FIBA Executive Director \u2013 Oceania, Amanda Jenkins, congratulated the 2026 participants and highlighted the significance of their involvement.<\/p>\n
\u201cEach year, this Women in Basketball Program brings together participants who are already making a meaningful difference in their communities. This 2026 cohort reflects the ambition, resilience, and cultural pride that define women\u2019s leadership across our region. We are proud to support their development and to continue building pathways that ensure women are visible, valued, and empowered at every level of our game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Solomon Islands\u2019 Winnie Laora will also join the 2026 edition of the program. A coach, player, and community leader, she has become a steady presence for young people in the Basketball for Good program, known for the care, humility, and quiet strength she brings to every space she serves. For Winnie, the Women LEAD Basketball Program represents both recognition and responsibility.<\/p>\n
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\u201cIt feels like a quiet mix of pride, purpose and pressure – knowing I’ve earned my place, but also realising I now carry opportunities bigger than myself. It’s not just about playing anymore but leading, inspiring and proving that I belong at that level every single day.\u201d<\/p>\n Among this year\u2019s participants is Guam\u2019s Elysia Perez, an assistant coach with the women\u2019s national team whose work with youth players has made her a trusted mentor in her community. She said the opportunity represents both personal growth and a chance to uplift others.<\/p>\n \u201cI appreciate being nominated and selected to participate in the Women LEAD Basketball Program. It is a great opportunity and allows me to step outside my comfort zone of what I am already familiar with to expand my knowledge in the basketball world.\u201d<\/p>\n The Women LEAD in Basketball Program remains a central part of FIBA\u2019s commitment to gender equity and leadership development in Oceania. Through online learning, mentorship, and an immersive in\u2011person workshop, participants gain practical tools in governance, communication, safeguarding, strategic planning, and community engagement.<\/p>\n 2026 Participants<\/p>\n National Federation <\/p>\n Participant Name<\/p>\n ASA<\/p>\n Margaritta Viena<\/p>\n FIJ<\/p>\n Angie Kainamoli<\/p>\n GUM<\/p>\n Elysia Perez<\/p>\n NCL<\/p>\n Yolene Koteureu<\/p>\n NZL<\/p>\n Katie Buckley<\/p>\n SAM<\/p>\n Kristen Tauiliili<\/p>\n SAM<\/p>\n Theresa Masoe-Taimalelagi<\/p>\n SOL<\/p>\n Winnie Laora<\/p>\n TGA<\/p>\n Tupou Falemei Fale<\/p>\n TGA<\/p>\n Sisi Fine<\/p>\n VAN<\/p>\n Christella Kalsrap<\/p>\n VAN<\/p>\n Christina Bare-Karae<\/p>\n Each participant was nominated by their supporting National Federation in recognition of their service to the game, commitment to community, and potential to contribute to the long\u2011term growth of basketball. The program will begin with three online sessions in May before the cohort gathers on the Gold Coast, Australia, for a fully funded in\u2011person workshop from 26\u201331 May.<\/p>\n The Women LEAD Basketball Program in Oceania is supported by PacificAus Sports<\/a> and TeamUp underscoring their commitment to developing pathways for women in sports and igniting a movement where women are not just participants, but drivers of progress in Oceania’s sporting landscape.<\/p>\n Related Articles<\/p>\n ## About PacificAus Sports<\/p>\n PacificAus Sports is an Australian Government sports diplomacy initiative developing pathways for Pacific teams and athletes to compete in elite competitions and access high performance coaching in Australia and internationally. The program supports a range of Pacific sports, including basketball, rugby league, rugby union, netball, football, AFL, cricket and Olympic\/Paralympic sports, with funding split evenly between women and men. PacificAus Sports also partners with the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) to promote Pacific sport through ABC Television\u2019s \u2018That Pacific Sports Show<\/a>\u2019 and ABC Radio\u2019s \u2018Fresh Off the Field<\/a>\u2019.<\/p>\n The high-performance outcomes of PacificAus Sports are complemented by the Australian Government\u2019s Team Up<\/a> program, which focuses on sport for development in the Pacific. For more information about PacificAus Sports and its initiatives, visit www.pacificaussports.gov.au<\/a> and follow PacificAus Sports on Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"GOLD COAST (Australia) – FIBA in Oceania is pleased to announce the 2026 Women LEAD in Basketball Program…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":403119,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[85,46,105],"class_list":{"0":"post-403118","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"tag-il","9":"tag-israel","10":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/403118","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=403118"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/403118\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/403119"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=403118"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=403118"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=403118"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Winnie Laora: Carrying her village, coaching her nation, inspiring a generation<\/p>\n
PacificAus Sports forge new Partnership in Oceania<\/p>\n