Emerging Zaya finds Eagles home to savour

Featured image: Mark Filpo (@codexdesignstudio)

Zaya Black is an NBL1 West champion, has enjoyed her time at two other clubs, has gone to college and played professionally, but she's never come across a team like this East Perth Eagles one of 2026 and couldn't be happier with her new home.

Black might still only be 23 years of age and just happens to be the only ever Zaya to play in the league, but she's already crammed a whole lot into her basketball life having now played 80 games in the NBL1 West including being part of the Cockburn Cougars championship team of 2023.

But having grown up in Busselton, it's at the South West Slammers she's played the most of her basketball including last year again upon returning from her first professional opportunity with the Sheffield Hatters of the Super League basketball in the United Kingdom.

Not only that, but Black also attended Lakeland College in Alberta, Canada, and brought plenty of experience and talent with her in such a young body when signing with the Eagles for the 2026 NBL1 West season.

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Coming off that experience in the UK in 2025 and finishing the NBL1 season back home with the Slammers, and having been part of the Perth Lynx WNBL Academy, Black wasn’t sure exactly where her immediate future lied in 2026.

However, one conversation with newly appointed Eagles coach Jonelle Morley and she was on board.

"Jonelle made me feel super comfortable right from the first phone call that we had and she is really genuine," Black said.

"What she was saying sounded really good so I wanted to be part of the team here she was building.

"The first training was a little bit scary walking in and I was a bit nervous even though I knew a couple of the girls already, but then probably after about the second one everyone is so friendly and this team is one of the best I've been a part of in terms of everyone getting along.

"It didn’t take long for everyone to feel comfortable with each other."

Going back to play Slammers

Going back to last Saturday and it was a return home for Black as the Eagles headed down to Eaton Recreation Centre and came away with the thumping 110-57 win over the Slammers.

That steadied East Perth inside the top four with a 10-4 record having welcomed back Stacey Barr and Jo Odude from injury.

Black enjoyed the experience to play back in front of so many familiar faces after having two points and four assists back with Cockburn in her only other visit to Bunbury as an opposition player.

"It was good and obviously it was a bit sad because some of my best mates play on that team as well, but it was good to get the win," Black said.

"Obviously it was a big win for us which was super good and we haven’t had a really substantial win like that so to do that was really good. It was good to see heaps of familiar faces again too and I'm comfortable on that court so it was super fun.

"I did play down there when I was with Cockburn but I didn't get as much court time then as I am here so obviously it was super good to start this time with East Perth and that was obviously a different experience going down there compared to last time."

Embracing more opportunities

Right from the start of this season and Black has been a big part of coach Morley's plans with the Eagles and she had 13 points in 22 minutes on debut against the Willetton Tigers.

She's also moved into the starting line-up over the past three weeks and is fresh off 11 points, five assists, three steals and two rebounds in the win against the Slammers last Saturday.

She knows the work she's put in and is thankful for the opportunities on the court she's receiving on the back of that.

"It's so good to get minutes reward for hard work and it's cool getting to practice with these girls and then getting to go out on the court and play with them," Black said.

"It's good to be able to add a bit of value to the team so I'm really happy with that."

Plenty of movement last couple of years

While Black has spent much of her life in Busselton and the south west of Western Australia, she's also done plenty of moving around for basketball in recent years.

That included spending that year in college in Canada and then two seasons at the Cougars including having moved up to Perth in 2023, and moving back to Bunbury and spending time in England when she played with Sheffield in 2025.

Black then moved back to Bunbury when she returned home last year and now has come back up to Perth for this season with the Eagles and while part of the Lynx Academy.

It's been a lot to try and process as she chases her basketball dreams.

"When I played for Cockburn for two years, I moved up in the second year and then I went back to play for Slammers, and then I got the gig to play for the UK," she said.

"I was there for like for four months and then played the second half of the season for Slammers and had to move back obviously because it's too much. But now I'm back up in Perth again."

Overseas experience playing for first time

As for that first experience playing professionally, it was understandably daunting for Black to head over to a totally new country but having one familiar face there in three-time NBL1 champion and three-time Defensive Player of the Year Emma Gandini helped soften the blow.

The only negative was it meant she was guarded by Gandini in practice, but overall she embraced the experience as part of a team that had a successful season and would like more of the chance to play all-year round wherever that opportunity might present.

"It was so good, but very, very scary at the same time at the start," Black said.

"The girls over there have some heaps bigger bodies and that's what you get at the next level in the pros even though obviously the girls at NBL1 are built for it too.

"But I found there were some much bigger bodies there and I only knew Emma Gandini over there so was coming into a completely new team so it was scary, but fun at the same time.

"I have been in the Lynx Academy so hopefully I can keep training with the girls all throughout the year there once our season finishes here. Or if not, I might be able to go overseas again and I would be super keen for that."