Pink Round another special moment for Donnellys

Pink Round has special meaning for Emma and Rebecca Donnelly including the chance to honour Tiana Mangakahia as they continue to make the most of playing together this NBL1 East season for the currently undefeated Norths Bears.

The Bears are fully embracing Pink Round this Saturday when they play host to the Sydney Comets at The Cave with the team and the venue turning pink for the occasion to raise funds and awareness for Tough4T – in honour of Mangakahia whose life was tragically cut short by breast cancer only last year.

Norths will put their undefeated record in 2026 on the line on Saturday when they take on the Comets, but it's a day about much more than a win and loss with plenty of merchandise available to be purchased with the proceeds going to Tough4T.

On top of that, Pink Round MVP awards will be presented by BBALR while Guzman y Gomez will provide a prize pack for best dressed and Ascendcorp Strata will donate $100 for each three-pointer made by Lachie Bofinger in the men's game and Wollemi Capital $200 for each triple made over both matches.

Ahead of Pink Round, Emma explained just how much it means to her and her family because it really hits home how personally affected they have been and how crucial it is to raise funds in the continued battle against breast cancer.

"Pink Round means so much to me! Having people so close to me affected by breast cancer and seeing firsthand how much events like this mean to them is more powerful than we really think," Emma said.

"I was lucky enough to be on a team with Tiana and later coached by her. She was an incredible person and I'm so excited to be playing in a round that honours her because she means so much to so many people in this community and getting to honour her and her charity is so special.

"People always talk about basketball being more than a game and this shows exactly why, the fact basketball gives us a platform for everyone to share stories, experiences and get around the people they love is so special to me and shows the power of sport and that it really is more than a game.

"I am social media coordinator at Norths Basketball so have been a part of the Pink Round campaign, and the hard work and love that has gone into making this round possible is so incredibly special and i am truly so proud and grateful to be a part of that."

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Rebecca is in her first season with the Bears at NBL1 level ahead of starting her college journey at the University of California, Davis, and she too can't wait for Pink Round on Saturday.

"I’m really looking forward to our pink game this Saturday!" she said.

"It’s such an important cause and I feel like it’s really special that we get the opportunity to play for something bigger than basketball.

"Breast cancer affects countless individuals both directly and indirectly, so this round truly has a deep meaning and I can’t wait to see the positive impacts and contributions it has for ‘Tough4T’."

EMMA DONNELLY

The season so far

As to matters on the court with the Bears so far this NBL1 East season and it's hard to imagine things going too much better with the current 14-0 record on the back of losing at the last hurdle the past two years following the 2023 championship.

The Bears are lighting up from three-point land and averaging of 91 points a game with an average winning margin of nearly 30 points so there's not too much for Emma to be complaining about right now.

"The key word is definitely fun. Above all else our team is a hardworking, dedicated group of girls all looking to get better every day and we just get along so well and love it," Emma said.

"Our training is so competitive because at the end of the day everyone on our team has a different goal with where they want to go with basketball so we just feed off that and push each other.

"When it's time to compete it's intense and we go so hard but then we are always laughing and smiling between every drill and that is the sweet spot that leads to our success which I haven't really come across before, but that balance is something Renae is really great at finding in her teams.

"It's honestly the best group of girls. Our team has a lot of talent and a lot of scorers but we are so selfless and not afraid to move the ball and that is a big key to our success.

"Take Jaz Shelley, she could score every time she puts the ball on the floor but she is not afraid to find the open player if it is the better option and that makes us all better and unstoppable because how do the defense know who to guard."

Shooting the three ball

Three-point shooting has become a great strength of this Norths team in 2026 with coach Renae Garlepp encouraging them to shoot with confidence wherever possible.

Emma has been a big part of that currently going at 48 per cent from beyond the arc herself including having a night of 7/11 for 27 points against the Newcastle Falcons along the way.

She's also had two games already this season of making five triples while going 4/4 against the Central Coast Crusaders and she couldn’t be happier to be playing for a coach that gives her such confidence to shoot.

