Disruption has hit the Southern Hoiho just a week into its season.
Head coach Charles Nix has returned to Perth for family reasons, leaving Dunedin assistant coach Natalie Visger to step in to the lead role on an interim basis.
That is not without its challenges — the former Basketball Otago development manager has a fulltime teaching job at Taieri College.
She brings plenty of coaching pedigree, both in New Zealand and the United States, and is the current Junior Tall Ferns coach.
The reshuffle will add an additional factor, though, not just for her, but for the rest of the management team and players.
However, as the Hoiho prepares for tonight’s game against the Mid North Whai in Queenstown, she was looking at it through a positive lens.
"It’s a good thing, I think," Visger said.
"I think people have to step up when they wouldn’t have before, especially some of the players.
"We’ve talked about them being leaders and we can’t be out there with them on the court anyway. It’s time to see who’s going to step up.
"It’s been a lot of pressure on the staff, but we’re doing what we can."
Visger was not planning on changing much.
She had liked what Nix had put into the team and would continue building on it.
The team put on a strong defensive display over the opening round of Tauihi, although struggled to get going offensively.
"We’re just going to try to keep the momentum going with our defence," Visger said.
"Make sure people off the bench are coming in and keeping it up when we rotate.
"We’ve just got to take better shots. We’re trying to make tough shots and we’ve got to get better shots. That was our focus this week."
The level of Tauihi had been a clear step up on previous versions of the women’s national league.
Visger said that had come through in the speed, physicality and athleticism on show and she was expecting more of that as the season progresses.
Tauihi Basketball
Queenstown, tonight, 7.30pm
Hoiho: Samara Gallaher, Laina Snyder, Tori Dugan, Shelby Cheslek, Olivia O’Neill, Zoe Richards, Bronwyn Kjestrup, Tyler Mitchell, Jay Maoate-Breen, Aleisha Ruske, Hannah Beede, Nicole Ruske.
Whai: Kyra Lambert, Dominique McBryde, Sharne Robati, Sheniqua Greene, Tiarna Clarke, Esra McGoldrick, Hineaupounamnu Nuku, Jelena Vucinic, Makayla Daysh, Rosalia Samia.
