2023 Northern Mystics season

The 2023 Northern Mystics season saw Northern Mystics compete in the 2023 ANZ Premiership.^[1][2] With a team coached by Tia Winikerei,^[3][4] captained by Sulu Fitzpatrick and featuring Phoenix Karaka, Grace Nweke, Michaela Sokolich-Beatson and Peta Toeava, Northern Mystics won their second title.^{[5][6][7][8][9]} Mystics finished the regular season as minor premiers, finishing above Central Pulse and Northern Stars.^[8][10][11] Mystics defeated Stars 74–56 in the Grand final.^[5][6][7]

Northern Mystics
2023 season
Head coach	Tia Winikerei
Asst. coach	Rob Wright
Manager	Meghan Robinson
Captain	Sulu Fitzpatrick
Main venue	The Trusts Arena
Season results
Wins–losses	12–4
Regular season	1st
Finals placing	1st
Team colours

Players

Player movements

Gains	Losses
Catherine Hall (Northern Marvels) Holly Mather (Northern Marvels) Katie Te Ao[12][13] (Waikato Bay of Plenty NNL)	Fa'amu Ioane[14][15] (Central Pulse) Grace Namana (Severn Stars)

Source:^[1][2][8]

Roster

2023 Northern Mystics roster
Players	Coaching staff
Nat. Name Position(s) DoB Height Danielle Binks GS – Tayla Earle C, WA, WD, GD (2000-04-22)22 April 2000 (aged 22) 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in) Monica Falkner  GA, GS (1996-04-08)8 April 1996 (aged 26) 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) Sulu Fitzpatrick (c) GD, GK (1992-08-20)20 August 1992 (aged 30) 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) Catherine Hall GK,GD (2003-12-16)16 December 2003 (aged 19) 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) Phoenix Karaka GD, GK, WD (1993-11-06)6 November 1993 (aged 29) 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) Holly Mather – Grace Nweke GS (2002-02-07)7 February 2002 (aged 21) 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) Claire O'Brien1 (TRP) WA, C (1997-03-11)11 March 1997 (aged 25) 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) Michaela Sokolich-Beatson (vc) GD, WD, GK (1996-10-02)2 October 1996 (aged 26) 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) Katie Te Ao WD,C (2001-04-15)15 April 2001 (aged 21) 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) Elisapeta Toeava WA, C (1994-03-10)10 March 1994 (aged 28) 1.61 m (5 ft 3 in) Carys Stythe GD,GK (2003-06-19)19 June 2003 (aged 19) 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) Filda Vui GS, GA, WA (1996-04-16)16 April 1996 (aged 26) 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)	Head coach Tia Winikerei Assistant coach Rob Wright Manager: Meghan Robinson Physiotherapist: Pat Hunt Strength and conditioning: Pera Gibbs Notes (c) – Captain (cc) – Co-captain (vc) – Vice-captain – Injury / maternity leave (TRP) – Temporary Replacement Player

Notes

• ^1 In September 2022, it was announced that Claire O'Brien was leaving Mystics. However she returned as a temporary replacement player for Round 7 following an injury to Tayla Earle. She remained in the squad for the rest of the 2023 season.^[8][12][16]

Milestones

• On 6 May 2023, in Round 10 against Southern Steel, Sulu Fitzpatrick made her 150th senior league appearance.^[17][18][19]

Debutants

• Mystics #84: Katie Te Ao made her Mystics debut in Round 1 against Southern Steel.^[20]
• Mystics #85: Catherine Hall made her Mystics debut in Round 5 against Southern Steel.^[21]
• Mystics #86: Holly Mather

Sources:^[1][2][8][9]

Pre-season

Otaki tournament

Northern Mystics participated in the official ANZ Premiership tournament, hosted by Central Pulse at Te Wānanga o Raukawa in Ōtaki between 17 and 19 February. All six ANZ Premiership teams took part.^[22]

Fri Feb 17	Mainland Tactix	54–50	Northern Mystics	Te Wānanga o Raukawa
10.30am

Fri Feb 17	Northern Mystics	50–42	Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic	Te Wānanga o Raukawa
4.30pm

Sat Feb 18	Northern Mystics	48–45	Northern Stars	Te Wānanga o Raukawa
10.30am

Sat Feb 18	Central Pulse	50–54	Northern Mystics	Te Wānanga o Raukawa
6:00pm

Sun Feb 19	Southern Steel	54–42	Northern Mystics	Te Wānanga o Raukawa
9:00am

Sources:^[23][24][25]

Regular season

Fixtures and results

Round 1

Sat 4 Mar	Northern Mystics	64–38	Southern Steel	The Trusts Arena
7:00PM	Grace Nweke  46/48 (96%) Monica Falkner  12/17 (71%) Filda Vui  6/7 (86%)	Report Stats	Jess Allan  15/19 (79%) Georgia Heffernan  14/19 (74%) Eseta Autagavaia  9/13 (69%)

Round 2

Sun 12 Mar	Mainland Tactix	45–54	Northern Mystics	Christchurch Arena
4:00PM	Aliyah Dunn  24/29 (83%) Te Paea Selby-Rickit  20/26 (77%) Vika Koloto  1/1 (100%)	Report Stats	Grace Nweke  46/52 (88%) Monica Falkner  4/7 (57%) Filda Vui  4/4 (100%)

Round 3

Sun 19 Mar	Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic	57–56	Northern Mystics	Globox Arena
4:00PM	Bailey Mes  28/39 (72%) Ameliaranne Ekenasio  29/34 (85%)	Report Stats	Grace Nweke  39/42 (93%) Filda Vui  13/14 (93%)

