Upward Basketball Collective

📣Commitment News📣

We’re excited to announce that Upward and Wellington East Girls’ College athlete TT has verbally committed to the University of California, Fullerton on a full scholarship 💙🧡

The recent Upward USA Tour gave her invaluable insight into the college pathway, networking opportunities, and confirmed that this is the journey she wants to pursue. After strong performances throughout our exhibition games, she was rewarded with this amazing opportunity. A huge thank you to the CSUF coaching staff for their belief in Te Ao Rangi and commitment to her athletic and academic development. 📚🏀⬆️

Congratulations TT!! Your family, school and Upward are extremely proud of you. You’re going, going, back, back, to Cali, Cali!! 🇳🇿✈️🇺🇸

After 10 incredible days in Los Angeles, we’re headed home.

Our athletes visited universities across multiple college levels, competed against some of America’s strongest high school programs, and experienced the culture, sights and sounds of California.

These tours are designed to help young people better understand their academic and athletic pathways so they can make informed decisions about their future. It’s part of our holistic approach to student-athlete development and helping each athlete find the right fit.

We’re incredibly proud of the way our girls represented themselves throughout the trip and can’t wait to watch their continued growth back home.

Interested in joining a future tour? Keep an eye out for details on our next tour in October 2026 to the Hope Showcase in LA.

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Day 8 in LA 🇺🇸

The morning started with an incredible opportunity to attend an open run with Stanton University NAIA program, allowing our girls to experience another level of college. It was a mix of fun, but also high level competition, and cameos from Coach Jase the playmaker and Coach Gia the offensive juggernaut.

After basketball, we headed to Huntington Beach for some well-earned downtime, soaking up the California sunshine, enjoying great food, exploring the beachfront, and enjoying one of Southern California’s most iconic locations.

We the wrapped up the day at Downtown Disney, taking in the atmosphere, enjoying a little shopping, plenty of laughs, and watching the fireworks from Disneyland.

As we prepare to depart for Australia, our girls have created memories, built friendships, and new experiences to help them prepare for the future.

Day 7 in LA 🇺🇸🏀

We kicked off the day with some bargain hunting at Ontario Mills outlets before heading to an incredible visit at La Sierra University.

Our girls absolutely loved spending time with Coach Mitchell and learning more about the Golden Eagles program. We are so grateful for his hospitality, expertise, generosity, and genuine friendship throughout our visit. Opportunities like these provide invaluable insight into the college pathway and what life as a student-athlete can look like.

Every campus visit, every conversation, and every experience helps our athletes make more informed decisions about their future. That’s exactly why we do these tours — not just to chase opportunities, but to find the right fit.

Day 6 in LA 🇺🇸🏀

Today we enjoyed some downtime at beautiful Newport Beach before returning to the Fullerton College Summer League for Games 4 and 5 against two nationally ranked powerhouse programs, Mater Dei and Centennial.

Both teams featured multiple athletes ranked amongst the top players in the country, and while we were beaten convincingly on the scoreboard, our girls never stopped competing. They showed courage, resilience, and a willingness to take on the challenge against some of the best high school players in the United States.

What impressed us most was the respect shown by our opponents, coaches, and supporters for our willingness to step onto the court and compete. The girls never gave up, continued to battle until the final buzzer, and represented themselves, their families, and Australia with pride.

This is exactly what they signed up for. Growth doesn’t happen inside your comfort zone. Experiences like these build confidence, expose areas for improvement, and help our athletes understand the standard required to play at the next level.

The scoreboard will be forgotten. The lessons learned today will stay with them for a long time.

Well done ladies 👏🏼



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DAY 5 IN LA 🇺🇸🏀

Today was all about exploring college campuses and helping our athletes better understand the opportunities available through college basketball.

The group visited Mount San Antonio College (Mt. SAC) and Cal Poly Pomona, where they toured athletic facilities, strength and conditioning spaces, training rooms, locker rooms, and competition venues. More importantly, they gained valuable insight into what life as a student-athlete can look like beyond the basketball court.

