But the 18-year-old New Zealand under-21 squad member is also realistic about the prospects of getting much court time in the ANZ Championship when it begins this weekend.
The Christchurch-born Samoan will have to bide her time with Daneka Wipiiti and Megan Dehn forming the first choice combination in the shooting circle.
But Naoupu and her flat-mate, team-mate Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit, also a shooter, will be pushing hard for opportunities.
"It's good sitting on the bench learning but hopefully I'll get at least two quarters on court by the end of the season.
"It is not so bad cheering everyone else but I definitely want to get on.''
Naoupu turned 18 on March 1 and is the youngest member of the team.
Moving to Invercargill and leaving her family and friends behind was a huge upheaval for the teenager.
"Not having the support of family physically being around you was tough for the first couple of weeks, but after a while you get used to being independent. It was a bit scary at first but it's also really exciting moving down here and flatting.''
A product of Christchurch Girls High School, Naoupu played for the Canterbury Flames in the National Bank Cup last year and got some valuable court time when Shelley Norris was injured.
With the Canterbury Tactix picking up former Otago Rebel Jodi Brown (nee Te Huna) and the Flyers Hayley Stockman, and opting for promising youngster Ellen Halpenny, Naoupu tried her luck with the Steel.
Having the opportunity to learn her trade from the Steel's coaching staff of Robyn Broughton and dual basketball and netball international Donna Wilkins was a fantastic opportunity, she said.
"I was pleased to get a contract here to play with the Steel, especially with the experience of Donna Wilkins and Robyn Broughton.''
Naoupu did not start playing netball until she was 12 and then it was as a defender. But her team was desperately short of shooters one day and she was "shoved out there''.
She has not looked back since and spends at least an hour each day practising her trade. It gets a "wee bit boring'' shooting hoops but she keeps things interesting by setting little challenges.
Naoupu, "just like every other netballer'', hopes to be playing for the Silvers Ferns within five years.
While she is very much a project for the future, one injury or a form slump for one of her team-mates and the youngster could find herself out in the middle.
