Best game
60-52 win v Mid North Whai
No prizes for picking this one. The Hoiho’s sole win was a season highlight, closing out a thriller in front of their home crowd at the Edgar Centre. Laina Snyder had 21 points and Zoe Richards had 12, while Samara Gallaher hit a clutch three-pointer to give the Hoiho a lead they did not give up, with just over a minute to play.
Worst game
95-47 loss v Northern Kahu
A tough night in Auckland. We will not go too much into it, only to say that it is pretty bad when you could double the value of every Hoiho basket and still lose.
Most valuable player
Laina Snyder
Finished the season as the league’s leading scorer (20.6 points per game) and second-leading rebounder (9.2 rebounds per game). Also sixth in the league in assists and steals. Generated baskets when she, at times, had two or three defenders all over her, hitting a ridiculously good rate from mid-range and the three-point line. Equally adept at the defensive end, showing effort and foot speed to stay in front of the opposing team’s threats. The only thing that could stop her getting league MVP will be the team’s record. She is bound for top German club ALBA Berlin.
Most improved player
Nicole Ruske
The former Tall Fern came into the season off an injury and two years of little high-level basketball. Perhaps that showed early on, but by the end of the season she showed her value. Her shot began falling and her decision-making improved, as she adapted to the speed and physicality of the higher-level league — as was the case for the majority of the local players.
Best individual performance
Laina Snyder v Queens
The Hoiho seemed dead and buried, but rallied on the back of an inspired second half from their superstar. Snyder hit seven three-pointers and finished with 31 points on 57% shooting, at times seeming incapable of missing.
Defensive player of the year
Tori Dugan
Plenty of contenders for this one. As much as the Hoiho struggled offensively, they were — for the most part — exceptional defensively. Snyder’s versatility and motor never let up, Shelby Cheslek’s presence inside denied easy looks at the hoop, while Samara Gallaher’s intensity was a constant. But Dugan’s ability to pick up a player in the full court, slow them down and move her feet to stay in front was elite.
