Tahlia Tupaea
{{short description|Australian basketball player}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2016}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Tahlia Tupaea
| image =
| league = WNBL
| team = Canberra Capitals
| number = 4
| position = Guard
| height_cm = 174
| weight_kg =
| nationality = Australian / New Zealand
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1997|06|1}}
| birth_place = Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
| high_school =
| college =
| draft_league = WNBA
| draft_year = 2017
| draft_round = 3
| draft_pick = 36
| draft_team = Minnesota Lynx
| career_start = 2012
| career_end =
| years1 = 2012–2020
| team1 = Sydney Uni Flames
| years2 = 2013; 2015
| team2 = Penrith Panthers
| years3 = 2016
| team3 = BA Centre of Excellence
| years4 = 2017–2018
| team4 = Sydney Uni Sparks
| years5 = 2019
| team5 = USC Rip City
| years6 = 2020–2022
| team6 = Canberra Capitals
| years7 = 2021
| team7 = Bankstown Bruins
| years8 = 2022–present
| team8 = Northern Kāhu
| years9 = 2023-present
| team9 = Penrith Panthers
| years10 = 2023–present
| team10 = Canberra Capitals
| highlights =
- WNBL champion (2017)
- TBA champion (2023)
- TBA MVP (2022)
- TBA All-Star Five (2022)
- Waratah League MVP (2021)
- Waratah League All-Star Five (2021)
| medal_templates =
{{MedalCountry | {{AUS}} }}
{{MedalSport | Basketball}}
{{MedalCompetition|FIBA U19 World Championship}}
{{MedalBronze|2013 Lithuania | Team}}
{{MedalBronze|2015 Russia | Team}}
{{MedalCompetition|FIBA Oceania Junior Championships}}
{{MedalGold|2013 Melbourne | U17 Team}}
{{MedalGold|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.{{Cite news|first=Adrian|last=Proszenko|url=http://www.smh.com.au/sport/basketball/tupaea-proves-hot-prospect-for-flames-20121020-27yir.html|title=Tupaea proves hot prospect for Flames|work=smh.com.au|date=21 October 2012|access-date=5 February 2016}} She played eight seasons for the Sydney Uni Flames between 2012 and 2020.{{Cite news|url=https://wnbl.basketball/uc-capitals/news/uc-capitals-sign-sydney-point-guard-tahlia-tupaea/|title=UC CAPITALS SIGN SYDNEY POINT GUARD TAHLIA TUPAEA|work=wnbl.basketball|date=11 June 2020|access-date=24 August 2022}}
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.{{Cite news|url=https://wnbl.basketball/uc-capitals/news/tahlia-tupaea-returns-to-uc-caps/|title=TAHLIA TUPAEA RETURNS TO UC CAPS|work=wnbl.basketball|date=17 June 2021|access-date=24 August 2022}} After sitting out the 2022–23 WNBL season,{{Cite news|url=https://wnbl.basketball/uc-capitals/news/tahlia-tupaea-commits-to-the-uc-capitals/|title=TAHLIA TUPAEA COMMITS TO THE UC CAPITALS|work=wnbl.basketball|date=5 May 2022|access-date=24 August 2022}}{{Cite news|url=https://wnbl.basketball/uc-capitals/news/statement-tahlia-tupaea-granted-personal-leave/|title=STATEMENT: TAHLIA TUPAEA GRANTED PERSONAL LEAVE|work=wnbl.basketball|date=30 September 2022|access-date=2 June 2023}} Tupaea is set to re-join the Capitals for the 2023–24 WNBL season.{{Cite news|last=Dinjaski|first=Melanie|url=https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/8189521/wnbl-teams-in-mad-rush-to-sign-free-agents-as-capitals-target-swain/|title=WNBL teams in mad rush to sign free agents as Canberra Capitals target Shaneice Swain|work=canberratimes.com.au|date=9 May 2023|access-date=2 June 2023|quote=The Capitals have Melbourne, Alex Bunton, Nicole Munger, Bec Pizzey, Tahlia Tupaea and Gemma Potter already signed for their 2023/24 campaign.}}
=WNBA=
