Teige Morrell

Teige Morrell (née Zeller; born December 8, 1995) is an American professional basketball player for the Perth Lynx of the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL). She played college basketball for the Nevada Wolf Pack before playing professionally in Australia. She won the NBL1 Central MVP in 2019 with the Woodville Warriors and then spent a season with the Bendigo Spirit in the WNBL. In 2021, she helped the Southern Tigers win the NBL1 Central championship behind another MVP season. She joined the Joondalup Wolves in 2022 and earned All-NBL1 West First Team honors in 2022 and 2023.

Teige Morrell
No. 7 – Perth Lynx
PositionPower forward / Center
LeagueWNBL
Personal information
Born (1995-12-08) December 8, 1995
Dubai, UAE
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Career information
High schoolLos Lunas
(Los Lunas, New Mexico)
CollegeNevada (2014–2018)
WNBA draft2018: undrafted
Playing career2019–present
Career history
2019Woodville Warriors
2019–2020Bendigo Spirit
2021Southern Tigers
2022–2023Joondalup Wolves
2023–presentPerth Lynx
Career highlights and awards

Early life

Morrell was born in Dubai, United Arab Emirates,[1] to an American father, Marty, and a Zimbabwean mother, Gael.[2] She was the couple's third child; her two older brothers, Roman and Weston, were born in Australia and Cyprus respectively.[2] Her parents met in Perth, Western Australia,[3] and had been globetrotters while her father played or coached basketball in Europe, Australia and the Middle East. The family moved to the United States in 1999 and settled down in New Mexico, where her younger brother Zanen was born.[2]

Morrell attended Los Lunas High School in Los Lunas, New Mexico. Between 2010 and 2014, she played for the girls basketball team coached by her father. She was a two-time All-Metro Player of the Year, two-time Defensive Player of the Year, two-time state basketball tournament MVP, two-time District 6 AAAA Player of the Year, and three-time first-team All-State. The team won a district and state championship in her junior year in 2012–13 and a district title in her senior year in 2013–14.[4] In high school, she also competed in cross country, tennis, volleyball, and track.[4]

College career

As a freshman at Nevada in 2014–15, Morrell appeared in 29 games with two starts, averaging 2.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in 10.0 minutes per game.[4] She had a season-high eight rebounds against Utah State on February 11, and a season-high nine points against New Mexico on February 14.[4]

As a sophomore in 2015–16, Morrell appeared in all 30 games with 21 starts, averaging 7.3 points and 5.9 rebounds in 24.0 minutes per game.[4] She scored in double figures in nine games and posted two double-doubles, including 11 points and a season-high 18 rebounds against San Jose State on February 17, and a season-high 17 points and 13 rebounds against Boise State on March 1.[4]

As a junior in 2016–17, Morrell appeared in all 30 games with 18 starts, averaging 5.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 19.7 minutes per game.[4] She had a season-high 16 rebounds in a triple-overtime win over Hawaii on December 18, and a season-high 14 points against San Diego State on February 12.[5]

As a senior in 2017–18, Morrell played and started in all 36 games, averaging 14.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 28.2 minutes per game.[4] She scored in double figures in 31 games and recorded a career-high 12 double-doubles and six 20-point games, which included career highs of 24 points and 19 rebounds against Stanislaus State on December 12.[4] She was subsequently named to the All-Mountain West Team.[6][7] She helped the Wolf Pack reach the final of the 2018 Mountain West tournament, where they lost 62–60 to Boise State despite 14 points from Morrell.[8] She was subsequently named to the all-tournament team.[9]

In each of her first three seasons, Morrell earned Mountain West Scholar-Athlete honors and was named to the All-Mountain West academic team.[4]

Following her senior season, Morrell toured internationally with Athletes in Action.[10]

Professional career

Morrell moved to Australia in 2019 to play for the Woodville Warriors of the South Australian Premier League.[11] She was named league MVP and All-Star Five after averaging 22 points and 13 rebounds per game.[12][13]

On October 18, 2019, Morrell signed with the Bendigo Spirit of the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) as a short-term injury replacement for Rebecca Tobin.[14] She played three games in her first stint.[15] She re-joined the Spirit in January 2020 as an injury replacement for Marté Grays[16][17][18] and played five more games to finish the 2019–20 WNBL season.[15] In eight games, she averaged 1.8 points and 2.8 rebounds per game.[19]

Morrell was set to play for the Southern Tigers in the rebranded NBL1 Central in 2020,[20] but the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[21][22]

Morrell made her debut for the Southern Tigers in the 2021 NBL1 Central season. She was again named league MVP and All-Star Five after averaging 23.1 points and 12.4 rebounds per game.[23][24] She helped the Tigers reach the NBL1 Central grand final, where they defeated the North Adelaide Rockets 87–77 to win the championship. Morrell was named grand final MVP after recording 27 points and 16 rebounds.[25]

On October 4, 2021, Morrell signed a two-year deal with the Joondalup Wolves of the NBL1 West.[26][27] In the 2022 season, she was named to the All-NBL1 West First Team.[28] In 22 games, she averaged 21.64 points, 11.18 rebounds, 3.55 assists and 1.32 steals per game.[29]

Morrell re-joined the Wolves for the 2023 NBL1 West season.[30] She was named to the All-NBL1 West First Team for the second straight year.[31] In 22 games, she averaged 22.0 points, 12.23 rebounds, 3.05 assists, 1.18 steals and 1.41 blocks per game.[32]

Morrell joined the Perth Lynx as a development player for the 2023–24 WNBL season.[33][34]

Personal life

Morrell's father, Marty, played basketball at New Mexico Military Institute (NMMI) and Baylor University.[4] He then spent 14 years as a professional basketball coach.[35] Her brother, Weston, also played basketball at NMMI.[4]

