Sky-high Whai

It’s game day at Mercury Baypark Arena, the first of a new season.

Carter Hopoi eases into the Arena’s grandstand seating, wedging his size-16 feet and 2.06m frame in place. Nothing much fazes the 18-year-old. He grins, ignoring good-natured banter wafting into the stands from his Tauranga Whai teammates. 

He’s right at home here. The lit-up court in front of him is as close to tūrangawaewae as he can get. 

“This is our house and we don’t want other teams coming to our home and beating us,” he explains. “You can see the guys firing up. There’s a lot of adrenaline and when it gets loud in here, it really lifts the whole team.” 

It promises to be a big year for the dunking, blocking, rebounding whizz-kid, whose towering athleticism on court is capturing plenty of attention. 

He comes from good sporting stock; his father Dave played for the NZ Breakers, mum Koren was a talented netballer and cousin of All Black Frano Botica, and Hopoi’s great grandfather was Cyril Eastlake, legend of Kiwi rugby league. 

United States college scholarships are beckoning in Hopoi’s first year out of Mount Maunganui College. He’s already made his debut with the Tall Blacks, and now the Whai men’s team are looking to build on their 2024 entry into the Sal’s NBL with Hopoi a regular starter. 

Game day used to set him churning. Now he’s leaning into it. 

“Last year, I used to get pretty nervous but now it’s fine, even though it’s a big step-up to starting an NBL game. It’s not scary or nerve-wracking, it’s more like I’m excited and ready for it these days.” 

Across town at the Whai training base in Judea, Pahlyss Hokianga is glistening in the pre-dawn chill, running drills with academy teammates. 

Like Hopoi, she’s already represented New Zealand at the highest level, breaking into the Tall Ferns early last year as the youngest-ever female—a scarcely conceivable 16 years and 115 days old. 

At 1.65m, however, she’s at the opposite end of basketball’s physical spectrum from Hopoi, instead building a game based around speed and hunger. 

“I’ve always been a hard worker and had that work ethic, but I’ve also learned over time what I need to do if I want to play in top-level teams or go places,” Hokianga says. 

“It’s meant I’ve had to be faster than my opposition and get a lot stronger to compete against women.” 

The Whai women’s team play their fourth season in the Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa League later this year, going in as defending champions, courtesy of victory over the Tokomanawa Queens in the 2024 final. 

Hokianga was at the heart of that incredible campaign, but just a year earlier, she was a wide-eyed fan, travelling to Whai games at Queen Elizabeth Youth Centre in Tauranga with teammates from Hastings. 

There’s even a photo of her — a jubilant 15-year-old sharing a moment with her Whai heroes. It’s a tradition for the franchise, encouraging fans to come onto the court after the game and mingle. 

Within months, Hokianga had an invitation to train with the Whai academy. Within a year, she was starting for the senior team. Now, she’s in her last year at Tauranga Girls’ College with another Whai season ahead of her. 

“The Pahlyss story really validates the exact thing we’re trying to do,” Whai Basketball general manager John Miller explains. 

“In a sense, we’re playing an entire game of basketball so we can create that moment. We want to compete and win, but the bigger picture is that we want to create that moment for a young person to be inspired and to think, ‘I could do this’.” 

Even the Whai name has aspirational qualities. As well as Te Reo for stingray, “whai” means to chase, pursue, look for, or aim at. 

Three local families — the Millers, Rawstorns, and McDougalls — planted that seed when they founded the Whai basketball franchise, inspired by visits to other cities with franchise teams. 

“You get a sense of how these sports teams can bring local pride, form identity for a city, and provide not only inspiration for young people but actual pathways to play at that level,” Miller says. 

Those pathways are paved. Carter Hopoi and Pahlyss Hokianga are heading towards the horizon. Others will follow.

Support the Tauranga Whai in the Sal’s NBL all season long at Mercury Baypark Arena. Tickets are $14 for children, $22 for adults, and under-5s are free. Family tickets and memberships are also available. Visit mercurybaypark.co.nz and whai.basketball for more information.