Basketball Australia Under-20 National Championships women’s preview 2025: Queensland embracing pressure

An ultra-talented line-up and recent winning pedigree has Queensland primed to attack the Under-20 National Championships. Read the full women’s state-by-state preview.

While the pressure of heading into another national tournament as gold medal contenders may be an expectation some coaches shy away from, Queensland coach Brayden Heslehurst is urging his side to embrace everything that comes their way in Ballarat.

An ultra-talented line-up from right across the Sunshine State, one full of both new and experienced players, has been assembled for an assault on the 2025 Basketball Australia U20 National Championships.

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Cairns local Teyahna Bond will be just one Queensland player to watch in Ballarat. Source: Basketball Queensland

From the highly regarded Teyahna Bond to young gun Prasayus Notoa, it’s a squad that has all the makings to go one better than a Bronze Medal playoff loss and qualify for a grand final just 12 months later.

And the side already has winning pedigree.

Playmaking guard Notoa and fellow Queensland U20 teammates Sharni Reisinger and Alleah Hanson combined to win the Australian School Championships with Brisbane State High in December.

U20 + IB NATIONALS HUB: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW, LIVE STREAM LINKS, FULL SCHEDULE

While some may try to downplay both external expectation and the hype surrounding a national tournament, former Logan Thunder NBL1 coach Heslehurst is urging his side to embrace everything set to come their way.

“It’s a rare thing to get to play at these sort of tournaments with a really good group and be able to contend for a gold medal at such a high level,” Heslehurst said.

“So I think it’s just about them realising that and enjoying the whole process of everything, enjoying the hype around it, enjoying the media stuff, enjoying the media day, enjoying doing all the other things that come with it, as well as enjoying the competition against the best players in the country.”

Queensland’s Prasayus Notoa. Picture: Taylor Earnshaw

Prasayus Notoa and Sharni Reisinger after winning the Basketball Australia School Championships.

A squad of 10 players have been assembled to represent Queensland at the nationals with Heslehurst as impressed with their dedication and chemistry as he has been with their overall individual talent.

“Preparations for under-20s is a bit different when you’ve got girls coming from the north and the south of the state,” he said.

“So you’ve got to do some camps because you don’t have the regular training that you do with, say, the younger age groups when it’s just the south and just the north.

“I think that’s always a tough thing because you want to get as many reps as you can together. But the good thing about this group is they’re a really good group as far as character-wise and they’ve built some great chemistry.

Brayden Heslehurst will coach the Queensland women at the Basketball Australia Under-20 National Championships. Picture: Supplied

“All the girls are people that work really hard so it’s been pretty easy (to coach them) just because of the way they’ve gone about it and they obviously have a goal in mind to achieve something.”

Queensland will compete in a stacked Pool B in Ballarat and while Heslehurst said every team presented its own challenge, his prior knowledge of the New South Wales outfit had caused him a few headaches in the build-up.

“I was assistant coach the previous year when a lot of these girls were bottom age, so I think definitely New South Wales (presents some challenges) and you know they’ve got a team full of really talented players that we’ve got to watch out for.”

U20 WOMEN’S PREVIEW

ACT

Squad: Amber Virgo (4), Rhiannon O’Brien (5), Leila Nikolic (6), Katiah-Ann Tait (7), Ella Collins (8), Millah Sullivan (9), Zara Russell (10), Sophie Brennan (12), Poppi Laine (13), Damilola Bademosi (21), Achol Agok (22)

Coach: Elizabeth Tonks

Zara Russell in action for ACT at the 2024 Under-18 National Championships. Picture: Taylor Earnshaw

The side from the capital struggled at last year’s tournament but with star playmaker Zara Russell included in this squad, expect them to present a better challenge this time around. A walk-up starter in green and gold at junior level, Russell’s ability on the court as a two-way player, capable of playing just about every position, is only matched by her leadership skills, a rare trait that makes her a hit with both teammates and coaches. It’s that reason why the ACT should fancy themselves to secure a win or two in Ballarat.

NEW SOUTH WALES

Squad: Claudia Hocking (4), Ruby Perkins (5), Jessie-May Hall (6), Alexis Plater (7), Freya Bijkerk (8), Lucy Mead (9), Maya Wilks (10), Chloe Dix (11), Emerson McCrea (12), Jade Crook (13)

Coach: Thomas Garlepp

Following a third-place finish in 2024, New South Wales will once again be a contender. A team stuffed full of talent, none may be more impressive than Jessie-May Hall. Hall dominated for NSW Metro in last year’s gold-medal campaign at the U18 nationals and forms a deadly one-two punch in the backcourt alongside Ruby Perkins. Another to watch is the towering Jade Crook – a 17-year-old who stands at 192cm and has been compared to Australian great Lauren Jackson – while athletic wing Lucy Mead will cause plenty of headaches.

