SUVA (Fiji) - Ranadi Koroi’s basketball story begins long before the medals, the history‑making qualifications, and the Commonwealth Games jersey she wore in Glasgow. It starts in Raiwaqa, a community on the out-skirts of Suva, on the court that shaped her, surrounded by the people who taught her to love the game and the community she now gives back to every day. At just 22, she has become one of Fiji’s most influential young women in basketball, a player and leader whose journey reflects the power of opportunity, representation, and belief for girls across Oceania.
Ranadi first represented Fiji in 2018 at the FIBA U15 Women’s Oceania Cup, a moment that opened her world to international basketball and showed her what was possible for a young girl from Raiwaqa. That tournament planted the seed for everything that followed. She carried the pride of that first jersey into every training session, every community program, and every new challenge that came her way.
Five years later, she stepped into a new chapter when she played her first-ever game of 3x3 at the Pacific Games in 2023. The discipline suited her immediately, fast, fearless, expressive, and demanding the kind of resilience she had built on the Raiwaqa court. It was the beginning of a rise that would take her from regional competition to global qualification.
"I was shocked that Coach Earl messaged me and told me that I was selected to be part of the team that was going to play because we were playing with senior players," Koroi said. I didn't know there was a 3x3 team at that time ... I was 18 at that time and at first I was like a bit scared, a bit nervous, but then going with the three girls, Matila, Estelle and Moana, I felt comfortable and like this crew is a fun crew so everything's okay."
In 2025, Ranadi travelled to Palau for the Pacific Mini Games, where she and her teammates delivered one of the most significant achievements in Fiji women’s basketball history. Their performance secured Fiji’s first-ever qualification to the FIBA 3x3 U23 World Cup, a breakthrough that placed the nation on the world stage and signalled the strength of women’s basketball in Oceania. That result also earned Fiji a place at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where Ranadi will make her debut. For her, the Commonwealth Games is not just another milestone; it is the culmination of years of commitment, sacrifice, and belief in what Fiji’s women can achieve when given the platform to shine.
But Ranadi’s impact stretches far beyond her achievements as an athlete. She is a Basketball For Good Coach with Basketball Fiji, working daily with children and youth to build confidence, connection, and life skills through sport. She teaches on the same court she grew up on, guiding young girls who see themselves in her and boys who learn from her leadership. Her influence is grounded in authenticity, she is not removed from her community; she is part of it, shaping it, and lifting it.
Being a Basketball For Good Coach is fun for me because I'm supporting kids through sport and sports are the only thing that keeps kids away from negative behaviour in our community. Basketball brings the community together and I can see the kids changing their mindset to positive.
Her leadership was recognised when she joined the FIBA Foundation Youth Leaders Program in 2025, where she learned how to design and deliver community projects that use basketball to address social challenges. This year she took part in the Basketball For Good Facilitator Workshop in Fiji, strengthening her ability to create safe, inclusive spaces for young people and to use sport as a tool for empowerment. These experiences have shaped her into a leader who understands that basketball is more than a game; it is a pathway, a platform, and a catalyst for change.
Ranadi stands today as one of the most compelling examples of what Women in Basketball looks like in Oceania.
She is an athlete who has risen through every stage of the pathway, a coach who invests in her community, and a young woman whose visibility inspires girls across Fiji to dream bigger. Her journey shows that leadership can come from grassroots courts, that international opportunities can grow from local passion, and that women across Oceania will continue to redefine what is possible in sport.
As the world celebrates the International Day of the Girl Child, Ranadi’s story is a reminder of the power of representation.
She is more than a role model; she is creating new pathways for women in basketball. She is shaping the future of Fiji basketball not only through the games she plays, but through the lives she touches.