The 17-year-old capped a busy year earlier this month with a trip to Fiji, where she played for the Junior Tall Ferns at the Oceania under-18 basketball championships.
The team finished second, cruising through its pool, before being beaten 107-52 by the reigning age-group world champion Australia team in the final.
It was not Ruske's first time playing Australia, having turned out at the same tournament in the under-16s, when the team was beaten by 20 in the final.
She said the preparation was less ideal this time around, with the closest game before the final a 108-25 win, making it tough to adjust to the speed Australia played at.
''Last time we played Australia we played them twice. The first time we lost by about 50 points and the second time it was a lot closer,'' the St Hilda's Collegiate year 12 pupil said.
''I think it was just that shock - the speed and the rebounding. It was very difficult.
''I think if we played them again it would be a lot closer. I don't think the outcome would necessarily change, but I think we would be a lot more prepared.''
It has been a big year for Ruske. The 175cm guard was named in the tournament team after she helped the Otago women to second place at the under-23 national championships. She was also part of the Otago Gold Rush women's team and was key to helping St Hilda Collegiate continue its dominance of the local secondary school competition.
That kept her busy, with six or seven team trainings a week during the season, alongside individual shooting workouts and fitness sessions. Ruske fitted in several trips to Auckland around that, to train with the Junior Tall Ferns.
A strong family influence had helped. Her with parents Dean and Angela are both prominent figures in the sport in the region. She took up the game at an early age and competition with her older sister, Aleisha, who also plays for the Gold Rush, often proved fierce.
''I loved it and I'm a competitive person,'' she said when asked about the secret to her success.
''My family atmosphere pushed me quite hard. My sister was quite a good swimmer. I wasn't really cut out for that, so I always wanted to beat her [at basketball].
''I was always put in with some older girls, and some guys, and I always wanted to beat them. My dad has probably been the biggest push on me, just because he always wanted me to play. He'd take me down to train and I put a lot more time into it than other girls. But ultimately I think it was my love for it. It was something I really wanted to do.''
Ruske is taking the next six weeks off, hoping to sort out the ankle injury which plagued her for much of the year. Then she will begin her final year of school.
She is unsure what the future holds after that, although she will continue playing basketball.
Going to university in New Zealand was an option, as was moving to Australia or the United States.
While the prospect of playing college basketball in the US was attractive, it was likely non-basketball factors would determine whether she went down that route.
''It definitely depends college-wise what school I get into and what school I like ... But ultimately what I decide to do, it will be more school-based than basketball-based, just because of the long run.''
-By Jeff Cheshire