"It's so fun, as i said we are not afraid to move the ball and find the open player and i think this has led to our success from the three this year," Emma said.

"We are constantly hunting an advantage and our guards are such threats when they get in the paint, they force the defence to help which is awesome because that then leads to plenty of catch and shoot three opportunities.

"It's a fun game to play, we have threats all over the floor. Defence can't sag off cause we will shoot it but we also have amazing drivers and then if the help side comes over we have open shooters everywhere and that paired with the fact we are not afraid to move the ball is why we can be so dangerous.

"Everyone hunts the best shot and is not selfish. Beyond that we have a defensive first mentality and are hunting kills above all else. If we can be switched on defensively and control that, then our offense will come from there, also leading to transition opportunities where we thrive."

Looking back on college journey

While her younger sister is about to begin her college journey, Emma herself spent two years attending Iona University in New York across the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons.

That was an experience she will forever be grateful for but she couldn’t be happier to now have been able to return to the Bears since and with the home she has with Norths on and off the court.

"The life experience I took away from college is immeasurable and something that I will forever be grateful for as a player but more importantly a person," Emma said.

"I have worked very hard and grown a lot in the last two seasons since returning home. I am now at a point where I have never loved the game or my life more. Norths have created a second home for me both on and off the court and I am so grateful.

"Norths have helped me create an environment where I thrive and where I feel so happy. I am very excited for what's to come I have really clear goals now about my career and have truly found a love for the game but also for the Bears."

Hungry for more success

Before Emma had that college experience at Iona, she was part of the Bears team that won the 2023 NBL1 East championship by beating the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles in the Grand Final.

She might not have quite had the same role on that team as she does now as a more experienced player, but it's still an experience she'll forever cherish and it's made her hungry for more success with the Bears.

"That experience is something I will never forget, learning from players like Kate Seebohm and Jolene Anderson was so incredible and I had so much fun that season," Emma said.

"The chemistry that team had and the experience on that team was a privilege to be a part of and I got to see and be a part of what it takes to win a championship. It was made up of a tight group of players who were not only experienced but had played together for a very long time and you could see that they really loved each other and had fun.

"It's exciting to me now because I see a lot of that in this group. As the older core group started to leave the younger girls coming through who got the privilege to learn from and shadow the older girls have been growing and getting stronger and now it sort of feels like this is our time they have passed the baton over to us.

"We now have a core group over the last few years in people like me, Peggy, Caitlyn and Issy and although we are still young we are now more experienced playing in this league and it feels like it's our time.

"Add so much talent in players like Tal and Jaz and then the awesome young guns like my sister and it really does feel like all the pieces have come together. I think that group of girls in 2023 have a lot to do with our success now and of course Renae being with this group all the way through.

"It really does feel like the torch is finally been passed down, add on the extra fire power of Tal and Jas just like Jolene Anderson a few years ago and boom it's all come to fruition."

Playing with younger sister

Given there's only three years between Emma and younger sister Rebecca, they've always been naturally competitive growing up and that hasn’t changed even now that they are NBL1 teammates together at the Bears.

You wouldn’t be normal siblings if that wasn’t the case, but as the older sister, Emma takes great pride in seeing what Rebecca is already able to be doing as an 18-year-old and while she'll be miss her, she is excited for the experience she has ahead of her in college.

Hopefully after they can share an NBL1 East championship together for their sake.

"I absolutely love it, she's my best friend. I can't lie I was a bit nervous at first cause we are so competitive and have had to ban 1v1 in the garden if we wanted to live a harmonious life, but that has all disappeared, we are team mates going after one goal and i am so incredibly proud of her," Emma said.

"This is the first time we have ever been on a team together and it's an opportunity not a lot of people get to experience. When I was younger I always wished for it to happen although I wasn't sure because things like her not wanting to quit dance or playing for comets kept getting in the way. I think her future is limitless.