Round 4

Sun 26 Mar	Northern Mystics	62–59	Northern Stars	The Trusts Arena
4:00PM	Grace Nweke  46/46 (100%) Monica Falkner  15/17 (88%) Filda Vui  1/1 (100%)	Report Stats	Maia Wilson  32/34 (94%) Amorangi Malesala  19/24 (79%) Jamie Hume  8/14 (57%)

Round 5

Sat 1 Apr	Southern Steel	48–64	Northern Mystics	Edgar Centre
7:00PM	Saviour Tui  22/31 (71%) Eseta Autagavaia  6/7 (86%) Georgia Heffernan  20/29 (69%)	Report Stats	Grace Nweke  47/48 (98%) Monica Falkner  17/19 (89%) Filda Vui  0/1 (0%)

Mon 3 Apr	Central Pulse	51–56	Northern Mystics	Te Rauparaha Arena
7:00PM	Amelia Walmsley  27/34 (79%) Tiana Metuarau  17/18 (94%) Joyce Mvula  7/7 (100%)	Report Stats	Grace Nweke  45/48 (94%) Monica Falkner  11/12 (92%)

Round 6

Sun 9 Apr	Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic	61–62	Northern Mystics	Energy Events Centre
2:00PM	Bailey Mes  36/41 (88%) Ameliaranne Ekenasio  25/27 (93%)	Report Stats	Grace Nweke  50/55 (91%) Monica Falkner  7/8 (88%) Filda Vui  5/6 (83%)

Round 7

Sat 15 Apr	Northern Mystics	53–55	Central Pulse	The Trusts Arena
4:00PM	Grace Nweke  41/45 (91%) Monica Falkner  11/12 (92%) Filda Vui  1/1 (100%)	Report Stats	Amelia Walmsley  36/50 (72%) Tiana Metuarau  17/19 (89%) Joyce Mvula  2/4 (50%)

Round 8

Sun 23 Apr	Northern Mystics	60–49	Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic	The Trusts Arena
4:00PM	Grace Nweke  50/62 (81%) Filda Vui  10/15 (67%)	Report Stats	Bailey Mes  24/29 (83%) Ameliaranne Ekenasio  25/29 (86%)

Mon 24 Apr	Northern Mystics	77–79	Northern Stars	The Trusts Arena
7:00PM	Grace Nweke  70/75 (93%) Filda Vui  7/11 (64%)	Report Stats	Maia Wilson  50/54 (93%) Amorangi Malesala  27/32 (84%) Jamie Hume  2/3 (67%)

Round 9

Sun 30 Apr	Mainland Tactix	77–79	Northern Mystics	Christchurch Arena
2:00PM	Aliyah Dunn Te Paea Selby-Rickit Vika Koloto	Report	Grace Nweke  64/66 (97%) Monica Falkner Filda Vui

Round 10

Sat 6 May	Northern Mystics	65–55	Southern Steel	The Trusts Arena
7:00PM	Grace Nweke  53/58 (91%) Filda Vui  12/16 (75%)	Report Stats	Saviour Tui  41/51 (80%) Georgia Heffernan  12/17 (71%) Jess Allan  2/3 (67%)

Round 11

Sun 14 May	Central Pulse	62–56	Northern Mystics	TSB Bank Arena
4:00PM	Amelia Walmsley  47/57 (82%) Tiana Metuarau  15/15 (100%)	Report Stats	Grace Nweke  46/51 (90%) Filda Vui  10/15 (67%)

Round 12

Sun 21 May	Northern Stars	63–58	Northern Mystics	Pulman Arena
2:00PM	Maia Wilson  33/36 (92%) Amorangi Malesala  25/29 (86%)	Report Stats	Grace Nweke  52/56 (93%) Filda Vui  11/13 (85%)

Mon 22 May	Northern Mystics	64–61	Mainland Tactix	Eventfinda Stadium
7:00PM	Grace Nweke  59/69 (86%) Filda Vui  5/9 (56%)	Report Stats	Aliyah Dunn  32/33 (97%) Te Paea Selby-Rickit  29/33 (88%)

Final standings

2023 ANZ Premiership ladder v t e
Pos	Team	P	W	L	GF	GA	GD	G%	BP	Pts
1	Northern Mystics	15	11	4	930	828	102	112.3%	3	36
2	Central Pulse	15	10	5	802	746	56	107.5%	3	33
3	Northern Stars	15	9	6	889	835	54	106.5%	3	30
4	Mainland Tactix	15	9	6	793	760	33	104.3%	1	28
5	Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic	15	6	9	791	830	-39	95.3%	4	22
6	Southern Steel	15	0	15	653	859	-206	76.0%	4	4
Last updated: 7 August 2023

  Qualified for Grand final
  Qualified for Elimination final

Source:^[26]

Finals series

Grand final

4 June 2023		Northern Mystics	74–56	Northern Stars		Globox Arena	Sky Sport
		Scoring by quarter: 21–17, 38–29, 54–45, 74–56
		Grace Nweke  70/73 (96%) Filda Vui  3/5 (60%) Danielle Binks  1/1 (100%)		Maia Wilson  38/42 (90%) Amorangi Malesala  17/21 (81%) Jamie Hume  1/3 (33%)

Source:^[5][6][7]

Award winners

Team of the season

Three Mystics players were included in Brendon Egan's Stuff's team of the season.

All Star Seven

Position	Player
GS	Grace Nweke
WD	Michaela Sokolich-Beatson

Bench

Positions	Player
GK, GD	Phoenix Karaka

Source:^[27]

Mystics Awards

Award	Winner
MG Motor Fans Choice	Phoenix Karaka
He Kakano	Carys Stythe
Manawaroa	Peta Toeava
Barfoot & Thompson MVP Fitzpatrick Medal	Grace Nweke Peta Toeava
H Toa Matarau (Supreme Award)	Michaela Sokolich-Beatson

Source:^[9]