Shooting The Breeze

Our guest this episode is Tauihi NZ Champion Lara McSpadden. In our first member ‘early access’ pod Lara talks about a surprising debut season in the Tauihi league, its professionalism with a lot of love and respect within the Whai team. We get a great insight into the adversity they faced at the beginning of the season to the magical run up to the final four and the grand final game that rocked t...

As we wrap a huge 2024 for Shooting The Breeze we wanted to showcase some innovative pods as well as some new voices that were part of last year's podcasts. This mix tape covers groundbreaking live pods - the roaming mic at Qudos with takes from hoops fans & the WNBL Awards LIVE on the Orange Carpet... It also highlights Jaz Shelley, Davidson College Wildcats Asst Coach James Janssen and the G...

Texas native Paige Bradley loves playing international hoops. A seasoned player who's spent her career on the international hoops circuit, including Europe, talks about the evolving Tauihi NZ League where she's played back-to-back seasons with the Southern Hoiho. Returning as guest co-host is NZ hoops expert & AUT PhD candidate Linden Moore. We cover Paige's time playing in the Southern Hemisp...

As real as it gets, we're joined by Alex ‘Bunts’ Bunton - the face of the WNBL, ABPA and Full Stop Australia initiative to address domestic violence and gendered violence against women. During 16 Days of Activism, Bunts shares more about her Domestic Violence (DV) advocacy work in a uniquely positive pod with former Sydney Flames teammate Vanessa ‘Ness’ Panousis co-hosting. There’s twists and turn...

This episode features stats expert & international women’s hoops scout Alford Corriette. While his reporting beat for Her Hoop Stats is NY he keeps an eye on the international real hoops scene.  We take a New York minute to look back at a watershed WNBA season and a historic one for NY Liberty - their first Championship, with Head Coach Aussie Legend Sandy Brondello at the helm. Al gives...

Series Seven begins! Catch up with our fortnightly feature podcasts on women's hoops and women in hoops.  We share stories that elevate the women's game, creating deeper connections and greater exposure.  Make sure to subscribe as a member to unlock early access & BONUS content …. wherever you get your podcasts. Don’t forget to like, share and leave a review so we can get more Hoops...

In this playback we have our Changemakers playlist from Series 6. STB movers & shakers include Justin Nelson, Lauren Gandini, Craig Campbell and Shelley Matheson. Justin is a true innovator with Tauihi Aotearoa set to expand in 2025 with the Indian Panthers joining in only the 4th year of the league. Lauren is a change agent as co-founder of Australia’s first female athlete sports agency ‘Stel...

Series 6 playbacks with the STB College Hoop Dreams playlist.  With US College Women's Hoops around the corner, this episode features an assortment of short takes from Series 6 around college hoops.  Lined up is James Janssen Assistant Coach at Atlantic 10 conference Davidson College, Sam Tomlinson a former Aussie Hooper now college talent scout & facilitator with Aussie Basketball U...

Next up in STB Series 6 playbacks we run it back with STB virtuosos. Short takes on our episodes with Mikaela Ruef, Loz Nicholson & Bec Cole.  Skilled, these virtuoso’s carve up the court and perform at will. This season Mikaela returns to the club where it all started in her WNBL journey - the Sydney Flames. Mum to be Loz will take time out as she waits for bubba's arrival and Bec will s...

We’re kicking off our Series 6 playbacks as we run it back with short takes on STB Young Guns, Amy Atwell, Jaz Shelley and Shaneice Swain.  Aussie young guns Amy (Perth Lynx), Jaz (Geelong United) and Shaneice (Sydney Flames) will match up in the upcoming WNBL season.  For The Young Guns Playlist (aggregating these *episodes) : bit.ly/YoungGuns_playlist *Individual podcasts listing: No....

It’s a wrap for Series 6! Listen in as we wrap a momentous 10 months of podcasting that covered the WNBL, NBL1, Tauihi NZ developments & touching on the Paris Olympics.  This series featured Dream Chasers - trailblazers in the sport as well as more live podcasts - including the ground breaking Roaming Mic Live at the Q and the WNBL Awards from the Orange Carpet! In our final Dream Chasers...

Joining Shooting The Breeze is Bec Cole on a recent run of Championships, with her Waverley Falcons to take part in NBL1 Nationals Finals this weekend. Bec’s megawatt energy captures both spectators at the games and equally her audience whenever she’s behind the mic. Born for big moments and with a competitive nature, Bec is attuned to her vulnerability and is authentic on her new YouTube series i...

