Bates spent all of about 30 seconds on the court during Otago's successful defence of its national netball championship title in Dunedin earlier this month.
She fractured a bone in her left ankle in the first game and had to watch the rest of the campaign from the sidelines.
Her ankle is in a splint and she is using crutches to get around. But that will not prevent her from joining some of her team-mates at a wheelchair basketball tournament organised for tomorrow as part of the Anza challenge.
''I'm looking forward to it,'' she said.
''It was a bit hard sitting on the bench for that whole week and this is something for me to do other than sitting on my bottom.''
Otago upset Auckland in the semifinal and then went on to beat Hamilton 54-53 in the final.
Bates could barely watch the final moments, but did have her eyes open long enough to see Te Paea Selby-Rickit land a penalty shot with time up on the clock to seal the win.
''I couldn't even watch. I was sitting beside Lauren [Piebenga, Otago coach] saying `You're going to have to tell me what is happening, I can't even look'.
''Then Clare [Malthus, Otago manager] said, `Don't go quiet on them Batesy' because I just sat there and didn't know what I was feeling. I couldn't look, I couldn't speak but just to see that goal go through was awesome.''
Joining Bates are Otago defenders Storm Purvis and Celina Ledgard as well as Silver Ferns back-up shooter Jodi Brown and former international Jo Morrison.
The teams will be briefed on how to play wheelchair basketball and given some coaching by Otago Panthers wheelchair basketball player Ryan Standring.
The Anza Challenge is a transtasman sports race which got under way in Wellington yesterday.
The race involves teams of sports stars and celebrities representing New Zealand and Australia, who will run, row, cycle and sail more than 1300km around New Zealand while raising funds for charities on both sides of the ditch, including the Halberg Disability Sport Foundation.
Dunedin-based world champion cyclist Alison Shanks is part of the New Zealand team.
The teams race from Nelson to Christchurch today and from Christchurch to Dunedin tomorrow. Once the teams arrive in the city there is a race up the world's steepest street, Baldwin St, to look forward to.
The finishing post for the Christchurch to Dunedin leg is in the Octagon and teams are expected to arrive between 5.30-6pm.
The wheelchair basketball tournament is a supporting event for the Anza Challenge.
