Growing up playing basketball for fun, Whangārei’s Kendell Heremaia never thought that one day she could make a career in the sport.
After all, as much as basketball was ingrained in her family - dad Ritchie and uncles Francis and Ricky all played to a high level - women’s sport didn’t have the widespread profile or support.
But that has changed with the rise of women’s sport globally and Heremaia is making a big step towards her dream, by signing with the Sunshine Coast Phoenix in Australia’s semi-professional NBL1 - the country’s second-tier competition - for the 2023 season.
It comes after spending five years at Fordham University in the USA, playing NCAA division 1 basketball in New York City, an experience she said helped her improve and focus on what she needed to do to make it in the sport.
She was a two-time all-conference player at Fordham, averaging 8.9 points per game, 5.5 rebounds per game, and 2.2 assists per game. She finished with 1291 career points and was one of only two players in Fordham history to record over 1000 points, 700 rebounds, and 300 assists in her college career. Additionally, she also set an Atlantic-10 conference record, hitting 11 three-pointers in a game during her senior year against Massachusetts. She also recently played in the New Zealand women’s national Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa competition.