The sidelined Southern Steel captain was brimming with pride as she watched her side beat the Mainland Tactix to advance to their first ANZ Premiership final in eight years.
“I just feel so proud. I started crying,’’ Poi told the Otago Daily Times.
“Just to see the performance that they put out there. It was another step up.’’
Poi was ruled out of the competition earlier this month.
She is nursing a calf complaint and plans to return for the Silver Ferns at the Commonwealth Games.
But the influential leader has still been using her voice to help guide her Steel team-mates from the sidelines, even if she admits she is more nervous watching than being on court.
The Steel are gearing up to meet the Northern Mystics in the final in Auckland tomorrow night for their first shot at the title since they went back-to-back in 2017-18.
Poi, who is in her second season with the Steel, knew what it meant to the franchise to be back in the playoffs.
“Last year we were so close to getting to this point but we were just too far away.
“I think it just shows with the turnout of the crowd [this season] ... we just want to do it for them.
“Obviously for ourselves as well. We can’t wait.’’
The Steel went up by six after the first quarter in the elimination final and never relinquished their lead, which made Poi proud.
“I think in previous games, probably earlier on in the season, we’ve built a lead and teams have really come back at us.
“I think just sustaining that pressure and keeping it on all the way to the end.’’
That will be crucial against the Mystics, who qualified top of the table to advance straight to the final.
The Steel lost 61-53 in extra time when they last met the Mystics on May 31.
“Obviously it’s going to be a tough one going up to the Mystics.
“Our last game against them, if we took away the extra time, it was actually a really close game.
“I think we were still building some new combinations because that was the first game I was out.
“I definitely think we’ve improved since then.’’
Poi has been tracking well with her rehab and is “ticking lots of the boxes that I’m supposed to be ticking at the moment’’.
The 26-cap Silver Fern was named for her first pinnacle event last week, booking her spot for Glasgow alongside Steel team-mates Georgia Heffernan and Carys Stythe. Aliyah Dunn has been named as a non-travelling reserve.
They have all been standouts for the Steel this season, under head coach Wendy Frew and assistant Jess Whitfort.
“Wendy’s such an awesome coach,’’ Poi said.
“She is very much people-first rather than an athlete and is really looking after us, especially lots of the girls that are away from home.
“But then equally Jess has come in and added some great knowledge and I think they really complement each other.
“I think we’ve just got a good culture down here that everyone wants to be a part of.’’
