Wellington Saints

The Wellington Saints are a New Zealand basketball team based in Wellington. The Saints compete in the National Basketball League (NBL) and play their home games at TSB Bank Arena. For sponsorship reasons, they are known as the Cigna Saints.

Wellington Saints
LeagueNational Basketball League
Founded1981
HistoryWellington Saints
1983–1996
Wellington Wizards
1997–1998
Wellington Saints
1999–2019; 2021–
ArenaTSB Bank Arena
LocationWellington, New Zealand
Team coloursBlue & white
Main sponsorCigna New Zealand
CEOJordan Mills
PresidentNick Mills
General managerTina Wieczorek
Head coachZico Coronel
OwnershipNick Mills
Championships11 (1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 2003, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019)
Retired numbers1 (5)
WebsiteSaints.co.nz

Team history

The Wellington Saints were founded in 1981. In 1982, the Exchequer Saints won the second division title, which promoted them to the first division for the 1983 season.[1][2] The Saints went on to play in six straight championship games upon joining the NBL, winning titles in 1984, 1985, 1987 and 1988.[3] They played in their seventh final in 1991, where they lost to the Hutt Valley Lakers.

At the end of the 1996 season, both the Saints and the Lakers were struggling to survive. They amalgamated for the 1997 season, becoming TransAlta Wellington. With fans wanting a 'real' name, for the 1998 season, they became the TransAlta Wizards. For the 1999 season, they returned to the original identity of Saints.[4] The Saints returned to title contenders in the 2000s, as they finished runners-up in 2001 and 2008, and won their fifth title in 2003.

The 2010s were dominated by the Saints, as they played in every championship game between 2010 and 2019, except 2013. They claimed back-to-back championships in 2010 and 2011, before claiming their eighth title in 2014. With their ninth title in 2016, the Saints matched the Auckland Stars for most championships in NBL history.[5] In 2017, the Saints made NBL history by becoming the first team to complete a perfect regular season, going 18–0.[6][7] They went on to defeat the Canterbury Rams in the semi-finals before becoming the first team to complete an unbeaten season, capping off a perfect 20–0 campaign by beating the Southland Sharks 108–75 in the final. Their tenth championship set a new record for most in NBL history.[8][9] The Saints returned to the final in 2018, but missed the chance at their first three-peat with a 98–96 loss to the Sharks.[10] In 2019, the Saints completed their second undefeated regular season in three years, going 18–0,[11] before completing another perfect 20–0 campaign by defeating the Hawke's Bay Hawks 78–68 in the final to win their 11th title.[12][13][14]

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the planned 2020 season was initially suspended and then modified into a small-scale, quick-fire format. As a result, the Saints declined to enter the rejigged competition and began focussing on 2021.[15][16][17]

Current roster

Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationality not displayed.

Wellington Saints roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.No.Nat.NameHt.
C Gill, Romaro (I) 2.18 m (7 ft 2 in)
F Keil, Kane 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in)
G/F Prewster, Dion 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in)
G Roach, Kerwin (I) 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
F Samuel, Taane 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in)
F Smith-Milner, Tohi 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in)
F Tuffin, Kenneth 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in)
Head coach
  • Zico Coronel
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (DP) Development player
  • (IN) Inactive
  • (I) Import player
  • Injured
Updated: 1 February 2021

CBL team

The Saints began in the second-tiered Conference Basketball League (CBL), winning the CBL title in 1982. In 1997, Wellington's second division team finished as runners-up in the CBL, and in 2001, the Wellington College Saints finished as CBL runners-up.[18] In 2008, the Saints' second division team won the CBL championship with a 90–84 win over the Waikato Titans in the final.[19][20][21]

References
  1. "Saints Legend Kenny McFadden becomes first NBL player with a retired jersey". Saints.co.nz. Archived from the original on 9 February 2013.
  2. Hyslop, Liam (11 April 2019). "'Mr Wellington Saints' Kenny McFadden back as assistant coach". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 11 April 2019. Former Wellington Saints chief executive Justin Toebes, left, presents then assistant coach Kenny McFadden with the number five shirt, retired in his honour, in 2010.
  3. "Who Are We". Saints.co.nz. Archived from the original on 22 June 2013.
  4. "Locations – Exodus Saints". Wotzon.com. Archived from the original on 9 February 2013.
  5. SAINTS CLAIM 9TH NBL TITLE
  6. Wellington Saints complete perfect National Basketball League regular season
  7. Wellington Saints' NBL season won't be perfect without another championship
  8. Basketball: Wellington Saints complete perfect NBL season
  9. Wellington Saints complete perfect season with NBL final win over Southland Sharks
  10. SHARKS CLAIM THIRD TITLE WITH GUTSY WIN OVER DEFENDING CHAMPION SAINTS
  11. THIS IS WHAT 18-0 LOOKS LIKE
  12. SAINTS COME FROM BEHIND TO FINISH 2019 UNDEFEATED
  13. Wellington Saints claim 11th NBL title with stunning comeback win over Hawks
  14. Paul Henare on undefeated champion Saints: 'Not bad for a bunch of role-players'
  15. Hinton, Marc (9 May 2020). "Saints, Southland Sharks non-starters as innovative Kiwi NBL battles to achieve liftoff". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  16. "Seven teams confirmed for NBL basketball competition in June". Stuff.co.nz. 19 May 2020. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
  17. Rollo, Phillip (20 May 2020). "'Too high of a risk': Why the champion Saints will not compete in the make-shift NBL". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  18. "2010 Conference Basketball League" (PDF). Basketball.org.nz. p. 4–5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 January 2015.
  19. "2008 Annual Results" (PDF). Basketball.org.nz. p. 4. Retrieved 16 June 2015.
  20. Meikle, Hayden (1 September 2008). "Basketball: Satisfactory placing for Penguins". odt.co.nz. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
  21. "Shot at big time too early for Suns". nzherald.co.nz. 2008. Retrieved 16 July 2019.
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