QUEENSLAND

Squad: Rica Chanel Enriquez-Paea (1), Keriana-Marie Hippolite (4), Hannah Jensen (7), Prasayus Notoa (8), Andrianna Francis (10), Sharni Reisinger (11), Teyahna Bond (12), Charli Bliss (13), Alleah Hanson (14), Emma Petrie (17)

Coach: Brayden Heslehurst

Emma Petrie in action for Queensland at the 2024 Under-18 National Championships. Picture: Taylor Earnshaw

All eyes will be on Queensland in Ballarat with the girls from the Sunshine State heading into nationals as a genuine contender. Junior national star Teyahna Bond is regarded as one of the country’s best young ballers while the squad also includes U18 nationals assist queen Prasayus Notoa and basketball prodigy Emma Petrie. After finishing on the wrong end of a Bronze Medal playoff last year, it’s clear this side will be looking to go one better and qualify for a gold medal match in 2025.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Squad: Rosie Akot (2), Georgina Salandra (4), Coco Hodges (7), Sienna Grieger (12), Sienna Lehmann (14), Krystal Thompson (15), Ella Humphrys (20), Penzy Hocking (23), Chelsea Portus (24), Zahlia Niemann (27)

Coach: Morgan Treloar

After sending two sides to last year’s champs, South Australia will have opted to send a lone ‘super-team’ to Ballarat. And given the Croweaters made it all the way to the gold medal game last time, they’ll be eyeing another deep tournament run. Young star Sienna Lehmann will be intent on showing her best after missing last year’s nationals while Coco Hodges heads in following a strong showing at the U18s in 2024. Regarded as ‘the total package’, Hodges averaged 12 points, eight rebounds, four steals and three assists and made her NBL1 debut for the West Adelaide Bearcats.

TASMANIA

Squad: Jade McCoy (4), Gemma McCoy (5), Lottee Rolls (6), Ava McDonald (7), Millie Baker (8), Chloe Broomhall (9), Emily Browne (10), Zoe Drane (11), Lucy Aherne (12), Blaise Fitzallen (13)

Coach: Shakira Bone

Tasmania Lucy Aherne during the Under-18 National Championships. Picture: Taylor Earnshaw

The side from the Apple Isle will be intent on upsetting their more fancied opposition in Ballarat and two players will be crucial to that mission in Lucy Aherne and Ava McDonald. Aherne’s talent and leadership abilities rank among the best of any player at the nationals. She struggled at times with the attention she received from opposing teams last year but will be intent on putting in a more all-round showing across the tournament in 2025. McDonald is a two-way player who has strong defensive nous and goes with an all-out attack mode at the other end of the floor. Tasmania’s chances largely rely on how far this dynamic duo can take them.

VICTORIA

Squad: Emilija Dakic (4), Tayli Dimarco (5), Isobelle Wightman (6), Eleanor Trout (7), Sienna Harvey (9), Asha Nightingale (10), Lavinia Cox (11), Sophie Taylor (12), Manuela Puoch (13), Sarah Portlock (14), Kyra Webb (15)

Coach: Kelly Walker

While the defending champions won’t have last year’s MVP at their disposal – with Bonnie Deas ruled out – Victoria will still go in as strong favourites to claim back-to-back crowns. With Deas out, Sienna Harvey will become the head of the snake following an equally as impressive tournament in 2024 where she shot the lights out with 29 points in the gold medal game. Southside Flyers WNBL forward Manuela Puoch is a beast on the boards and offensively as she looks set to be one of the most dominant bigs in Ballarat.

VICTORIA NAVY

Squad: Sia Cukier (4), Katelyn Field (5), Tayla Galucho (6), Alice Magnanini (7), Ameir Majur (8), Evelyn Martyn (9), Krystal Arnason (10), Alyssa Rodriquez (11), Chelsea Schreuder (12), Jessica Smith (13), Orla McMahon (14), Josie Agnew (15)

Coach: Jenna O’Hea

Melbourne Tigers player Josie Agnew during the Basketball Victoria VJBL Championship grand final. Picture: Basketball Victoria

A win over Western Australia secured the Victoria Navy side a fifth-place finish last year. The development side will head into another nationals with goals of elevating that showing while also continuing to give it’s young athletes experience on a big stage. One player to watch will be the regularly overlooked Josie Agnew. After leading the Melbourne Tigers to last year’s U18 Club Championship at the NBL’s Hoops Fest event, Agnew will be intent on showing why she should have been included in Victoria’s first team.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Squad: Alira Fotu (4), Emilie Beggs (5), Emma Clark (6), Remy Hearn (8), Kiara Waite (9), Jordi Perry (10), Kyah Nichols (11), Addison Edwards (12), Kuir Gayo (13), Saoirse Smart (14), Amelia Corasaniti (15)

Coach: Shane McDonald

While they may have ended on the wrong side of fifth place playoff last year, you’d be silly to underestimate Western Australia this year. A state that always competes right to the end, the WA brains trust have put together a strong squad in the lead-up to Ballarat. One player included many will recognise is Kiara Waite, the long and strong 190cm young star who played a key role in second-place Perth Lynx WNBL season. Could end up dominating the nationals with the experience she’s received at the elite level. Talented wing Emma Clark and Amelia Corasaniti – a gifted guard with a penchant for steals – are two other standouts in the WA squad.