CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand – Up-and-comer Emma Rogers is set to join the ProBuild ITM Mainland Pouākai as she enters her third season in Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa!
The 17-year-old Tauranga native made her Tauihi debut for the Whai in 2023. This past season in the Sky Broadband Rapid League, Rogers stuffed the statsheets, finishing #2 in total assists, #3 in total rebounds, and #11 in total points.
“I can’t wait for Emma to arrive in early September. Her energy, attitude, and competitiveness will be a huge boost for our group,” said Head Coach Alex Stojkovic. “Over the last few years, I’ve spent a lot of time working with her, and the growth in her game has been unreal.”
“She’s the perfect player for our system—she can push the ball at a high pace, she’s an aggressive defender, and she plays with real confidence.”
When asked to describe her playstyle, Rogers said that she, “[loves] to play fast and push the ball up the court. I am super competitive and aggressive. I just try and impact the game however my team needs me to. Hopefully the Pouākai fans will see a player that plays hard and wants to win.”
“Last year was really a breakout year for Emma,” added Stojkovic. “She won MVP at U18 Nationals, stood out at the Tupu League finals weekend, and ran the show for the Whai Rapid League team.”
“She’s impressed me enough that I believe she’ll earn Tauihi minutes this season and share point guard duties with Morgan Yaeger. That’s a big responsibility, but she’s more than capable of handling it.”
Rogers was a pivotal player on the top-placing Tauranga squad at U20 Nationals earlier this year, in which she received Women’s Defensive Player of the Tournament honours. She has also represented New Zealand on the Junior Tall Ferns at the 2023 FIBA U16 Women’s Asian Championship.
“I have been lucky and am very grateful to the Whai for all their support but I was super excited when the opportunity came up to play for the Pouākai,” continued Rogers. “I really enjoy the style of play that Coach Alex likes and I trust him a lot so that was important.“
“Knowing Morgan was going to be part of the team helped as I know how good a point guard she is and how much she will challenge me to get better and help me to become a better player, but ultimately for me I love to win and the team and environment at the Pouakai I thought was the right place to do that.“
Rogers is committed to Fairfield University, a DI school and the reigning MAAC champions. Coach Stojkovic is focused on helping her prepare for this transition following the upcoming Tauihi season.
“Emma is only 17, but she’s already shown she can perform against high-level competition. We want to continue to help her grow and prepare for what lies ahead, including her move to Fairfield College next year. She’s got all the tools to be a future Tall Fern, and bringing her into this environment is going to accelerate her development.”
“I know I have lots I can keep getting better at from a skills perspective and that was a part of the motivation to join the Pouakai so I can work with great pro players every day,” said Rogers. “Playing the point guard position I have to keep working on how I run the team and help my teammates be the best they can be.”
Pouākai season memberships are available now! Fly Fearless with us in 2025 as we chase our first-ever Tauihi championship! Individual game tickets are also available for purchase—join us for our season opener against the Southern Hoiho on September 26th.
2025 ProBuild ITM Mainland Pouākai: Charlotte Whittaker, Taylor Mikesell, McKenna Dale, Abigail Fogg, Marena Whittle, Morgan Yaeger, Leilani Correa, Kavanah Lene, Esra McGoldrick, Emma Rogers.