Her husband, David Morrell, is an American basketball coach who also attended the University of Nevada.[11] He accompanied Teige to Australia in 2019 and has coached at the same club in each of her playing seasons.[3][12][36][37]

She is a Christian.[35]

References
  1. "Meet the Pack: Teige Zeller". nevadawolfpack.com. November 7, 2014. Archived from the original on July 1, 2023.
  2. Murray, Chris (January 11, 2018). "Dubai born, New Mexico raised, Teige Zeller has blossomed at Nevada". Reno Gazette-Journal. Archived from the original on July 1, 2023.
  3. Montesano, Julia (May 27, 2021). ""Full-time basketball" for determined Morrells". nbl1.com.au. Archived from the original on July 1, 2023.
  4. "Teige Zeller". nevadawolfpack.com. Archived from the original on July 1, 2023.
  5. "Teige Zeller Game Log 2016–17". ESPN.com. Archived from the original on July 1, 2023.
  6. "Mountain West Announces 2017-18 Women's Basketball All-Conference Team". themw.com. March 5, 2018. Archived from the original on July 1, 2023.
  7. "Zeller named to All-Mountain West team". nevadawolfpack.com. March 5, 2018. Archived from the original on July 1, 2023.
  8. "Coleman's buzzer beater hands Mountain West title to Boise". ESPN.com. March 9, 2018. Archived from the original on July 1, 2023.
  9. Anderson, Mark (March 9, 2018). "Boise State women defeat UNR for Mountain West title". reviewjournal.com. Archived from the original on July 1, 2023.
  10. "Zeller selected as a MW nominee for NCAA Woman of the Year". nevadawolfpack.com. August 16, 2018. Archived from the original on July 1, 2023.
  11. "Players & Coach Announcement". Westside Basketball Association. February 17, 2019. Archived from the original on July 1, 2023.
  12. "Zeller named MVP of Premier League". nevadawolfpack.com. September 11, 2019. Archived from the original on July 1, 2023.
  13. "The 2019 Premier League Halls Woollacott Awards". Premier League. July 25, 2019. Archived from the original on July 1, 2023.
  14. "SPIRIT SIGN TEIGE MORRELL AS SHORT-TERM INJURY REPLACEMENT". wnbl.basketball/bendigo. October 18, 2019. Archived from the original on July 1, 2023.
  15. "Teige Morrell Game Log". wnbl.basketball. Archived from the original on July 1, 2023.
  16. "Teige Morrell is back at the Spirit as a short term injury replacement for Marté Grays". facebook.com/BendigoSpirit. January 7, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  17. O'Donoghue, Craig (January 12, 2020). "Lynx plot to stop former Perth star Carley Ernst". thewest.com.au. Archived from the original on July 1, 2023. The Spirit have signed Teige Morrell a temporary injury replacement player for the second time this season.
  18. Iles, Kieran (January 16, 2020). "Morrell better prepared second time around". bendigoadvertiser.com.au. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  19. "Teige Morrell". wnbl.basketball. Archived from the original on July 1, 2023.
  20. "PLAYER SIGNING | PL Women's". facebook.com/southerntigers.ba. September 5, 2019. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  21. "NBL1 Season Cancelled". NBL.com.au. March 24, 2020. Archived from the original on April 18, 2023. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  22. Melki, Taylah (May 22, 2020). "NBL1 Central women's team summary: Woodville Warriors". central.rookieme.com. Archived from the original on July 1, 2023.
  23. Murray, Chris (August 24, 2021). "Nevada basketball alum Teige Morrell named MVP of semi-pro league in Australia". nevadasportsnet.com. Archived from the original on July 1, 2023.
  24. "Turnage and Morrell Crowned NBL1 Central MVPs". basketballsa.com.au. August 24, 2021. Archived from the original on April 7, 2023. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  25. "Tigers claw on to claim second Championship in Era". nbl1.com.au. September 11, 2021. Archived from the original on March 17, 2022. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  26. "MVP Signs with Wolves". Wanneroo Basketball Association. October 4, 2021. Archived from the original on July 1, 2023.
  27. Everett, Lachlan (July 21, 2022). "Teige Morrell finding the perfect balance in basketball". nbl1.com.au. Archived from the original on July 1, 2023.
  28. "BWA AWARDS NIGHT – AWARD WINNERS AND HALL OF FAME". BasketballWA.asn.au. August 14, 2022. Archived from the original on August 27, 2022. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  29. "Teige Morrell – 2022". nbl1.com.au. Archived from the original on July 1, 2023.
  30. "Teige Morrell – 2023". nbl1.com.au. Retrieved July 1, 2023.
  31. "2023 BWA AWARDS NIGHT, NBL1 WEST & HALL OF FAME – AWARD WINNERS". BasketballWA.asn.au. July 23, 2023. Archived from the original on July 26, 2023. Retrieved July 23, 2023.
  32. "Teige Morrell – 2023". nbl1.com.au. Archived from the original on September 14, 2023.
  33. "Perth Lynx sign Teige Morrell". australiabasket.com. September 25, 2023. Archived from the original on September 25, 2023. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  34. "DP CLASS OF 2023-24". wnbl.basketball/perth. September 26, 2023. Archived from the original on September 28, 2023. Retrieved September 28, 2023.
  35. Lee, Emanuel (January 10, 2013). "Teige Zeller uses faith, determination to power Los Lunas girls basketball". maxpreps.com. Archived from the original on July 1, 2023.
  36. "2019 Women's Team". Westside Basketball Association. Archived from the original on July 1, 2023.
  37. "Wolfpack Welcomes Player & Coach Development Manager and NBL1 Men's Head Coach". Wanneroo Basketball Association. September 29, 2021. Archived from the original on July 1, 2023.
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