The Honourable Jacinta Allan, Premier of Victoria joins Shooting The Breeze for a unique perspective on basketball, not just as an active community member in her local area Bendigo but also as Victoria’s leader.  In her leadership role Jacinta understands the impact sport and sporting communities can have in regional centres but also the ripple efffect nationally. We touch on the Paris Olympi...

From our Nations Capital, UCCaps Weekly’s Simon Peters & Michelle Hocking join us on some huge changes in the WNBL Free Agency! Mirroring these big movements is a new era in the WNBL with new team Geelong United, the new consortium of owners slated for April 2025 and competing for prime talent is the rebooted Tauihi NZ league!  It's a Free Agency like no other. So while we soak up NBL1 Fi...

In her first Aussie pod, country Vic player Jaz Shelley has circled back to regional Victoria as the first pick for inaugural WNBL team Geelong United! She has cut her teeth in the US college system for the last 5 years mainly with Nebraska WBB as part of an exceptional era of players that have quite literally transformed women’s hoops… and we’re thrilled to have her back in Oz! Currently playing...

In a very special episode we have joining us - Aussie Womens Wheelchair Head Coach Craig Campbell and Gliders Vet Shelley Matheson a.k.a  ‘Chaps’! Shelley has come back out of retirement in a stunning return to form for the Gliders squad from which she has left an indelible mark to help navigate a rebuild of the team.  Her passion to assist her beloved Gliders is clear, after narrowly mi...

In this monster mixtape episode, we’re celebrating our Belated 4th Birthday!! We get into some STB listener ‘hot topics' such as thoughts on gambling in the sports ecosystem and Caitlin Clark after our recent poll. Our crew also keep it real as we ride the ebbs and flows of some phenomenal growth & changes for women’s basketball, as well as navigate the growing pains around NCAA, WNBL, WNBA, T...

Given the growth in professional women’s sports and increase in female athlete agency and marketability, it only seems fitting that a female led female athlete sporting agency has emerged to holistically cater for the evolving needs and opportunities of their athletes. In the next Dream Chasers instalment Lauren Gandini joins us. A former baller, lawyer and businesswomen, who alongside fellow dire...

Back on the pod, Justin Nelson, Head of Commercial & Fandom at Sky New Zealand joins us to share more on the recent news of the significant changes to the Tauihi League. Justin joined us back in 2022 ahead of the launch of the Tauihi League and in this episode we talk about the continuing evolution of NZ women's hoops amidst some groundbreaking changes, the rationale and most importantly the v...

We’re grateful to have STB pod regular Cazzy B return to the pod, she’s recently been awarded for her volunteer efforts for WBBL team Manchester Giants, in her role as a commentator & livestreamer for womens British basketball.  In this episode, Caz takes us court-side from her trip to London’s Copperbox, in this evocative re-telling of a fairytale ending for the London Lions in their Eur...

STB take a road trip down to Albury the stomping ground of homegrown hoops icon Lauren Jackson, for a live pre-game podcast with the inaugural NBL1 East Champions Albury-Wodonga Bandits taking on the reigning NBL1 East Champs Norths Bears. Joining us for a pre-game chat and insight into this regional hoop’s powerhouse is Head Coach and STB pod regular Sam McDonald, local talent Emma Mahady and a q...

In an STB podcast first, some of our crew took a roaming mic around Qudos Bank Arena on Sun 18th Feb for a WNBL showdown between home team Sydney Flames and Southside Flyers.  With the largest stand alone crowd at a Flames game in the clubs history of 6,834, the STB crew got to interview some people behind the scenes, including past pod guests and folks connected with the teams.  While the audio w...

In this episode we speak with an emerging young Aussie talent Lara Somfai.  The youngest member on last years AIS Centre of Excellence squad she’s ventured across the Pacific ocean to Tampa, Florida to complete her schooling with IMG Academy to challenge herself and in her words “improve on and off the court” as many elite colleges are already knocking at her door!  It’s a refreshing insight into...

In this short and sweet pod we have a fireside chat with a real players Coach in Cheryl Chambers, as we reflect on one of the most extraordinarly close WNBL seasons in recent memory.  Winning her 3rd WNBL Championship as Head Coach, Cheryl Chambers and the Southside Flyers delivered on a hard fought Finals battle.  We talk about some difference makers alongside her coaching approach, and a first l...

We’re grateful to have James Janssen return to the pod, after joining us briefly for our 150th episode, we wanted to hear more from the Aussie Assistant Coach of the Davidson ‘Wildcats’ Women’s team from North Carolina.  He takes us deep into their program, including the pipeline of exceptional Aussie female hooper's that are becoming hallmarks of the Wildcats.  It’s a fascinating look into the si...