"Even though she is younger she really does inspire me. She is the hardest worker I know but on top of that an amazing, selfless person and a lot of people don't know how much she has been through to get where she is today I'm so proud of her and to be her sister.

"We have been through a lot together and I am so grateful to have her through everything and to support her when she needs it. Having someone who you know always has your back no matter what is so special and I always have someone to open up to when things get tough.

"We really understand and know everything about each other and although we are on different journeys i always have someone i can talk to and will be honest no matter what and who really understands me and what i am going through.

"We try to stand next to each other in huddles and I get a lot of comfort having her out on the court with me but most of all it is a lot of fun. We have also had a few telepathic moments at practice so we can hopefully pull that out in a game."

Proud to be a Donnelly sister

In the bigger picture, Emma is just so proud to be sharing something as special as playing basketball at this level together with her sister.

"Honestly I get so happy when people refer to us on the court as the Donnelly sisters and I am very happy to be a part of the start of her journey, plus it means i get to hang out with her more before she goes off to college and I think it has helped our relationship grow even more," she said.

"I’m really going to miss her, life won't be the same when she's not here but I’m very excited to watch what is to come for her and I can't wait until she comes back and we can play together as a team again."

REBECCA DONNELLY

Having been her sister's biggest supporter on the Bears team in the NBL1 East over the past three years, Rebecca now couldn’t be happier to be getting to play with her at this level in 2026 having just turned 18 years of age and before she departs for college.

"I have absolutely loved playing this season with my sister, it definitely makes my first season even more special," Rebecca said.

"We always talked about how great it would be to finally play on a team together and I’m so grateful that it has been able to happen.

"She’s the person who got me into basketball and has always been my biggest inspiration and role morel ever since I was younger. I’m so proud of her and seeing all her hard work pay off on the court is really amazing!

"Coming in, she was able to help me feel comfortable and confident in a new environment. I had been watching her play for this norths team the past few years and could not wait to join a hardworking culture which she couldn’t speak more highly about."

Being part of a 14-0 team

Given Rebecca is still just 18 and about to embark on her college journey, any NBL1 opportunities and part of a team performing any way would have been something she embraced, but she couldn’t be asking more than what she's part of with this Bears team.

She's yet to play in a loss in the NBL1 East 14 games into her career and couldn’t be enjoying the whole experience more.

"Yes I’m having so much fun!" Rebecca said.

"The team has such a great culture both on and off the court; with such a competitive intensity coupled with support and genuine care for each other. And it’s really awesome to be part of a team that is succeeding from that."

Having breakout performances

Considering Rebecca is still only 18 years of age and playing her first NBL1 season and playing on a team that is sitting 14-0, there aren’t always a lot of minutes available for her.

However, she's making the most of the chances she is receiving including earlier this season when the exploded for 20 points with 5/7 three-point shooting in a massive win against the Bankstown Bruins before Shyla Heal was on board.

She's continued to grab her chances since but that game in particular was one to cherish.

"It was really fun," Rebecca said.

"I really just try to play my role when I’m out on the floor, but am lucky enough to have teammates and a coach who believe and trust me to play my game."

Learning from star players, amazing coach

Not only is Rebecca embracing the chance to play in the NBL1 with her sister before she goes to college, but it's hard to imagine getting a better ground than the coaching she's getting from Renae Garlepp and the teammates she has around her.

It's hard to imagine Jaz Shelley not the runaway MVP favourite right now and you throw in, Issy Morgan, Caitlyn Martin, Peggy Schell and Talya Bruger, and it's quite the squad to be part of as an 18-year-old honing your craft.

"Being coached by Renae has been amazing," Rebecca said.

"She has so much belief in all her players and the help/pointers she gives me every day from both a player and coaches perspective are invaluable. I feel like she is genuinely invested in our development, and gives us countless opportunities to improve.

"It has helped my development big time. This group of girls has so much talent and experience, which I’m able to learn from every single day.

"Even just watching the way players like Jaz, Issy and Talya compete in every drill, watching their small details, and being able to hear their own experiences from college before I start my own has been so valuable."