Tahlia Tupaea

Tahlia Tupaea
No. 4 – Canberra Capitals
PositionGuard
LeagueWNBL
Personal information
Born (1997-06-01) 1 June 1997 (age 27)
Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
NationalityAustralian / New Zealand
Listed height174 cm (5 ft 9 in)
Career information
WNBA draft2017: 3rd round, 36th overall pick
Selected by the Minnesota Lynx
Playing career2012–present
Career history
2012–2020Sydney Uni Flames
2013; 2015Penrith Panthers
2016BA Centre of Excellence
2017–2018Sydney Uni Sparks
2019USC Rip City
2020–2022Canberra Capitals
2021Bankstown Bruins
2022–presentNorthern Kāhu
2023-presentPenrith Panthers
2023–presentCanberra Capitals
Career highlights and awards
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Medals
Representing  Australia
Basketball
FIBA U19 World Championship
Bronze medal – third place 2013 Lithuania Team
Bronze medal – third place 2015 Russia Team
FIBA Oceania Junior Championships
Gold medal – first place 2013 Melbourne U17 Team
Gold medal – first place 2014 Suva U19 Team

Tahlia Tupaea (born 1 June 1997) is an Australian-New Zealand professional basketball player.

Professional career

WNBL

Tupaea became the second youngest debutant in WNBL history in October 2012 at age 15 and 133 days.[1] She played eight seasons for the Sydney Uni Flames between 2012 and 2020.[2]

Tupaea played for the Canberra Capitals during the 2020 WNBL hub season in Queensland and then re-joined the team for the 2021–22 WNBL season.[3] After sitting out the 2022–23 WNBL season,[4][5] Tupaea is set to re-join the Capitals for the 2023–24 WNBL season.[6]

WNBA

In April 2017, Tupaea was drafted by the Minnesota Lynx with the 36th and final pick of the 2017 WNBA draft.[7]

Australian State Leagues and New Zealand

In 2013 and 2015, Tupaea played in the Waratah League for the Penrith Panthers. In 2016, she played for the BA Centre of Excellence in the SEABL. She continued in the SEABL in 2017 and 2018 with the Sydney Uni Sparks before joining the USC Rip City in the QBL in 2019.[8] In 2021, she returned to the Waratah League to play for the Bankstown Bruins, winning league MVP.[9][10]

In 2022, Tupaea joined the Northern Kāhu for the inaugural season of New Zealand's Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa (TBA), where she won league MVP.[11][12]

Tupaea started the 2023 NBL1 East season with the Penrith Panthers[8] before re-joining the Northern Kāhu for the 2023 TBA season.[13] She sustained a shoulder injury early in the season,[14] as the Kāhu went on to win the 2023 TBA championship.[15]

National team career

Tupaea represented Australia at the 2013 FIBA Oceania U16 Championship, 2013 FIBA U19 World Championship, 2014 FIBA Oceania U18 Championship, 2014 FIBA U17 World Championship, and 2015 FIBA U19 World Championship.[16]

Personal life

Tupaea is a dual citizen of Australia and New Zealand.[11]

References

  1. ^ Proszenko, Adrian (21 October 2012). "Tupaea proves hot prospect for Flames". smh.com.au. Retrieved 5 February 2016.
  2. ^ "UC CAPITALS SIGN SYDNEY POINT GUARD TAHLIA TUPAEA". wnbl.basketball. 11 June 2020. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  3. ^ "TAHLIA TUPAEA RETURNS TO UC CAPS". wnbl.basketball. 17 June 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  4. ^ "TAHLIA TUPAEA COMMITS TO THE UC CAPITALS". wnbl.basketball. 5 May 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  5. ^ "STATEMENT: TAHLIA TUPAEA GRANTED PERSONAL LEAVE". wnbl.basketball. 30 September 2022. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  6. ^ Dinjaski, Melanie (9 May 2023). "WNBL teams in mad rush to sign free agents as Canberra Capitals target Shaneice Swain". canberratimes.com.au. Retrieved 2 June 2023. The Capitals have Melbourne, Alex Bunton, Nicole Munger, Bec Pizzey, Tahlia Tupaea and Gemma Potter already signed for their 2023/24 campaign.
  7. ^ France, Lachy (14 April 2017). "WNBA Draft: Minnesota Lynx select Sydney Uni's Tahlia Tupaea". pickandroll.com.au. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  8. ^ a b "Tahlia Tupaea". australiabasket.com. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  9. ^ "2021 Spalding Waratah Senior League End of Season Awards". Waratah League. 20 September 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  10. ^ "Player statistics for Tahlia Tupaea". Waratah League. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  11. ^ a b "INAUGURAL TAUIHI AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED". tauihi.basketball. 24 August 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  12. ^ "Northern Kāhu's Tahlia Tupaea named MVP of inaugural season of Tauihi Aotearoa". stuff.co.nz. 24 August 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  13. ^ "GUESS WHOS BACK". facebook.com/kahubasketball. 15 June 2023. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  14. ^ "THE LACEY LOG – ROUND 2". tauihi.basketball. 25 July 2023. Archived from the original on 13 September 2023.
  15. ^ "KAHU CROWNED 2023 CHAMPIONS". tauihi.basketball. 10 September 2023. Archived from the original on 13 September 2023.
  16. ^ "Tahlia Tupaea". fiba.basketball. Retrieved 24 August 2022.