Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 | |
| Sport | Basketball |
|---|---|
| Founded | December 2021 |
| First season | 2022 |
| General manager | Maree Taylor |
| No. of teams | 5 |
| Countries | New Zealand |
| Continent | FIBA Oceania (Oceania) |
| Most recent champion | Tauranga Whai (2nd title) |
| Most titles | Tauranga Whai (2 titles) |
| Broadcaster | Sky Sport |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Official website | Tauihi.Basketball |
The Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa is a women's professional basketball league in New Zealand.
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]
For the 2025 season, there had been a planned introduction of the Indian Panthers to the Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa,[26] but following the collapse of the franchise in the men's NBL, the women's Panthers were also abolished.[27] The Whai went on to win the 2025 championship to earn back-to-back titles.[28]
Current clubs
League championships
| Club | Win(s) | Loss(es) | Total | Year(s) won | Year(s) lost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tauranga Whai | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2024, 2025 | – |
| Tokomanawa Queens | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2022 | 2023, 2024 |
| Northern Kāhu | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2023 | 2022 |
| Mainland Pouākai | 0 | 1 | 1 | – | 2025 |
| Southern Hoiho | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – |