Mainland Eagles Women's Tour Player Profiles
On the back of the successful men's tour, the women's team of the Mainland Eagles Basketball Academy will embark on its U.S. tour in the coming weeks. Leaving New Zealand on December 29, the Eagles will play a number of scheduled games with various high schools in the Las Vegas area, before returning home on January 13.
This team has a far younger look than the men's roster. Only two seniors will travel with the women, while the group also includes two freshmen. The coming weeks will no doubt be of huge value to the players as they get the opportunity to develop their game against the American talent.
Many of these players have already been chosen to represent the top women's team in the region, the Otago Gold Rush.
Note that while all school years have been adjusted to their American equivalent, the New Zealand high school system sees students do five years, starting a year earlier than in the USA.
All quotes and information obtained on a firsthand basis from the players and Mark Dickel.
1. Aleisha Ruske, 5'8", Junior
1 of 10
Aleisha Ruske has an impressive list of basketball achievements. At just 17 years old, she has played two seasons in the Otago Gold Rush basketball team (the top women’s team in the region), was a member of the under-18 New Zealand team in 2014 and was named in the women’s tournament team at nationals in under-17s (2013) and under-19s (2014).
An aggressive guard, Ruske plays the game at a high intensity and is capable of scoring both through driving and shooting. Despite her offensive ability, she thinks of herself as a better defensive player.
“I play much better overall when I’m playing good defence,” she says.
Coach Mark Dickel assessed her as a “strong aggressive player, tough defensively and has a great mid-range game,” while also adding that she is a “relentless competitor.”
She is looking forward to seeing how the Eagles' skills and styles match up with their U.S. opponents as well as experiencing a different style of play. While she says she would like to go as far as she can in basketball, she also swims competitively and cited her commitment to her schoolwork as a factor that her basketball career is dependent on.
2. Tessa Morrison, 5’9”, Junior
2 of 10
The only Eagles woman to come from outside of Otago, Tessa Morrison has fit in seamlessly with a new group of players and will be of huge value to the team. She possesses a quality all-round game, with the ability to set up her team-mates while also being an outstanding outside shooter, a trait Coach Dickel emphasised. Her defence is outstanding, too, while she also aims to be a leader on the court and brings a hard-working, never-give-up attitude.
She is another with a long list of achievements. From under-13s to under-17s, she played her representative basketball for Mid Canterbury, although in 2014, she donned the red and black of Canterbury and won the under-19 national championship with the team. She was also a starting member of the New Zealand under-20 Women’s team this year and played in the Canterbury Wildcats (top Canterbury women’s team). Her achievements were recognized by being named the Aoraki Region Player of the Year, and she won Ashburton College’s Elite Sportswoman of the Year.
Morrison is excited to travel to the States and see how the Eagles match up with their U.S. counterparts. She has enjoyed playing with a new group of players and coaches, too, and feels they have been very willing in integrating her to the team.
Looking ahead, she has her eyes on another season of representative and school basketball in which she aims to continue to work hard and improve. After this, she would like to be able to play basketball while also training for a career, something she states will likely happen overseas.
3. Nicole Ruske, 5’ 10”, Freshman
3 of 10
Nicole Ruske, younger sister of Aleisha, is one of the top players in New Zealand for her age. At just 15 years old, she has already played for the Otago Gold Rush and was a member of the New Zealand under-16 team in 2014. Along with this, she was a key member of the under-19 Otago team and has been named in national age-grade tournament teams in 2011 and 2013.
An energetic point guard, Ruske has plenty of strings to her bow. Coach Dickel describes her as a “quick aggressive player who has a great engine and is a good shooter and passer.” He also remarks that she tends to “score in bunches.” Along with this, she is a very good ball-handler and is fast up the court in transition.
She looks forward to seeing how the Eagles compare with such a well-known basketball country and aims to continue making New Zealand age-grade teams and eventually the Tall Ferns.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
4. Claudia Flaws, 5’9”, Senior
4 of 10
Claudia Flaws is looking forward to the challenges the U.S. tour will offer.
“There is only limited tough competition in Dunedin, or even the South Island,” she said. “So this trip will be a great way to push us all to our potential.”
This attitude to always push herself comes through in Flaws’ play. She says she brings a “never give up” attitude no matter “what the scoreboard says,” while also bringing energy and hustling after the ball. In transition, she noticeably runs the lanes hard and is always one of the first up the court, while also being a strong rebounder.
Coach Dickel says she is a “hustle player with a nice shot to 15 feet and strong game off the dribble.”
She has played for Otago age-grade teams over the past six years and was named the Otago Girls’ High School basketball player and sportsperson of the year. This year, she was part of the Otago Gold Rush and has travelled to Australia as part of the New Zealand Koru Development Tour in each of the past three years.
Next year, she would like to take the Otago under-19 team to the final at nationals while looking to see if the opportunity would come up to play overseas or represent New Zealand.
5. Zoe Richards, 6’1”, Junior
5 of 10
At 6’ 1”, Zoe Richards is the tallest player on the Eagles women’s roster. She brings a strong game around the hoop, possessing nice touch and elegant footwork. Coach Dickel adds that she finishes equally well with both hands while also possessing a good shot out to 15 feet.
Richards is an intelligent player who works hard to get open and has good shot selection. She runs the lanes hard in transition and rebounds well on both ends.
It is these abilities that have seen her play important roles in Otago age-grade teams, most recently being part of the third-placed under-19 team at the 2014 national championship. She was also a key player in her St. Hilda’s school team and was a member of the Otago Gold Rush training squad.
She is looking forward to playing the U.S. opposition and has the long-term goal of playing college basketball in the U.S. as well as for the Otago Gold Rush and making the New Zealand Tall Ferns.
6. Brittany Richards, 5’11”, Junior
6 of 10
Twin sister of Zoe, Brittany Richards possesses a good shot both off the dribble and catch, while also rebounding well and taking good options from the perimeter. Dickel agreed with that assessment, emphasising her ability as a shooter.
Richards is a hard worker who cites her parents’ high moral standards and Christian faith as important influencing factors in instilling this ethic in her. Through this, she has been able to get the most out of her coaches and continually develop her game. She has played for Otago age-group teams and in 2014 was in the under-19 team while also being selected for the Otago Gold Rush training squad. Her St. Hilda’s school team finished ninth at secondary school nationals in their first year of playing at the tournament.
She hopes to gain an understanding of the American basketball culture on tour in order to ascertain whether the environment would be a good fit for her as she looks to further her basketball career. Along with this, she hopes to continue to improve her skills by playing against top opposition. Next year she hopes to improve on her team’s results in 2014, while she also possesses the long-term goal of representing national teams and getting a scholarship to play at college in the U.S.
7. Georgia Te Au, 5’6”, Senior
7 of 10
Georgia Te Au is keen to prove herself in Las Vegas. An outstanding defensive player, she says she is often described as a “tic” to the opposition with her ability to disrupt the offence.
Her fast hands and instinctive ability to read her opponent, along with her speed and agility, make her a difficult player for the offence to beat. She has a knack of making steals and is able to threaten in transition after obtaining these, handling the ball well and bringing a pass-first mentality to find the lane-runners. Since figuring out this was what she was good at, she has worked hard to maximise her ability to become elite in these aspects of her game.
Coach Dickel agreed that she is a very good defender and brings a pass-first approach to her role as a point guard.
She has played for Otago age-group teams from under-13s through under-19s, while also being a four-year player on the top Otago Girls’ High School team, twice being named MVP. This year she was a training squad member of the Otago Gold Rush.
Te Au is thrilled to have the chance to experience basketball in the U.S. and states that it would be a dream to achieve her long-term goal of playing NCAA basketball on a scholarship. But first, she just wants to prove herself and play the best she can in Las Vegas.
8. Tayla MacDonald, 5’5”, Junior
8 of 10
Tayla MacDonald loves sports and has had plenty of success in them, too. At 17 years old, she has already played for the top Otago women’s cricket team as well as the under-21 age-group team, while she's also represented her school’s top teams in netball, touch and swimming.
But it is her basketball exploits that see her travel to Las Vegas with the Mainland Eagles. She has represented Otago age-grade teams since the under-13s and was named MVP of the under-15 team while also being involved in national development teams and trials. At the high school level, she has been a member of the Otago Girls’ High School top team for four years, with one year still remaining.
A real battler on the court, MacDonald hustles and brings energy, emphasising the fact that she never gives up. Coach Dickel offered the assessment that she is a “good shooter who wants to take big shots and hustles on defence.”
She is excited to see a different style of basketball in the U.S., adding that she would like to go as far as she can in the sport, with a thought that she might look at going to college in the States.
9. Laura Taylor, 5’9”, Freshman
9 of 10
Despite being one of two freshmen on the Eagles roster, Laura Taylor has two years experience playing for the strong St. Hilda’s Senior A basketball team. She has five years worth of experience at representative level, too, having most recently played for the Otago under-17 women’s team in 2014, while also having been involved with New Zealand development teams.
Coach Dickel remarks that the 5’ 9” forward, “runs the court well, [is a] good rebounder and has a consistent mid-range shot.” Taylor is excited to play the U.S. women’s teams and is looking forward to working with the players and coaches on the Eagles roster. As for her aspirations, she says she would love to play in a national final, while she also wants to make a New Zealand team.
10. Jane Hendry, 5’1”, Junior
10 of 10
Jane Hendry has a point to prove every time she steps onto a basketball court.
“One of my goals is to prove to people that height isn’t a restriction playing a sport that is dominated by that stereotype such as basketball,” she says.
To do this, she has had to work hard to maximise her ability in areas of the game where she could be effective despite her size. She states that she has had to constantly work “twice as hard” to improve her game and “meet [her] own standards,” but through this she has developed remarkable perseverance, which is a trait she applies to other areas of her life.
Coming from a strong rugby background, she has no qualms about throwing her body around or taking charges. She states that along with this, she has learnt to use her shortness to her advantage through hustling and developing a good defensive game. Coach Dickel agreed with that, adding that she is “vocal on the court and is a good passer.”
When asked for her aspirations, she provides a mature, well thought-out response.
“I am open-minded in terms of my aspirations because I think good things come to those who work hard,” she says.
She says she plays “purely because [she] enjoys the sport,” but she also intends to take any opportunities which come her way, this trip being one of those. In her view, the tour is an “awesome opportunity” to experience the U.S. basketball culture and see how their skill sets match up.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
