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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsCharlisse Leger-Walker joined the Tokomanawa Queens for the 2026 Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa season after her rookie year with the Connecticut Sun. Her reasons, as she explained them publicly, were the chance to play with her sister Krystal, return home after years away, and contribute to the growth of women’s basketball in New Zealand. The available reports do not establish that she gave up rest or recovery to do it.
Why did Charlisse Leger-Walker return to play in New Zealand?
The decision grew from a conversation with her older sister, Krystal, who was planning to play another Tauihi season. Leger-Walker told Sport Nation that the idea began lightly: “When I figured out that she was going to play again in the Tauihi League, I thought ‘maybe I’ll just see if I can come back and play’. It started as a joke and then it got really serious real quick.”
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The sisters had not played together since their time at Washington State. Leger-Walker told Pacific Media Network that injuries and Krystal having a baby had kept their paths from crossing as they had hoped. The Queens signing offered a chance to share the court again.
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Leger-Walker said she had not been home for longer than two weeks at a time during the previous six years. Playing in New Zealand meant a chance to see friends and family and reconnect with people at home. “It feels like the right time and right kind of next step in my professional career, and what a better place to come home and play in front of friends and family again,” she told Sport Nation.
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She also saw it as a career step and a way to grow the game
Leger-Walker described the move as the right next step in her professional career. She also said she wanted to help grow basketball, particularly for women: “I really want to help the game grow, especially for the women, and what better time to do it than right now.”
She had just completed her rookie season with Connecticut. Sport Nation reported that she was selected 18th overall in the 2026 WNBA Draft, while Pacific Media Network reported 39 Sun appearances, averaging 7.0 points and 3.6 assists per game. Those figures describe her reported rookie-season record, not a league-wide average. Both outlets also reported that she scored a career-high 17 points against the Golden State Valkyries.
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What is known about the off-season and rest claim?
Leger-Walker said that many WNBA players play elsewhere during the off-season and spoke about her own off-season plans. But the reports do not say she sacrificed a recovery period, that playing in New Zealand prevented her from resting, or that she chose the Queens over a named overseas offer. “Gave up off-season rest” therefore goes beyond what her public explanation establishes; the supported description is that she chose to play in New Zealand during the WNBA off-season.
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What was the reported Tauihi schedule?
Before the season began, Pacific Media Network reported that the 2026 Tauihi season was scheduled to start on September 25, with the Queens’ Porirua home opener against Northern Kāhu set for September 27. It reported a 12-week season ending with the December 13 grand final. Those are advance schedule details; they do not establish Leger-Walker’s appearances or match results.
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Sport Nation’s signing report and Pacific Media Network’s report detail her reasons and the season context. Sport Nation also published an interview about her decision.
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