Basketball New Zealand

Rhaiah Spooner-Knight

When head coach Sue Pene tested her Emerging Junior Tall Ferns squad’s listening skills on the first day of the All-NZ Camp in Palmerston North, Rhaiah Spooner-Knight did not exactly pass with flying colours.

No matter, although she failed to notice her name had been purposefully not called out, the 14-year-old makes up for it on-court.

One of the bubs of the EJTFs, an under-17 squad, Rhaiah, often the team comic relief, was a tournament-team selection and national title winner from Waikato at last year’s under-15 national championships.

www.basketball.org.nz chatted to Rhaiah, a 1.77m swingman from Sacred Heart Girls College in Hamilton, during lunch on day three in Palmerston North.

BBNZ: Rhaiah, this is your second All-NZ Camp, what do find beneficial about the camps?
RS-K: My first All-NZ Camp was last year so this is my second camp. I like the trainings because everyone here has the same ability as you. It’s not like rep teams or school teams where you have some good players and others not as much. It’s good to compete against people that have the same ability.

BBNZ: Now be honest, what do you find more fun, the on-court or off-court activities at the camp?
RS-K: I like the camp life. I enjoy both but the camp life is more fun, just the bonding that goes on with the girls and the work we do within the squads, working together, is good.

BBNZ: You’re the youngest player in the Emerging Junior Tall Ferns squad this year, how are you handling that?
RS-K: Sometimes with drills I just sit back and watch the older ones do it first. I just lay back watch a bit. I’ve been enjoying it so far, we’re going into game situations at our next training, so that will be fun.

BBNZ: With only being 14, you’re still eligible for this squad in two years and the under-16s next year as well, do you think you’ll be selected to your first national team this year?
RS-K: I wouldn’t mind being selected into those age-groups but if I don’t just yet that’s OK. I’d like to just be in a New Zealand team if I can. I missed out on under-16s last year, I got cut.

BBNZ: In 2008, you won an under-15 national championship with Waikato, along with fellow All-NZ Campers Veshae Asaua Wilkinson and Kalani Purcell, and was selected in the tournament team, how pleasing was it to achieve that?
RS-K: It was a relief because all my rep career I’d never won anything, not even made the top-five, so it was like, whoa, this is great.

BBNZ: There was talk after winning the national title that assistant coach Parlayne Hawea would pay for the team to visit Rainbow’s End, has he followed through with that promise?
RS-K: Well, actually, it was supposed to be happening in January but I don’t know what’s happened there. We haven’t heard from him.

BBNZ: Ok, finally, your all-time favourite player, team and coach?
RS-K: I really like Michael Jordan, I like his shoes and everything he’s done … the Phoenix Suns, I like their uniforms and colours … I like all my coaches but I don’t have a favourite