When Jemyma Manyok first picked up a basketball at the age of 12, the idea of representing her country wasn't really a consideration.
Just over five years later; she’s competing in her fifth campaign for Australia.
The 6’5” centre / forward has had a remarkable journey from killing time at social basketball in Queensland to being one of the most exciting prospects in Australian women’s basketball.
As many things often do in life, it all started with a nudge from mum.
“The first time I started playing basketball was in grade seven. My mum signed me up for a club and it was just on Monday nights, so it was just pretty chill, I didn't take it seriously,” Manyok recalls.
As a late starter to the game, Manyok was not in tandem with the traditional basketball pathway and means of talent identification.
Regardless of that, she presented key characteristics that would help her close the gap and excel beyond that.
“She has an exceptional ability to absorb new information, process feedback and translate it into action remarkably quickly,” says Mel Downer, Head Coach – Centre of Excellence.
“Her capacity to learn and adapt has allowed her to close gaps in her development that would ordinarily take athletes years to bridge,” added Downer.
“There is still so much she is learning, but that's also what makes her potential so exciting. We are only beginning to discover what she is capable of.”
A running theme throughout Jemyma Maynok’s story will be incredible leaps of progress.
She started out playing competitively with the Ipswich Force in Division 2 representative basketball, and then eventually set her sights on representing Queensland at the Foot Locker National Championships.
Despite being initially overlooked for tryouts at the U16 level, on brand, she jumped two steps on the next attempt to earn selection in the U18 team for Queensland South in 2025.
Although she would unfortunately miss that tournament due to injury, another opportunity materialised right next to it.
A Queensland team manager relayed her progress to David Herbert, Head Coach of the Centre of Excellence women’s program, who set up a private workout. Herbert quickly noticed the tangibles of a quietly competitive, athletic, but raw talent emerging.
“He (Herbert) just asked me on the spot, you have to come to the Under-15 Oceania camp. And then I went, next thing I had been offered a scholarship to the Centre of Excellence.”
She accepted. And the change of scenery from Ipswich to Canberra provided the opportunity to train and compete amongst the best basketball talent in Australia.
“It was fun and all, but the competition jumped coming here obviously. But I learned to adapt to it,” she says.
“Just playing against people that push you harder made me better. It's helped me so much. Just having everything in one spot, it's been so convenient. I've got in the gym, I've improved my schoolwork, people keeping me on track every day. It's just been so good.”
Manyok now presents as one of the most intriguing prospects amidst an exciting generation of Australian women’s basketball.
At just 17 years of age, she has already competed in five international campaigns, yielding gold medals in all continental tournaments.
Recently, she played an important part in the bronze campaign for the Sapphires at the FIBA U17 Women’s World Cup in Czechia. The World Cup exposure allowed Manyok to measure herself against some of the best emerging players around the world.
Manyok clearly has the physical tools to make an impact around the basket, but the World Cup reinforced the importance of developing a holistic game.
“It was so good, getting a taste of different play styles from around the world and just matching up against them,” she says.
“Just to not only rely on my length but also my skill set because there's people out there just like me.”
In sports cliches, they often say the sky is the limit for emerging stars.
This sentiment rings true for Jemyma, both in potential as a basketballer and her recent international air travel.
Regardless of where the game takes her, Jemyma will continue taking her family with her. In particular, the mother who pushed her from the very beginning.
“My mum doesn't understand basketball. She's never played basketball one day in her life, but she's learnt it for me, and she's been pushing me every single day,” she says.
Catch Jemyma and the Australian Gems competing in the FIBA U18 Asia Cup. Australia face off in the final tonight against Japan,
