Bruins in GF means the world to co-captain

Featured image: Eyal Shorer, @eshots__

It means the world to Kiahna Davis-White to be part of a first NBL1 East Grand Final with the Bankstown Bruins and especially to be doing it as co-captain and having her best season ahead facing the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles.

Davis-White grew up playing her basketball at Bankstown and after some years of focusing on playing Australian Rules in the AFL Sydney competition, she decided to give full focus to basketball back in 2023 to see how it went.

She always left the door open to going back to playing football, but she has loved everything about being at the Bruins and back on the basketball floor for four years now that it turns out it's the best decision she's ever made.

The 22-year-old is now co-captain of a Bankstown team who played finals in the NBL1 East for the first time last year, and now have taken the next step in 2026 to have booked a place in Sunday's Grand Final against the defending champion Manly Warringah Sea Eagles at Central Coast's Guzman y Gomez Stadium.

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Davis-White is having the best season of her career too with 10.3 points and 7.5 rebounds a game to have played a key role alongside the likes of Shyla Heal, Tahlia Tupaea, Davida Dale and Margot De Freitas in them reaching the Grand Final.

The feeling now to be in Grand Final week after beating the Centre of Excellence last Saturday at home is something Davis-White is making sure she makes the most of.

"It feels unreal!" Davis-White said.

"It feels like all the hard work and dedication that not only myself, but the girls have put in year after year to grow this program has paid off.

"Being a Captain of this team over the last couple years makes me super proud of the growth, the chemistry that has been built and the belief in each other to play to our strengths."

How much it means personally

Given how much of her life Davis-White has spent at Bankstown and now how much she has committed to the Bruins over the past four years, being part of a team playing off for a championship is something she'll cherish forever.

Throw in the close bond that everyone on the Bruins team have created especially over the last 18 months and it makes it all the more special.

"It honestly means the world to me," Davis-White said.

"Growing up at this club, making lifelong memories, building friendships and having the opportunity to give back to a place that has given me so much is something I will always be grateful for.

"To now be a part of making history for the Bruins is something I will never forget. What makes it even more special is being able to do it alongside such an amazing group of girls, at the club where it all started for me.

"There is something really special about coming full circle, and I feel incredibly lucky to be sharing this journey with my coaches and teammates."

Having best season yet with less pressure

When Davis-White did initially return to play basketball back at Bruins in 2023, she did put a lot of pressure on herself to put in starring performances and was too hard on herself when that wouldn’t always happen.

She changed her mindset a little coming into the 2026 season to take the pressure off her performances. The end result has been career-best numbers right across the board even while playing slightly fewer minutes than in 2025.

Davis-White is up to 10.3 points a game, 7.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists and doing it at shooting 47 per cent inside the arc and 31 per cent outside of it – all of which are the best of her four years playing in the NBL1.

She does feel that shift in mindset has allowed her to play with some more freedom, but no doubt playing alongside some superstars and on a winning team hasn’t hurt either.

"I do believe this has been my best season yet, building on the back end of last season. My main focus this year was to play because I genuinely love the sport, rather than putting pressure on myself to always play my best," Davis-White said.

"Taking away that expectation really changed the way I approached each game, allowing me to play with a much calmer and more composed mindset.

"I think that shift allowed me to have my best season without overthinking or putting unnecessary pressure on myself. I have developed a much stronger understanding of my role within the team and realised that I can have a significant impact in so many ways beyond scoring.

"Rebounding, defending, making hustle plays, bringing energy and playing with passion can all influence the momentum of a game and contribute to the team’s overall success.

"Understanding that has given me greater confidence in my role and allowed me to focus on doing the little things that help my teammates and the team succeed.

"Most importantly, I have learnt to play with more freedom and passion and to embrace what I can bring to the group. I love being part of the Bruins family and representing a club that has always felt like home."

Building chemistry has been key to growth

Bringing together some high-quality, experienced, superstar level talent like Heal, Tupaea, Dale and De Freitas doesn’t always guarantee success because the higher calibre the player, the more focused on their individual goals they can often be when they come back to play at NBL1 level.

That's what makes it all the more impressive what the Bruins have been able to do under coach Lauryn Curtin because you can clearly see they have all come together as a tight-knit group all playing for the cause of the team, and putting the team first.

Having that chemistry is often the most important aspect of any successful team and can often trump pure talent. That's why Davis-White is loving being part of this Bruins team so much.

"Our team is built around a focused and dedicated group of girls who show up for each other no matter the circumstance," Davis-White said.

"We have all learnt so much and come a long way together, and I think that growth has really shown this season, both on and off the court, through the chemistry, trust and connection we have developed as a group.

"A huge part of that has been the consistency of our coaching staff and the environment they have created. Lauryn has done an incredible job of bringing together a group of individuals with different strengths, experiences and personalities and building a team that is connected and genuinely plays for one another.

"Alongside Kristin, Reuben, Rod and Michele, they have each played an important role in getting the best out of us, establishing clear expectations and creating an environment where everyone feels valued, trusted and supported.

"Their collective experience and belief in the group have been a really important part of our progression."

Adding superstar talent helps too

When Davis-White first returned to play with Bankstown they might have only won 15 of their first 42 matches across 2023 and 2024, but sometimes you have to do those hard yards to build a foundation for where you want to end up.

Then last year the Bruins were able to add some of that top-level talent and then they went 8-0 when Heal was in the line-up. Now it's all come together in 2026 where they went 16-4 in the regular season and have made it to Sunday's Grand Final.

"The addition of experienced players like Tahlia, Margot and Davida has also complemented the Bankstown juniors who were already part of the team," Davis-White said.

