Tall Fern Whittaker commits to Capitals

The UC Capitals announced on Thursday that they are welcoming a second New Zealand Tall Fern to their WNBL27 roster, with Charlotte Whittaker committing to the club on a two-year contract, pending League review and approval.

Forward Whittaker heads to Canberra after spending her debut WNBL season with the Adelaide Lightning, where she was brought in as an injury replacement player at the end of 2025.

“Off the back of an impressive rookie season with Adelaide, Charlotte brings strength, toughness and scoring power, and we can’t wait to see her in Caps colours,” Caps Executive General Manager Christy Collier-Hill said.

After securing her first taste of WNBL, Whittaker, who joins fellow Tall Fern Sharne Robati on the roster, is eager to embrace a new challenge in Caps colours and take her game even further.

“I loved the competitiveness of the league in my first season, and I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to play at that level,” Whittaker said.

“What drew me to the Caps was the culture they’ve built within the club, the genuine support they show their players, and the opportunity to continue developing my game in a supportive but challenging environment.”

Caps Head Coach Paul Goriss praised Whittaker’s physicality, rebounding and defensive presence as key strengths in her game.

“Charlotte provides a strong presence at 6’3” on the defensive end of the floor,” Goriss said.

“In the minutes she played in the WNBL last season, she impressed me with her physicality, toughness and relentless rebounding.

“She sets a physical tone with her post defence, uses her body well to create deep seals in the paint and has the ability to face up and attack, which is something we’ll encourage her to be more assertive with.”

Whittaker made her Tall Ferns national team debut in 2024 at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup Pre-Qualifying Tournament, suiting up alongside her younger sister Lauren Whittaker.

This WNBL season, she will join Robati and Tall Ferns Head Coach Nat Hurst in Canberra, with the trio reuniting after travelling together for the FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualifiers in March.

“I’m excited to continue working alongside Nat and Sharne and keep building those relationships,” Whittaker said.

“Having that familiarity and support around me is really special, and they both bring such genuine energy and positivity to the team environment.

“I think it’s going to be a lot of fun both on and off the court.”

Playing her junior basketball in New Zealand, Whittaker moved to the US for college after being recruited to the University of Colorado, reaching the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament in her senior season and playing 114 Division I games.

Following her college career, Whittaker went on to play professionally in France with Toulouse Métropole Basket, winning the second-ranked Ligue 2 title before returning home to New Zealand to play for the Mainland Pouākai.

Whittaker is now playing in the NBL1 North with the South West Metro Pirates and is averaging 9 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists per game.

Whittaker is the sixth player on the Caps roster, joining Nyadiew Puoch, Isa Brancatisano, Robati, Amy Atwell, and Isabel Palmer.