One of the key messages throughout the day was that college recruitment is about more than basketball. It is about finding the right academic, athletic, financial, social, and personal fit for each individual athlete.

These visits are helping our girls move from simply dreaming about college basketball to understanding what it actually takes to get there.

Day 3–4 in LA 🇺🇸🏀

The Upward girls hit the court today at the Fullerton Summer League, taking on three quality schools in California

✅ Game 1: Def Sonora 48–46 (OT)
❌ Game 2: Lost to Etiwanda 27–84
✅ Game 3: Def Pioneer 56–36

Finishing the day 2–1, the girls showed signs of what they can do and will become a formidable opponent as the tournament continues. The come from behind overtime win against Sonora demonstrated composure under pressure, while the matchup against nationally respected program Etiwanda provided a valuable lesson in the level, intensity, and ex*****on required on the college pathway to D1. To their credit, the team responded strongly, bouncing back with a convincing win over Pioneer.

Another big day of basketball in the books as the girls continue to gain experience, confidence, and a deeper understanding of the standard required at the next level.

Up next… Private tours of college campuses. Watch this space 👀

DAY 2 IN LA 🇺🇸🏀

Another big day on the Upward USA Tour 2026!

Today the team continued to experience the very best of Southern California, before changing gears and shifting our focus to preparation and competition this coming week.

Highlights included:

📍 Beverly Hills & Rodeo Drive
📍 Santa Monica Pier & Beach
📍 Venice Beach
📍 UCLA

One of the biggest things from tours like this is the growth that happens beyond the basketball court. Every new experience builds confidence, independence, perspective, and resilience.

🇺🇸 DAY 1 IN LOS ANGELES 🇺🇸

What a way to kick off the Upward USA Tour 2026!

So far… the girls experienced some of Southern California’s most iconic locations, including Citadel Outlets, Hollywood, Lake Hollywood Park, Griffith Observatory, and an incredible WNBA game between the Los Angeles Sparks and Dallas Wings at Crypto Arena.

Along the way, there was plenty of American culture to enjoy, with stops for street food, Chipotle, and the famous Raising Cane’s.

Day 1 complete. Plenty more adventures, learning opportunities, and basketball experiences still to come.



.auu .fiddes

As we prepare for the upcoming USA Tour for 2026, we caught up with .fiddes, Director, Upward Basketball Collective.

Where are you travelling? We depart for Los Angeles on June 4 for 10 days in Southern California. Through connections within the University of California network, we’ve created an incredible experience for young women interested in college basketball, combining competition, college visits, and cultural experiences.

How many times have you travelled to the USA? This will be approximately my 20th trip. I’ve attended exposure tournaments, AAU events, NBA Summer League, and college showcases. What I’ve learned is that experience tours provide greater value than exposure tours. Real exposure comes through preparation, representation, and a strong recruitment plan.

What is the purpose of the tour? The goal is to help female athletes make informed decisions about college basketball. We’ll compete, visit campuses, tour dorms and classrooms, and experience American culture. Basketball is only one part of the college journey. We also check out a WNBA game, hoop a Venice Beach, chill out at Santa Monica Pier and of course, shopping!

Who will you compete against? We’ll play in the Fullerton College Summer League against powerhouse high school programs such as Etiwanda, Mater Dei, Sage Hill and Centennial. These schools consistently produce Division I athletes and provide a great benchmark for our players.

Which colleges will you visit? We’ll visit Cal Poly Pomona (NCAA DII), La Sierra University (NAIA), and Mount SAC (JUCO). We intentionally showcase multiple levels because success isn’t limited to Division I basketball and the transfer portal now requires internationals to consider all pathways to the big dance.

What happens after the tour? The tour is just the beginning. Through our Upward Futures program, we provide athlete evaluations, highlight film development, coach introductions, recruitment planning, and scholarship support. Many organisations stop after the tour. We continue working with families to ensure athletes are seen by the right coaches and find the right college fit.

Thank you for your time Jase. We wish you and the girls safe travels.