Tasmania Jewels lock-in their first Tasmanian Rostered Player

The Tasmania Jewels will today announce their first Tasmanian rostered player, the knockdown three-point shooter Taylor Mole.  

The 27-year-old wing is over the moon to be heading back home after she was forced to leave Tasmania a decade ago to pursue her dream of playing professional basketball.  

“I was 16 years old and in Grade 11 at St Mary’s when I moved,” Mole said. “I knew it was my only choice if I wanted to play basketball at the highest level.  

“Now, to be able to move back home, to play for a Tasmanian WNBL team, it means everything to me, it’s everything I dreamed of as a kid.”

Mole has the huge honour of being the first Tasmanian rostered player to commit to the Jewels, leading fellow Tasmanian Development Players Nikki Parker and Andie Smith.  

“It gives me goosebumps, I’m so honoured. I was that little kid who looked up to our local players and dreamed of being like them one day. I’d hang around after games wanting to get a single high five from a player.  

“Now, I have the privilege of being part of an elite women’s team that can be that to little girls and boys now, and see their faces light up, I just can’t wait.”

Mole is an Australian Institute of Sport Centre of Excellence alumni, she played college basketball in the US and has made a stamp on the WNBL with Adelaide and Geelong.  

But Mole said she has never played with a team with the depth of experience that the Tasmania Jewels is recruiting.  

“We’ll be competitive from the jump,” Mole said. “Steph (Reid) is one of the best point guards going around anywhere, then you add in Darcee (Garbin) and Keely (Froling), and it doesn’t get much better than that. I’ve never been part of a team with this level of experience, and leadership, I’m just going to be a sponge and soak up everything.”

Jewels Coach Claudia Brassards said adding Mole to the Jewels strengthens the line-up.

“Taylor is one of the best talents to come out of Tassie,” Brassard said. “She’s long, athletic, and can shoot the ball at a really good rate, she’s a knockdown three-point shooter.

“On top of that, anyone you talk to about Taylor will tell you she’s the best person, she comes highly recommended and regarded by her teammates and that tells you a lot.  

“She’s going to win games for us, and she clearly has a future ahead of her in leadership too.”

Tasmania Jewels Foundation Principal Partner St Lukes Head of Community Engagement Nikki Long said having Taylor visit students at her former school today was just a sample of the excitement young Tasmanians will share in when Taylor takes to the home court.

“Today is about showing young Tasmanians what’s possible on and off the court and having more than 200 students here to experience the energy of a live game day brings that to life in a really powerful way,” Long said.

“There’s something special about seeing young Tasmanians in the stands today and knowing players like Taylor were once in their shoes.

“That’s why partnerships like this matter – they create opportunities for connection, confidence and long-term wellbeing.”

Mole will join the team, pending WNBL review and approval, alongside Steph Reid, Darcee Garbin and Keely Froling as rostered players committed to the Jewels. They join local Development Players, Tasmanians Nikki Parker and Andie Smith.  

The opportunity for Tasmania Jewels membership will open in July.

The season will start in October, with the Jewels playing half their games in Hobart at the MyState Bank Arena and half in Launceston at the Silverdome. 

‍