Kalani Purcell

Kalani Purcell
Personal information
Born (1995-01-13) 13 January 1995
Auckland, New Zealand
Listed height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Career information
High schoolJohn Paul College
(Brisbane, Queensland)
College
WNBA draft2017: undrafted
Playing career2012–present
PositionForward
Career history
2012South West Metro Pirates
2013Waikato Wizards
2014Auckland Lady Hawks
2017Brisbane Spartans
2017–2020Melbourne Boomers
2018South West Metro Pirates
2019Auckland Dream
2020–2022Southern Districts Spartans
2021–2022Sydney Uni Flames
2023Tokomanawa Queens
2024–2025Southern Districts Spartans
Career highlights
  • WBC champion (2019)
  • 2× WCC First Team (2016, 2017)
  • WCC Defensive Player of the Year (2017)
  • WCC Newcomer of the Year (2016)
Medals
Representing  New Zealand
Women's Basketball
Commonwealth Games
Bronze medal – third place 2018 Gold Coast Team competition
FIBA Oceania Championship
Silver medal – second place 2013 Australia / New Zealand Team
Silver medal – second place 2015 Australia / New Zealand Team

Kalani Purcell (born 13 January 1995) is a New Zealand professional basketball player.

Early life and career

Purcell was born in Auckland, New Zealand.[1] She later moved to Australia, where she attended John Paul College in Brisbane, Queensland.[1]

Purcell played for the South West Metro Pirates in the Queensland Basketball League in 2012, before returning to New Zealand to play in the Women's Basketball Championship (WBC) for the Waikato Wizards in 2013 and the Auckland Lady Hawks in 2014.[2]

College career

Purcell played her first two seasons of college basketball for Hutchinson Community College between 2013 and 2015.[3] She joined the BYU Cougars in 2015 and played two seasons of NCAA Division I.[4]

Statistics

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG TO PPG
2013–14 Hutchinson 36 5 26.3 .522 .421 .593 10.3 3.7 3.6 1.4 3.2 13.7
2014–15 Hutchinson 34 34 31.0 .561 .174 .733 11.9 5.1 3.5 1.2 3.0 18.1
2015–16 Brigham Young 33 33 35.6 .451 .237 .678 12.6 4.7 2.0 0.7 4.3 12.0
2016–17 Brigham Young 32 32 36.8 .469 .286 .622 10.5 4.9 2.2 1.3 4.9 12.7
Career 135 104 32.2 .504 .270 .658 11.3 4.5 2.8 1.1 3.8 14.1

Professional career

WNBL

Purcell joined the Melbourne Boomers of the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) for the 2017–18 season.[5] She continued with the Boomers in 2018–19, 2019–20,[6] and the 2020 WNBL Hub season.[2] She joined the Sydney Uni Flames for the 2021–22 WNBL season.[7][8]

QBL/NBL1 North and WBC/Tauihi

Purcell played for the Brisbane Spartans in the Queensland Basketball League (QBL) in 2017 before re-joining the South West Metro Pirates for the 2018 QBL season.[2] In 2019, she played for the Auckland Dream in New Zealand's Women's Basketball Championship.[2]

In 2020, Purcell played for the Southern Districts Spartans in the Queensland State League (QSL).[9] She continued with the Spartans, now in the NBL1 North, in the 2021 NBL1 season and 2022 NBL1 season.[2]

In 2023, Purcell played for the Tokomanawa Queens in the Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa.[2]

Purcell returned to the Spartans for the 2024 NBL1 season, and again for the 2025 NBL1 season.[2]

National team career

Purcell debuted for New Zealand at the 2009 FIBA Oceania Under-16 Championship.[10] She made her senior international debut with the Tall Ferns at the 2013 FIBA Oceania Championship. She went on to play for the Tall Ferns at the 2015 FIBA Oceania Championship, 2016 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament, 2017 FIBA Women's Asia Cup, 2019 FIBA Women's Asia Cup, 2019 FIBA Women’s Olympic Pre-Qualifying Asian Tournament, and 2021 FIBA Women's Asia Cup.[11]

Purcell played for the New Zealand women's national 3x3 team at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.[12]

Personal life

Purcell is the youngest of seven children to Ingrid and Brian Purcell. Two of her older sisters, Charmian and Natalie, have also represented the Tall Ferns and are both Olympians.[13]

Purcell and her partner, NBL player Tyrell Harrison, had their first child in 2023.[14][15]

References

  1. ^ a b "Kalani Purcell - Women's Basketball 2016-2017". BYU Athletics - Official Athletics Website - BYU Cougars. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Kalani Purcell, Basketball Player, News, Stats - australiabasket". Eurobasket LLC. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  3. ^ "Kalani Purcell #32 F Hutchinson Community College – Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference". kjccc.org.
  4. ^ "BYU women's basketball: Purcell has found success, happiness and love in Provo". sltrib.com. 14 February 2017.
  5. ^ "Deakin Melbourne Boomers Land Key Tall Ferns Forward". wnbl.com.au.
  6. ^ "KALANI PURCELL". instagram.com. Archived from the original on 24 December 2021.
  7. ^ "Kalani Purcell signs with Sydney". sydneyflames.wnbl.com.au. 10 June 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  8. ^ "How Kalani Purcell has been a defensive anchor for the Flames this season". sydneyflames.wnbl.com.au. 22 February 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  9. ^ "2020 QSL Teams – Southern Districts Spartans". basketballqld.com.au. Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
  10. ^ "Kalani Purcell's profile - 2009 FIBA Oceania U16 Championship for Women - ARCHIVE.FIBA.COM". archive.fiba.com. Archived from the original on 9 November 2015.
  11. ^ "Kalani Purcell (New Zealand) - Basketball Stats, Height, Age | FIBA Basketball". www.fiba.basketball. 21 January 2025. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  12. ^ "Kalani Purcell | New Zealand Olympic Team". olympic.org.nz. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  13. ^ "New Tall Fern following in sisters' footsteps". stuff.co.nz.
  14. ^ Hinton, Marc (20 April 2023). "Tyrell Harrison standing tall for Franklin Bulls through impressive start to NBL". stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  15. ^ Tailor, Leena (18 May 2023). "Basketball stars Tyrell and Kelani's baby joy". nowtolove.co.nz. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
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