky Sport
Level on pyramid1
Official websiteTauihi.Basketball

History

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In December 2021, a new women's national basketball league was established for 2022 with five new franchises.[1][2] The league's name Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa was announced in March 2022, with Tauihi meaning "to soar" and Aotearoa meaning New Zealand in Māori language.[3] The inaugural teams included Northern Kāhu, Mid-North Whai, Tokomanawa Queens, Mainland Pouākai, and Southern Hoiho.[4][5][6] The Queens were crowned the inaugural champions.[7][8][9]

All five inaugural franchises continued for the league's second season in 2023.[10][11][12] The Kāhu were crowned the 2023 champions.[13][14][15][16]

In April 2024, the league announced a new season window of October to December and that international expansion was being explored.[17][18][19][20][21] Increased player payments was also implemented in order to attract top women's players from around the world.[22] The Whai were crowned the 2024 champions.[23][24][25]

Current teams

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Team City Region Arena Colours Debut
Mainland Pouākai Christchurch Canterbury Cowles Stadium     2022
Northern Kāhu Auckland Auckland Region Eventfinda Stadium
Franklin Pool and Leisure Centre
McKay Stadium, Whangārei
The Trusts Arena
    2022
Southern Hoiho Dunedin/Queenstown Otago Edgar Centre
Queenstown Events Centre
      2022
Tauranga Whai Tauranga Bay of Plenty Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre       2022
Tokomanawa Queens Porirua Wellington Region Te Rauparaha Arena       2022
 
 
Northern Kāhu
 
Tokomanawa Queens
 
Mainland Pouākai
 
Southern Hoiho
Location of teams within New Zealand

Expansion teams

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Team City Region Arena Capacity Colours Debut Head coach
Indian Panthers[26] Auckland Auckland Region Pulman Arena       2025 TBD

League championships

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Team Wins Losses Total Year(s) won Year(s) lost
Tokomanawa Queens 1 2 3 2022 2023, 2024
Northern Kāhu 1 1 2 2023 2022
Tauranga Whai 1 0 1 2024

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "NEW NATIONAL LEAGUE SET TO TRANSFORM WOMEN'S BASKETBALL IN AOTEAROA". tauihi.basketball. 3 December 2021. Archived from the original on 30 June 2022.
  2. ^ "FIVE FRANCHISE OWNERS DECIDED FOR REVAMPED NATIONAL WOMEN'S BASKETBALL LEAGUE". tauihi.basketball. 23 January 2022. Archived from the original on 30 June 2022.
  3. ^ "TAUIHI SET TO CHANGE THE FACE OF WOMEN'S BASKETBALL IN NEW ZEALAND". tauihi.basketball. 30 March 2022. Archived from the original on 30 June 2022.
  4. ^ "TAUIHI BASKETBALL AOTEAROA SEASON PREVIEW". tauihi.basketball. 28 June 2022. Archived from the original on 30 June 2022.
  5. ^ Hinton, Marc (28 June 2022). "High five: What you need to know about the new Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa league". Stuff.co.nz. Archived from the original on 30 June 2022.
  6. ^ Fransen, Moeawa (28 June 2022). "Women's basketball tourney set to soar". waateanews.com. Archived from the original on 1 July 2022.
  7. ^ "GAME RECAP: QUEENS TOP POUĀKAI TO ADVANCE TO GRAND FINAL". tauihi.basketball. 26 August 2022. Archived from the original on 27 August 2022.
  8. ^ "GAME RECAP: KĀHU BOOK SPOT IN GRAND FINAL WITH WIN OVER WHAI". tauihi.basketball. 26 August 2022. Archived from the original on 27 August 2022.
  9. ^ "GAME RECAP: QUEENS CLAIM INAUGURAL TAUIHI TITLE WITH WIN OVER KĀHU". tauihi.basketball. 27 August 2022. Archived from the original on 27 August 2022.
  10. ^ "2023 G.J. GARDNER HOMES TAUIHI SCHEDULE UNVEILED". tauihi.basketball. 8 February 2023. Archived from the original on 9 February 2023.
  11. ^ "Tauihi 2023 Schedule" (PDF). tauihi.basketball. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 February 2023.
  12. ^ Egan, Brendon (12 July 2023). "Tauihi season two bolstered by nine players with WNBA connections". Stuff.co.nz. Archived from the original on 12 July 2023.
  13. ^ "FINAL 4 PREVIEW". tauihi.basketball. 8 September 2023. Archived from the original on 13 September 2023.
  14. ^ "SEMI-FINALS – RECAP". tauihi.basketball. 9 September 2023. Archived from the original on 13 September 2023.
  15. ^ "KAHU CROWNED 2023 CHAMPIONS". tauihi.basketball. 10 September 2023. Archived from the original on 13 September 2023.
  16. ^ Egan, Brendon (10 September 2023). "Northern Kāhu crush Queens to secure first Tauihi title in team history". Stuff.co.nz. Archived from the original on 13 September 2023.
  17. ^ "PLAYER PAYMENTS TO DOUBLE AS TAUIHI MOVES PLAYING SEASON AND EYES INTERNATIONAL EXPANSION". tauihi.basketball. 4 April 2024. Archived from the original on 4 April 2024.
  18. ^ "Basketball: Player payments double for Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa". The New Zealand Herald. 4 April 2024. Archived from the original on 4 April 2024.
  19. ^ Swinkels, Logan (4 April 2024). "TAUIHI BASKETBALL AOTEAROA ANNOUNCE LANDMARK CHANGES TO LEAGUE'S STRUCTURE". SEN.com.au. Archived from the original on 4 April 2024.
  20. ^ Chapman, Grant (4 April 2024). "Basketball: Women's Tauihi Aotearoa league doubles player payments, moves season, expands offshore". Newshub. Archived from the original on 4 April 2024.
  21. ^ "2024 G.J. GARDNER HOMES TAUIHI SCHEDULE UNVEILED". tauihi.basketball. 6 May 2024. Archived from the original on 6 May 2024.
  22. ^ Reid, Felicity (22 May 2024). "Lucrative New Zealand basketball league on stars' radar". Radio New Zealand. Archived from the original on 22 May 2024.
  23. ^ "Whai Claim Championship Victory". tauihi.basketball. 22 December 2024. Archived from the original on 22 December 2024.
  24. ^ "Tauranga Whai storm to Tauihi basketball crown". RNZ. 22 December 2024. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
  25. ^ "Whai complete incredible turnaround with Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa championship triumph". Stuff.co.nz. 22 December 2024. Retrieved 24 December 2024.
  26. ^ "Indian Panthers Join NBL & Tauihi – Kiwi Basketball Set To Soar In India". nznbl.basketball. 30 October 2024. Archived from the original on 30 October 2024.
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