Keilor helps Kopa realise NBL dream

Featured image: @sarahprettycreative

Tana Kopa was close to an NBL opportunity after what he did in NBL1 West in 2025 at Willetton Tigers, but challenging himself in the NBL1 South with Keilor Thunder has now seen him achieve a dream by signing at the Perth Wildcats.

Having done most of his growing up in Perth, Kopa returned home in 2025 from his time at college where he finished at Canisius College and played a starring role in the NBL1 West season for Willetton who made it all the way to the preliminary final.

He put up 14.7 points a game including shooting the three ball at over 44 per cent and had some scintillating performances including going for 30 points and eight triples against the Rockingham Flames along the way.

That had him on the verge of an NBL opportunity and he was indeed training with his hometown Wildcats, but it didn’t eventuate for NBL26 and on the back of that, Kopa felt like to chase his dreams he had to step out of his comfort zone.

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Kopa made the move to Melbourne to play in the NBL1 South with the Keilor Thunder both because he thought playing in the most highly regarded conference could only help his prospects along with being right under the noses of both the South East Melbourne Phoenix and Melbourne United.

He has gone on to have a standout season with Keilor as well averaging 17.6 points with 42 per cent three-point shooting, but ironically it was the Wildcats back in Perth that still were the most interested and he has now signed a development player contract and started pre-season training.

Kopa also played a key role in the Thunder reaching the NBL1 South playoffs in sixth position with a 15-7 record ahead of taking on the Nunawading Spectres this Saturday night in a qualifying final.

"By the end of the season there was only a couple of games differences between all the top 10 teams so it's anybody's league really. It just comes down to the night and I like our chances a lot," Kopa said.

"I think it will be a good match up and they do have Coach of the Year so we know they'll be well coached, and we didn’t do too well against them during the season, but we're a completely different team now. It will be a good match up."

Making the move to the South

After Kopa did have a standout rest of the NBL1 West season with Willetton last year on the back of his time at college, when it didn’t lead to him signing an NBL contract he thought he needed to try something different.

For a whole host of reasons getting to Melbourne to play in the NBL1 South is what he felt would be the best move for him and then it turned out that Keilor were keen to bring him on board under coach Ash Arnott.

It's certainly paid off with not only has Kopa signed that first NBL contract, but he has played some outstanding basketball with the Thunder including a best 32 points with eight triples against the Ballarat Miners.

"Everyone says that the South is a tougher conference and a tougher league so I wanted to get out there and play in what in my opinion is the best conference in NBL1," Kopa said.

"I thought there would also be the opportunity with South East and Melbourne right there that you might get noticed a bit more for an NBL opportunity and even have some work outs and stuff with them, so for a lot of reasons it made a lot of sense to try it out."

Achieving a dream to sign at Wildcats

Growing up in Perth, like most locals Kopa dreamed of getting to play with the Wildcats and then to run out onto RAC Arena in front of the Red Army.

He then felt that dream was within touching distance with how well he was playing in the West at the Tigers and by spending time training in the pre-season with the Wildcats ahead of NBL26.

It might not have quite happened 12 months and he might have had to move across the country to continue his growth and development, but the 24-year-old is thrilled that it's now happened ahead of NBL27.

"When I first signed it didn’t feel real and it was unreal how fast it all came about," Kopa said.

"I was in Melbourne and I signed, and the next day I was flying back to back to Perth and that's when it started to feel real.

"It's just getting ready for the season now and once I landed back in Perth, it's been straight to work and it's a good feeling to officially be part of the club now."

Jumping into pre-season already

While Kopa's is still hoping to have three weeks to go in his NBL1 South season for the rest of the finals starting with Saturday night's road clash with Nunawading, he has also spent the past week back in Perth for the first week of pre-season training.

The Wildcats have been supportive in him continuing to see out the season with Keilor provided he's able to spend the week's back in Perth for the training and he's more than happy to be doing both roles right now.

"Especially in pre-season it's good for us young guys to try and earn some minutes, and hopefully crack the rotation and deserve that we deserve that chance," Kopa said.

"That's what I'm trying to do now and am working on my strengths and weaknesses, and hopefully find some playing time. "

Working well as a unit at Keilor

Not only has Kopa enjoyed being part of the NBL1 South and playing at Keilor, he couldn’t be happier with the team that he is part of and how the key players all play a complementary role to one another.

It's a good mix as well with Kopa providing 17.6 points with the outside shooting threat he provides while Landon Seaman (16.0 points, 4.1 rebounds), Daniel Foster (15.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists) Deng Dut (18.4 points, 6.5 assists, 4.4 rebounds) and Matthew Jones (8.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists) are playing key roles.

"I love it and we've got Deng and Foster on this team, and when they are heavy on drive, once the defence helps in on them then it opens me up for the three," Kopa said.

"Then if I hit a couple it opens up the lanes for them and for Johnsy to get on the rim and in the post. It just works well for us each other and the other teams have to pick their poison with us."

Learning and developing from teammates

Considering Foster and Johns have NBL experience and then Dut and Seaman have plenty of experience under their belts in different environments, and Kopa has learned plenty by being around them with Keilor too.

He has no question that the Thunder environment he's been part of in 2026 has helped him grow as a player by the move in 2026 and he is more than happy that the big call to move to Melbourne was the right one.

"I think it's been good being surrounded by likeminded people who want to play at the highest level they can," Kopa said.

"Working out with those guys and training against them every week has helped me, and it's been good for me and a big reason why I've kept getting better and have got this opportunity now."

Enjoying chance to play in All Stars Game

Along with Kopa now preparing for his first NBL season and currently playing in the NBL1 South playoffs, he also had another memorable experience in 2026 when he represented the Poitukohu Maori o Aotearoa team in the All Stars Game in Cairns against the Indigenous Basketball Australia team.

While the result might not have gone the way he hoped, Kopa did top score for the Maori team with 23 points with five three-pointers and he enjoyed everything about the whole experience.

"It was a great experience and I got called up last minute when Shea Ili put in a word for me with the coaches and they asked me to come up," Kopa said.

"I said yes straight away because I thought it would be a great experience and I got to experience some of the culture up there and not just the Maori one, but with the Aboriginals as well with the cultural exchange and how they all treat one another, and go about their days and business.

"It was a really good experience and I'd definitely do it again."