LIGHTNING STRIKES WITH ELLA TOFAEONO
The Adelaide Lightning are proud to announce their sixth signing Ella Tofaeono.
Born in New Zealand and raised in Western Sydney with proud Samoan heritage, Tofaeono is excited to be a part of shaping the next chapter of the Adelaide Lightning.
“I’m so excited to join the Adelaide Lightning. Playing alongside Sharne and with Coach Kerryn Mitchell was a truly special moment and a career highlight to date. Bringing this NZ pride to Adelaide and the WNBL is truly a privilege.”
The 6-foot-3 centre has experience across the WNBL starting off as Townsville Fire’s development player in 2023/24, and was part of the UC Capitals squad in 2024/25.
After school, Tofaeono took on the USA, playing at Midland College for three years, resulting in landing a spot on the NJCAA Div 1 All-American third team. A young and talented Tofaeono moved from strength to strength, playing in the NCAA Div 1 with Texas A&M University, then Texas Tech Red Raiders.
“Playing in the States at such a young age made me the player I am today. I said yes to the opportunities that came along, I worked hard, trained harder and it was such an incredible experience playing abroad.”
Tofaeono played alongside fellow Lightning recruit Sharne Robati earlier this year for the Tall Ferns Trans-Tasman Throwdown, coached by Lightning Head Coach, Kerryn Mitchell.
“Coming back to Australia, playing in the WNBL and representing my country has reignited my passion for professional basketball. I’m proud to be a leader in my community and bring this passion and excitement to Adelaide and create something special together as a team.”
Head Coach Kerryn Mitchell said “We’re thrilled to have Tofaeono on the team. She proved herself time and time again. Working with her as part of the Tall Ferns campaign was an absolute pleasure. She’s strong, she’s resilient and she brings a great energy to everything she does.”
“I was incredibly proud watching her shine representing New Zealand and I’m keen to see her bring that energy to the court here to make Adelaide and South Australia proud too.”
Follow all the latest WNBL moves via the Roster Tracker here.
Adelaide Lightning Memberships for the 2025/26 season will be available soon. Keep an eye out on our social media or contact memberships@adelaidelightning.com
ENDS