Pierre-Louis fully embracing life with Wolfpack

Featured image: Michael Farnell @sportsimageryau

Having had a standout college career and now having played professionally all over the world and playing with the Indonesian national team, Kim Pierre-Louis is proud of what she's done but landing in NBL1 West at Joondalup Wolves might have been what she's been looking for all along.

Pierre-Louis grew up in Canada and then spent four years at the University of Massachusetts including a standout senior year with 18.4 points and 7.4 rebounds a game before she started her journey around the world as a professional.

That as included stops in Romania, Germany, Serbia, France and the United Arab Emirates while she is proud of the time she's also spent dedicated to the Indonesian national team, but she's now found in the NBL1 West with the Wolfpack will be hard to top.

And she's thriving on the court too for Joondalup delivering 20.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals on shooting 51 per cent from the floor with her team fighting to stay in playoff contention at 5-10 and just one game out of eighth position.

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It has been quite the journey for the 32-year-old to now arrive down under for the first time and she did flirt with trying to go back to living a normal life for a period after playing in France in 2021.

But she realised that wasn’t for her, at least not just yet, and she threw herself back into basketball with the Indonesian national program, then had a season in the UAE and then arrived at Joondalup for the 2026 NBL1 season.

In terms of NBL1 clubs around the country, the Wolves could very well take top pegging for how professionally they run the organisation and present their game nights with crowds getting close to the 2000 mark at Arena Joondalup.

Not only is Pierre-Louis playing well, but couldn’t ask for a better club to have landed at.

"It's taken me here to the Wolves now and it's been an incredible blessing for me to be here," Pierre-Louis said.

"Usually overseas, I'm playing the five, and here I've been able to play truer to myself as a three/four player a testament to the calibre of players I'm surrounded by here. The facilities are amazing.

"I really look forward to coming into practice wearing our nice green gear and sitting in my very own assigned locker. The supporting staff is top tier, whatever you need you'll get.

"As a professional, I feel like i have all the support I need. The home games are electric, and getting to know the fans has been a true highlight for me. Yea, Joondalup feels like a family, and we've been welcomed into it."

Finally arriving in Australia

Given that Pierre-Louis has always had a main gig largely somewhere in Europe throughout her career and then in more recent years she's had significant commitments with the Indonesian program so there's never really been a chance to come play in the NBL1.

However, everything all lined up for the first time in 2026 and she jumped at the chance to join the Wolves and couldn’t be happier now with what she's discovering about playing in the NBL1.

"I guess the timing was never right. The season in Australia is during my off-season," Pierre-Louis said.

"I'm either busy doing national team stuff visiting family or doing off-season training. This time, the timing worked out in a way that I could play this season and honour my national team commitments.

"I have been loving playing here in Australia. There are a lot of good players here. I see how beneficial the NBL1 has been in sustaining and producing talent here. NBL1 definitely for me personally ranks high. My experience has been that I'll cherish in my life."

This Wolfpack team of 2026

There was plenty of change at the Wolves in the women's program coming into the 2026 with Mitch Langford taking over as coach of a team trying to get back in the mix as a contender having now not won a playoff match since reaching the preliminary final in 2022.

There's no shortage of talent with Pierre-Louis joined in the line-up by Perth Lynx WNBL import Yemiyah Morris along with the supremely talented Asianae Johnson.

Rosie Deegan is also showing encouraging signs in her return to playing but for whatever reason, things haven't quite clicked for them yet with them 5-10 to still be on the outside of a playoff position.

However, their best basketball has been impressive including beating the defending champion Cockburn Cougars along with the fourth placed East Perth Eagles so Pierre-Louis remains confident they can make a run.

"We got a lot of talent on our team," Pierre-Louis said.

"Our inconsistency has definitely plagued us throughout this year. We're a completely newly composed team this year. Getting used to each other even now.

"Trying to find what works for us. Regardless of the results at the end of the season we've shown how dangerous we are."

Career journey so far

It has been quite the career already for Pierre-Louis before she even arrived down under for the first time all dating back to when she was a standout high school player in Canada.

That led to her four-year career at the University of Massachusetts and now she's had plenty of success playing around the world including winning a championship in Romania in 2016, being Centre of the Year in Germany in 2018, and being Finals MVP in a Serbian Cup triumph in 2020.

She then took a break from playing professionally and then returned to basketball through playing with Indonesia including in the Asia Cup in 2025 before now having arrived at the Wolves.

It's not easy to sum it up, but she does like where the journey has got her so far.

"It's pretty hard to sum up my career in just a few words. It's been the product of belief, confidence, and effort," Pierre-Louis said.

"I've been able to capitalize on different opportunities presented by keeping myself in what I call a 'try' mindset. Whenever I'm presented with a problem or challenge, I'll just try it out, and usually, the solution is way simpler or easier than I thought.

"So whether it's trying a difficult workout or learning difficult skills, or even put in an uncomfortable situation. Just try, have the positive mindset that you can do it, just try."

Proud to representing Indonesia

Pierre-Louis first represented Indonesia back in 2021 having been naturalised and while she was born in Montreal and did all her growing up in Canada, she's now more than proud to be representing her adopted country as much as possible.

"I've absolutely loved my experience with my Indonesian national team. Best time in my professional career," Pierre-Louis said.

"Met some incredible people. Got to play against some of the best teams and players in the world.

"It's definitely helped my confidence, just being out there and testing myself against some of the best.

"It's been a super blessing, and I'm extremely grateful to Indonesia and those who supported me. Shout-out Chris and Sherly!"

Getting back to professional basketball

In between finishing the 2020/21 season in France and then before arriving at Al Sharjah for the 2025/26 season, Piere-Louis' major basketball commitments were with playing for Indonesia and even trying out what it would be like living a life of not playing basketball.

She didn’t necessarily like that too much, so now after a stint in the UAE, she is feeling as good as ever as she has about her basketball this year at Joondalup in the NBL1.

"I actually took a year off of playing professionally. Got sick of normal life and came back to it. Hahah!" Pierre-Louis said.

"I went straight into training camp with team Indonesia for nine months. During that time we played in the Asia cup and the South East Asian Games.

"After all that, yes, I had my first experience in the UAE. Yes, basketball will take you to the most amazing places."