Aleka embracing most Eagles minutes

Featured image: Mark Filpo (@codexdesignstudio)

East Perth Eagles guard Aleka Kabugua is fresh off playing her most minutes in NBL1 West as she continues to embrace playing under Jonelle Morley in 2026, and with having her brother Kai also doing his thing in the men's team.

The Kabugua family have always had a close connection with East Perth and both Aleka and Kai have come through the junior pathways, and are becoming important and regular members of the respective Eagles NBL1 squads now as well.

Aleka came into the 2026 season on the back of being the leading scorer in D-League in 2025 and already at NBL1 West level this year she's played more minutes than any other season of her career, and it's only just over the halfway point.

That included last weekend in the double header where Kabugua played 27 minutes in the overtime game on Friday night at home to the Eastern Suns and then another 16 the following night on the road to the league-leading Rockingham Flames.

Across those 43 minutes in the two games, the 21-year-old produced 14 points, five rebounds, three steals and an assist while shooting 6/9 from the field.

It offered a glimpse into what she's capable of as a point guard who can run the offence and distribute the ball along with getting to the rack, and also play tenacious and in your face defence.

>> MALONE GETTING TO SHOWCASE ABILITY WITH EAGLES

>> FRESH EAGLES START EVERYTHING BARR WAS HOPING FOR

>> JADE'S SIGH OF RELIEF OVER SUCCESSFUL RETURN WITH EAGLES

>> ODUDE THRIVING AND CREDITS EAGLES TEAMMATES, COACH MORLEY

>> LIGHTNING QUICK WRIGHT LOVING LIFE AT EAGLES

>> TWO-TIME CHAMP WANTS MORE SUCCESS WITH EAGLES

While the weekend didn’t go to plan from a team perspective with the pair of losses not helped with the absence of Stacey Barr, Jo Odude, McKenna Dale and Jaymie Symons, Kabugua embraced the chance to play the most minutes of her 60-game NBL1 career.

"I think those two games over the weekend were the most minutes I've ever played in my career so it was a really good opportunity for me to push against some ex-MVP's like Teige out there on the court," Kabugua said.

"They had some players that have been playing for a long time too like Shani Amos from Rocko and Paris Duffield so getting that time against them really shows the high level that's in the West.

"I think it was a good push and test for me coming from D-League and limited minutes at NBL1 to see the difference in the level on the court."

Sharing the journey with brother

Not only is Aleka getting more minutes as this season goes on with the Eagles and the team is battling some injuries, younger brother Kai is now also having the best run of form in his young NBL1 career.

He's had the first two 10-point scoring performances of his career in the past three games including being out there for 25 minutes in the previous week's overtime win over the Perth Redbacks.

To be sharing playing at East Perth with her brother, and with the support of their parents, is something special for Aleka.

"He had a really good game last week and I think we went opposite ends of the spectrum where he went to overtime last week and this week we had the overtime," Kabugua said.

"We debrief always after the games so the shared experience and being able to exchange how we felt on the court makes it always good to have him there.

"Our parents also manage for us on Friday nights too for our women's team so I guess having an outsider look from not just the coaches and the teammates, but also the spectators like my parents and brother gives a different perspective so it's good to hear what they saw off the court as opposed to what you're hearing from within the team."

Difference at Eagles in 2026

Until some injuries took hold over the second half of the 2025 season, the Eagles were clearly a team on the rise under the coaching of Tim Symons and they did indeed reach the playoffs for the first time since 2021.

So Kabugua could already feel something was building within the team, but she's also been more than happy to now be playing under championship winning coach Jonelle Morley and with all the new faces within the playing squad including Stacey Barr, Sarah Mortensen and Sydney Wright.

"Things are pretty different and last year we did make finals as well so it wasn’t a bad season. We played well and obviously lost first round in the end to Mandurah, but it was just a whole different change," Kabugua said.

"The coaching style is really different and Jonelle is super awesome, she's lovely and super approachable so she's good to have as a female perspective.

"I haven’t had a female coach for quite some time now so getting a different perspective from her is good. But every year you get a new group of girls and it's always good fun, but this year it just seems like there's a lot more chemistry both off and on the court.

"That's good to see and I think it's translating onto the court apart from last week, but until then it's been good team chemistry."

Enjoying having a female coach

For whatever reason, female coaches are still not as common as perhaps they should be but Kabugua is certainly enjoying everything about playing under coach Morley in 2026.

Not only is she such a well credentialed coach having played 172 SBL games herself and now having won an NBL1 West and NBL1 National championship at the Warwick Senators, but it's the support she provides beyond the court that Kabugua has appreciated too.

"It's definitely refreshing and I think she understands the female perspective," Kabugua said.

"Obviously with male coaches, there's some things that they don't understand and Jonelle's not just a coach, but she's also played before even in this league.

"So she understands the demands not only on the body but mental and physical as well so it's good to have that female perspective and to have someone to go to even off the court for anything not basketball related if you have personal problems as well. It's a good support system."

Last weekend's double header

Looking back on last weekend and it was a tough double for the Eagles firstly losing in overtime to the Eastern Suns for a first home defeat of 2026 and then going down to the Flames in Rockingham on Saturday against a team sitting in top spot currently.

Given the absence of four key players it was always going to be a challenge, but Kabugua still feels the team can take plenty of positives from the weekend.

"Obviously it sucks losing two in-a-row and that's pretty hard, and we had a few players out who are key players like Stacey, and we're still missing McKenna and Jo so that's really hard," Kabugua said.

"But it gives the opportunity for girls like me and Ari to step up and come off the bench and put in some minutes. Obviously not getting the win sucks but I think it's valuable time for some of us girls to get some run before we head in to the rest of the season."

Dealing with absence of key players

The absence of Barr with a sore Achilles last weekend obviously was tough considering she's playing at MVP level once again in her first season full-time playing with the Eagles and has been doing a standout job as captain.

Then missing what Dale, Symons and Odude provide was tough too but Kabugua still appreciates that all four players are still there to help whatever way they can even if they can't step onto the court.

"Obviously it's hard missing that leadership on the court but they're still sitting with us on the bench and getting in good in put especially during the huddles at quarter-time and half-time," Kabugua said.

"While it sucks to not have that leadership on the court which I think we definitely lacked on the court on the weekend, they're still there giving us advice and feedback from the bench and in the changeroom. It's definitely still good to have them there and around the group."