Bates (22) had just returned to New Zealand after a 24-hour flight from Europe after playing limited overs cricket for the White Ferns against England.
"Suzie walked off the plane at 6.30am, we picked her up and took her back to our motel," Otago coach Brent Matehaere told the Otago Daily Times.
"She was on the court at 11am and slotted back easily into the team."
Otago beat the Waikato Wizards 58-50 in a tight game in New Zealand women's basketball's second qualifying tournament.
Otago trailed by two points before the final quarter but its strong defence shut Waikato down.
The other main scorers for Otago were Patrice McKenzie 17, and Janet Main and Samara Gallaher, who both scored nine points.
It was Otago's third win of the competition and ensured the team qualified for the nationals in Dunedin next month.
Otago completed a successful first two days when it beat Mount Albert Grammar 68-43 in its final game.
On the first day of competition, Otago beat the Hamilton-based New Zealand Force Cougars 63-54 and the Palmerston North Storm 65-54.
• Guard Corey Webster has been ruled out of contention for the New Zealand men's basketball squad for the world championship in Turkey after being suspended for two months for cannabis use, NZPA reports.
With Webster having started serving a provisional suspension since June 23, the ban imposed by the Sports Tribunal runs through to August 23, five days before the Tall Blacks open their campaign against Lithuania.
Coach Nenad Vucinic said the North Harbour and New Zealand Breakers player was out of contention for the tournament, with the ban including not being able to practise.
"It's definitely disappointing for us not to have a choice of picking Corey in the team," he told journalists.
"He has made a wrong choice and unfortunately he has to pay for it as well as us and people around him."
Webster (21) tested positive for cannabis use after a national league match between North Harbour and Hawkes Bay on June 21.
