We are incredibly proud to celebrate two of our outstanding Westlake Girls students, Imani Rasmussen and Katie Moors, who recently returned from representing New Zealand at the FIBA U17 Women’s Basketball World Cup in Brno, Czech Republic.
Competing against the world’s best young basketball players, Imani and Katie played key roles in helping New Zealand achieve a historic 5th-place finish—the highest-ever placing by a New Zealand women’s team at a FIBA World Cup event. The team completed the tournament with an outstanding 5–2 record, cementing their place among the world’s elite.
New Zealand’s campaign showcased resilience, teamwork, and fearless basketball. The team recorded memorable victories over Japan (77–52) in the 5–8 classification round before finishing the tournament with a convincing 76–61 win over China to secure fifth place in the world.
Throughout the tournament, New Zealand proved they could compete with the world’s best, finishing ahead of traditional basketball nations including China and Japan. The final standings saw New Zealand ranked behind only the USA, Spain, Australia, and Canada.
Imani Rasmussen was one of New Zealand’s standout performers throughout the tournament, averaging 11.4 points and 8.0 rebounds per game, ranking among the team’s leaders in both categories. Katie Moors also made a significant impact, averaging 6.6 rebounds per game while leading the team in steals (1.6 per game) and contributing on both ends of the court with her defensive intensity and versatility.
Inspiring the Next Generation
Imani and Katie represented both New Zealand and our school community with exceptional determination, skill, and sportsmanship. Their performances on one of basketball’s biggest youth stages demonstrated the values of hard work, resilience, and teamwork.
Congratulations to Imani Rasmussen, Katie Moors, and the New Zealand U17 Women’s Basketball Team on this remarkable, history-making accomplishment. Your success has made New Zealand proud, and our school community is honoured to celebrate this incredible milestone with you.
Final Standings
- USA
- Spain
- Australia
- Canada
- New Zealand
- China
Main image above: Imani Rasmussen.
