As part of NAIDOC Week and the NBL1 First Nations Round, we’re celebrating the voices, stories, and journeys of our First Nations athletes and shine a spotlight on Melbourne Tigers’ NBL1 Women’s guard, Indiah Bowyer.
Indiah proudly identifies with the Binthi Warra and Dhaarba Warra Indigenous groups on her mother’s side and Olkola on her father’s side. Her journey into basketball began with a competitive household: “All five of my older brothers were really into [Rugby] league,” she explains. “Mum and Dad wanted me to have a sport as well, so I tried a lot of different things. But when I went to my first basketball session, I just loved it.”
From that first session, Indiah found her passion. “I started to get really competitive and just wanted to learn. I even met my best friend Shaneice [Swain]. So, I never switched sports after that.”
For Indiah, her biggest influence came from close to home, her uncle, NRL great Matty Bowen. “He was just an athlete and how dedicated he was to his job was something I really admired,” she says. “Coming from a small Indigenous community, he made everyone so proud. He’ll always be my favourite athlete.”
Indiah’s journey to Melbourne Tigers was inspired by conversations with former players and staff. “Just from speaking to Kaleb [Sclater] and even past players, they all said how much they enjoyed playing for the club. And Ella [Tofaeono] coming here definitely helped my decision too.”
As we celebrate First Nations Round, Indiah’s story is a reminder of the deep cultural significance that sport can hold. We honour her journey, her heritage, and everything she brings to Melbourne Tigers family.
