BENDIGO Bank Spirit coach Simon Pritchard is counting on new recruit Ashleigh Karaitiana adding plenty of toughness and skill to the back-court.

Karaitiana, a former Australian under-19 player, joins the Spirit after a stint with the University of Hawaii in the NCAA.

The 182 centimetre guard has been playing in the South East Australian Basketball League with the Brisbane Spartans.

She is averaging 12.8 points per game and 1.8 assists.

Second-year coach Pritchard is building the Spirit around toughness and believed they don't come any tougher than Karaitiana.

He said the former Hawaii guard was a strong shooter and had a defensive game the envy of a lot of players.

“Last season in Hawaii she took more than 20 charges on defence, while fouling out only four times for the year,” he said.

“She scored double figures 21 times, a team high, and led the block count in four games.

“Ashleigh is a special player, a real threat at both ends of the court. 

"She will fit in well with the style of play we are looking developing for this coming season.”

The versatile New Zealand-born Karaitiana played small forward in 2011 for Australia’s under-19 national team on the China tour and the World Championships in Chile, where she saw action in seven games.

She averaged 2.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 0.7 assists per game.

She also represented Australia at under-17 level.

Karaitiana, who averaged 10 points per game and five rebounds in her senior year at Hawaii, said she was looking forward to reuniting with some former teammates in Bendigo.

"It was an easy decision to become a part of the Bendigo Spirit this season with Simon’s persistence during my last year at college,” she said.

“I am especially looking forward to playing with Kerryn Harrington and Nadeen Payne again, the last time being 2011 at the U19 World Championships.

“I have heard great things about the support from the Bendigo community and the direction that the club is taking and I’m excited to be a part of it."

araitiana recorded 13 points, six rebounds and three steals in the Spartans' 81-63 win against the Dandenong Rangers.

She had 14 points and 10 rebounds in a 29 point win over the Bendigo Lady Braves in week 10.

Her signing takes the Spirit’s squad to nine in for the 2016-17 WNBL season.

She joins US import Blake Dietrick (Seattle Storm) and returning guards Harrington and Heather Oliver in the back-court.

Also signed by the Spirit are two-time WNBL championship players Kelsey Griffin and Gabe Richards, Canadian international Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe, power forward Payne and young forward Ashleigh ‘Splash’ Spencer.