In April 2017, Tupaea was drafted by the Minnesota Lynx with the 36th and final pick of the 2017 WNBA draft.{{Cite news|last=France|first=Lachy|url=https://pickandroll.com.au/p/wnba-draft-minnesota-lynx-select-sydney-unis-tahlia-tupaea|title=WNBA Draft: Minnesota Lynx select Sydney Uni's Tahlia Tupaea|work=pickandroll.com.au|date=14 April 2017|access-date=24 August 2022}}
=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.{{cite web|url=https://basketball.australiabasket.com/player/Tahlia-Tupaea/New-Zealand/Northern-Kahu/264579?Women=1|title=Tahlia Tupaea|work=australiabasket.com|access-date=24 August 2022|url-access=subscription}} In 2021, she returned to the Waratah League to play for the Bankstown Bruins, winning league MVP.{{Cite news|url=https://websites.mygameday.app/assoc_page.cgi?client=0-4878-0-0-0&&news_task=DETAIL&articleID=72286053|title=2021 Spalding Waratah Senior League End of Season Awards|work=Waratah League|date=20 September 2021|access-date=24 August 2022}}{{Cite news|url=https://websites.mygameday.app/team_info.cgi?action=PSTATS&pID=204205463&client=0-4878-68294-582919-26823767|title=Player statistics for Tahlia Tupaea|work=Waratah League|access-date=24 August 2022}}
In 2022, Tupaea joined the Northern Kāhu for the inaugural season of New Zealand's Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa (TBA), where she won league MVP.{{Cite news|url=https://tauihi.basketball/inaugural-tauihi-award-winners-announced/|title=INAUGURAL TAUIHI AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED|work=tauihi.basketball|date=24 August 2022|access-date=24 August 2022}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/women-in-sport/300668842/northern-khus-tahlia-tupaea-named-mvp-of-inaugural-season-of-tauihi-aotearoa|title=Northern Kāhu's Tahlia Tupaea named MVP of inaugural season of Tauihi Aotearoa|work=stuff.co.nz|date=24 August 2022|access-date=24 August 2022}}
Tupaea started the 2023 NBL1 East season with the Penrith Panthers before re-joining the Northern Kāhu for the 2023 TBA season.{{Cite news|url=https://www.facebook.com/kahubasketball/posts/pfbid02a2oUnqfQFHFAb91RJwEGkBNffHQTNnBBoNqJZykmPh4e5PA9qpJfKxcMaG7Nweol|title=GUESS WHOS BACK|work=facebook.com/kahubasketball|date=15 June 2023|access-date=15 June 2023}} She sustained a shoulder injury early in the season,{{cite web|url=https://tauihi.basketball/the-lacey-log-round-2/|title=THE LACEY LOG – ROUND 2|work=tauihi.basketball|date=25 July 2023|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230913100935/https://tauihi.basketball/the-lacey-log-round-2/|archive-date=13 September 2023}} as the Kāhu went on to win the 2023 TBA championship.{{cite web|url=https://tauihi.basketball/kahu-crowned-2023-champions/|title=KAHU CROWNED 2023 CHAMPIONS|work=tauihi.basketball|date=10 September 2023|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230913100126/https://tauihi.basketball/kahu-crowned-2023-champions/|archive-date=13 September 2023}}
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.{{Cite news|url=https://www.fiba.basketball/en/player/203405/Tahlia--Tupaea|title=Tahlia Tupaea|work=fiba.basketball|access-date=24 August 2022}}
Personal life
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20150404053723/http://www.basketball.net.au/ba_player/tahlia-tupaea/ Basketball Australia profile]
{{Canberra Capitals current roster}}
{{Australia Under-19 Women Basketball Squad 2013}}
{{Australia Under-19 Women Basketball Squad 2015}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tupaea, Tahlia}}
Category:Australian women's basketball players
Category:21st-century Australian sportswomen
Category:Canberra Capitals players
Category:Minnesota Lynx draft picks
Category:Sydney Uni Flames players
Category:Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa players