The University of Otago enjoyed a strong showing at the UTSNZ National Tertiary 3x3 Championships, with both the men’s and women’s teams returning home with medals after an impressive weekend of competition. The University of Otago women’s team claimed bronze after defeating the University of Canterbury in the third-place playoff. Representing Otago were Alexa Duff, Fay Fualau, Tia Pavihi and Millie Simpson, coached by Alf Arlidge.
Mercury have etched their name into Basketball Otago history, claiming the inaugural Patston Media Women's Rush League title. The evening began with two very close semi-final matchups that saw Mercury defeat Wahs, and Spartans take down Rush City to advance to the Grand Final. Semi Finals Mercury 39-36 Wahs Another strong performance from Wahs' Zoe Richards (14 points) wasn't quite enough to cancel out the balanced scoring display from the eventual champions, with all but one player getting on...
Two of Otago's rising talents took their games offshore for the 2025/26 season, with Laura Ring and Elise Carline testing themselves in the North American collegiate system. From adjusting to a new style of play and balancing the demands of study and sport, the pair have gained valuable experience across their respective seasons. As their campaigns have now wrapped up, we take a look back at how Ring and Carline fared and the impact they've made on the court during their time overseas.
Week two of the Patston Media Women's Rush League delivered another exciting night of action and even more thrilling contests. With combinations starting to click and competition for league positions heating up, every game carried significance. Round Three Spartans 41-29 Miners The Spartans carried over their momentum from round two with another victory over the struggling Miners. Abby Harris and Otago U18 representative Bella McEntyre lead from the front with 12 points each.
The BNZ Kiwi Hoops programme is continuing to make a powerful impact across the Otago region, with more than 1,300 tamariki engaged through in-school delivery during Term 1 alone. BNZ Kiwi Hoops is Basketball New Zealand’s national introductory programme, designed to create positive first experiences in basketball.
The brand-new Women’s Rush League burst into life last night, delivering a high-energy showcase of local basketball talent and setting the tone for what promises to be an exciting competition. Designed to keep the action intense and the stakes high, the Rush League follows a Rapid League format, featuring shortened quarters that demand urgency from the opening tip off.
The next generation of Otago basketball is already making its mark, with youngsters Oak Chisholm and Harry Bezett enjoying impressive starts to the 2026 NZNBL season for the Otago Nuggets. Both players - graduates of Otago Boys High School and members of the Otago U20 representative team - have stepped seamlessly into the senior environment.
Two former Tall Blacks, Corey Webster and BJ Anthony, brought a wealth of international experience to Dunedin recently, delivering a series of basketball skills masterclasses to aspring ballers. Held across multiple sessions, the clinics gave young players the chance to learn directly from two players who have competed at the highest level of New Zealand basketball.
Wānaka recently played host to the inaugural Southern Elite Performance Camp, bringing together the top young basketball talent from across the southern region of New Zealand. Basketball Otago was proud to see a strong contingent, with a total of twenty five representative players attending the camp. The event also featured five coaches from the Otago region, including professional players, representative coaches and local high school coaches.
Basketball Otago’s very own Harry Townsend has been selected for the New Zealand U18 Select Team set to compete at the upcoming Albert Schweitzer Tournament in Germany. Harry’s selection follows an outstanding individual performance at the BBNZ U18 Nationals, where he finished among the top five leading scorers of the tournament. His work ethic, talent, and commitment have truly stood out, earning him the opportunity to represent New Zealand on the international stage.
Basketball Otago is delighted to announce the coaching appointments for our 2026 senior representative teams. With a strong mix of experienced coaches continuing on from the 2025 season and respected coaches returning to the programme, we are excited about the leadership in place for the year ahead. U20 Men: Sam Fielding Sam Fielding returns for another season with the U20 Men after guiding the team to significant improvement in 2025, highlighted by a 5th place finish at BBNZ Nationals.
2025 marked a year of strong progress for the Basketball Otago representative programme, with performances across all age groups highlighting the growth, depth and quality of basketball in the region. Under 20's Both the U20 Men's and Women's teams recorded Top 6 finishes at the BBNZ U20 Nationals in Tauranga. Led by experienced Head Coaches Sam Fielding (Men) and Alf Arlidge (Women), both sides competed consistenly throughout the tournament to secure their placings.
Basketball Otago is proud to congratulate U18 Otago representative Kiana Brown on her silver medal at the 2025 FIBA Oceania Cup in Samoa! Kiana represented New Zealand with distinction as the Junior Tall Ferns claimed the silver medal at the tournament and qualified for the 2026 FIBA Asia Cup. The team took on the best talent in the Oceania region and this is a fantastic milestone that highlights consistent development, work ethic and performances.
Basketball Otago's very own Kiana Brown has been selected for the Junior Tall Ferns for the upcoming FIBA U17 Women's Oceania Cup in Samoa. Kiana's selection is the result of her relentless hard work, talent and commitment to the game. We are immensely proud to see her earn the opportunity to represent Aotearoa on the international stage. A huge congratulations to Kiana, her whānau and coaches who have supported her to this point.
Basketball Otago and Sutherland District Basketball Association - home of the Sutherland Sharks - are proud to officially announce the launch of a new trans-Tasman partnership. This partnership brings together two like-minded organisations with a shared commitment to innovation, opportunity and community impact. The collaboration intends to enhance pathways for players, coaches and the wider basketball community.
In what has been a whirlwind two weeks for Basketball Otago’s representative programme, five of our teams proudly took the court at the 2025 Foot Locker U18 and U16 Nationals. Here’s a full recap of the action across the two tournaments: . Under 18 Girls The U18 Girls opened their campaign with a narrow one-point loss to Auckland, before bouncing back with a commanding win over Waitakere West.
Otago’s very own Alexa Duff has been named to the New Zealand Women’s 3x3 basketball team for the 2025 FISU World University Games in Germany. Her selection follows a standout showing at the UTSNZ 3x3 Nationals, where she helped guide the University of Otago to a bronze medal finish, along with a string of strong performances at the BBNZ Footlocker U20 Nationals representing Basketball Otago.
It was a strong showing at the 2025 Footlocker U20 Nationals for both our Men’s and Women’s representative teams, with each side securing a Top 8 finish and showcasing the depth of talent in our region. U20 Men – 5th Place Led by coaches Sam Fielding and Noah McDowall, the U20 Men opened their campaign with an impressive 105–91 victory over Franklin.
After a hugely successful qualifying weekend that took place in Dunedin, Basketball Otago is proud to announce that an impressive haul of seven Otago representative teams have qualified for their respective age-group Nationals - a tremendous achievement for our players, coaches and wider basketball community. Under 20's Both our U20 Men and U20 Women are off to Tauranga at the end of this month to compete at the BBNZ U20 Nationals taking place from 30th May - 2nd June.
Basketball Otago is thrilled to unveil an exciting coaching staff for our senior representative teams, bringing together a mix of experienced leaders and rising talents to guide our athletes to success. U16 Boys The U16 Boys "A" team will be led by Shannon Edwards, whose experience with South Canterbury representative teams and Timaru Boys High School makes him an exciting addition to Basketball Otago.