"They have brought a wealth of knowledge, composure and experience, while allowing our younger players to continue to grow into the roles they had established and play with confidence.

"That balance between experience and youth has been really important. We have been able to learn from one another, challenge each other and continue developing without losing the identity and culture that already existed within the Bruins.

"I think that combination of continuity, development, experience and genuine belief in each other has been the biggest difference.

"We have grown together over the last few seasons, learnt how to handle the challenges that come with playing at this level and, most importantly, developed a belief that we belong here.

"That has allowed us to take the next step from making finals last year to earning the opportunity to play in a Grand Final this year."

The dynamic back court duo

Speaking of the stars that Bankstown now possess, you would be hard pressed to find a better starting back court duo anywhere in the NBL1 around the country, especially as locals, than they have with Heal and Tupaea.

Heal has produced 23.9 points, 6.1 assists and 5.6 rebounds a game while shooting the three ball at 41 per cent with Tupaea contributing 14.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.2 steals while also going at 46 per cent from the outside.

Davis-White can't speak more highly of what it's like having that duo on your team.

"Shyla and Tahlia are such a dynamic duo and complement the team incredibly well. It is pretty special to have both of them on our team and to be able to learn from and play alongside two players of their calibre," Davis-White said.

"They bring a level of expertise and experience that our NBL1 group has not seen before. Tahlia’s basketball IQ, composure and understanding of the game are outstanding, and she has an incredible ability to influence the game in key moments.

"Shyla’s experience, talent and enthusiasm have also had a huge impact on our group, helping to shape our energy, quality and competitiveness.

"Together, they have elevated our team both on and off the court and have added so much to the Bruins family. We feel incredibly lucky to have them both on our side."

Having a coach that offers so much

While it's great to have a talented group of players and that goes equally for the Bankstown locals on this Bruins team and then those couple of recruits, none of it would be able to succeed without being pulled together by a strong coaching staff.

That's headed up by head coach Lauryn Curtin and Davis-White couldn’t imagine having anyone better in charge at Bankstown in terms of being able to recruit the right sort of players, being able to pull a team together and then come with the game plan and implement it on game night.

It then just happens to be quite the bonus that she's a female and shows that while there are some women receiving coaching opportunities, there's certainly chance for more of it to be happening.

"Lauryn is a coach who has always had a strong belief in our group and has been incredibly committed to our development over the past two seasons," Davis-White said.

"Her recruitment of key players has created valuable opportunities for us Bruins juniors to learn from experienced athletes, develop our game and grow within the programme. That combination of experience and youth has played a significant role in helping us reach the position we are in today.

"Through her guidance and leadership, Lauryn has worked closely with each of us to develop our individual game while building a strong and connected team.

"She is genuinely passionate about our development, our success and the Bruins, and has instilled a strong sense of pride in wearing the uniform and representing the club in the right way every time we step on the floor.

"She makes every player feel valued and an important part of the team, genuinely caring about us as people as well as basketballers. That has helped build the trust, connection and belief within our group.

"Lauryn has created a hardworking environment that prioritises accountability, continuous improvement and team success. Her passion for the programme and commitment to bringing out the best in each player have been a huge part of our growth, both individually and collectively."

Being fully focused on basketball now

Going back four years and with Bankstown looking to establish themselves in the NBL1 East, Davis-White wanted to be part of that and was willing to put her football career on hold to do.

She wasn’t initially sure how long that would last, but now one game away from it being four full seasons later, and she sure doesn’t have any plans on changing sports once again any time soon.

"I am not playing AFL anymore. I made the decision in 2023 to focus on NBL1 and told myself I would go back to footy whenever I felt like it. Four seasons later, I still haven’t gone back, so I think it is safe to say I am definitely enjoying myself playing NBL1!" Davis-White said.

"Although my time playing AFL was incredibly fun and rewarding, I have really enjoyed the transition to basketball and the different challenges it brings.

"I think a lot of the skills I developed through AFL have translated really well into basketball, particularly when it comes to physicality, endurance and competitiveness.

"Those experiences have helped me significantly improve my game and have given me a different perspective on how I approach basketball."

The Grand Final match up

Before even thinking about whether it would be the Norths Bears or the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles that the Bruins would be facing in the Grand Final, Davis-White and everyone involved were just excited to have broken through to make it.

"As the final siren sounded, it felt so surreal to realise that we had finally done it. We had made the Grand Final," she said.

"After everything we had worked towards throughout the season, that moment was incredibly special. We definitely took the time to celebrate and enjoy what we had achieved because it was such a huge moment for our group.

"But we also knew we couldn’t stay there for too long. Once we had celebrated the win together, our focus quickly shifted to the next challenge and preparing for the Grand Final. We had earned the opportunity to be there, and now we want to make the most of it."

While Bankstown had a solid win over the Centre of Excellence themselves on Saturday night, Norths and Manly Warringah played out a cracking contest in the other preliminary final that decided right on the buzzer.

Bree Delaney hit the game winner as time expired to see the Sea Eagles set up the Grand Final match up with the Bruins but Davis-White knew how tough an opponent either would have been.

"It’s always great to watch Norths and Manly go head to head, and we knew it was going to be a battle. They are similar in so many ways, yet each club has its own unique identity," Davis-White said.

"Having watched both programs build and evolve throughout my junior career, it has been really cool to see how long these teams have stayed together, developed their players and continued to grow as individual clubs.

"At the time, we didn’t know the result of the other Preliminary Final. We were completely focused on ourselves and what we needed to do against COE.

"We knew they were going to come up the highway and compete relentlessly, so it was important that we stayed locked in, trusted what we had been building throughout the season and gave it everything we had."