Matthew Mooney
- Nationality: USA
- Date of Birth: 07/02/1997
- Place of Birth: Chicago, Illinois (USA)
- Position: GRD
- Height (CM): 193
- Weight (KG): 90
- Junior Assoc:
- College: Air Force (2014–2015) / South Dakota (2016–2018) / Texas Tech (2018–2019)
NBL CAREER OVERVIEW
TEAM HISTORY
- New Zealand2025
CHAMPIONSHIPS
NoneBIO: Matthew Mooney was born in Chicago, Illinois (USA).
FAMILY: Mooney has a younger brother Joe who is also a basketball player.
NBL EXPERIENCE
Matthew Mooney made his NBL debut with the New Zealand Breakers at 27 years of age. He scored 10 points in his first game.
New Zealand entered the off-season after finishing sixth with a 13-15 record, defeating Sydney 83-76 in the first play-in game before an 88-85 loss to Illawarra ended its season. Anthony Lamb (to Trento), William McDowell-White (to Berlin), Izayah Le’Afa (to Sydney), Justinian Jessup (to Ulm), Finn Delany (to Shizuoka), Mantas Rubstavicius (to Panevezys), Zylan Cheatham (to Nagoya), Mangok Mathiang (to Ningbo), Dan Fotu and Dom Kelman-Poto exited the team, while Thomas Abercrombie and Cameron Gliddon retired. Parker Jackson-Cartwright, Max Darling, Dane Pineau, Carlin Davison and Alex McNaught returned from the previous season.
Head coach Mody Maor (to Nagasaki) was replaced by Petteri Koponen (via Helsinki), who added Matt Mooney (via Trento), Sam Mennenga (via Cairns), Mojave King (via Indiana), Mitch McCarron (via Adelaide), Jonah Bolden (via Sydney), Sean Bairstow (via Richmond), Grant Anticevich (via Gottingen), Freddie Gillespie (via Belgrade), Karim Lopez (via Badalona) and Kaia Isaac (via Canterbury).
The former Trento guard signed a one-year deal, with Koponen saying, “Matt is mentally tough, and he brings that competitiveness playing hard defence.”
New Zealand opened the season at HoopsFest with a 91-87 win over Brisbane, where the new import guard (10 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals) made a productive NBL debut, while Mennenga (22 points and 7 rebounds) and Jackson-Cartwright (20 points, 3 rebounds, 11 assists, and 1 steal) led the Breakers, and Keandre Cook (25 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block) was Brisbane’s best.
Mooney (16.1 points, 2.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.6 steals across 29 games) established himself as Jackson-Cartwright’s primary backcourt partner, providing perimeter scoring, secondary playmaking and defensive pressure while leading the Breakers in steals. He appeared in every game, made 27 starts and did not miss any games through injury.
After New Zealand opened the season 2-0, Mooney joined the Breakers for three NBLxNBA games in the United States. He scored 10 points against Utah and 2 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 steal against Philadelphia before finishing with 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists against Oklahoma City, making five three-pointers as New Zealand entered half-time tied with the Thunder.
Mooney’s first major regular-season performance came against Perth at Spark Arena on October 19, where he made seven three-pointers and finished with 28 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals. Darling (15 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 blocks) and Jackson-Cartwright (13 points, 3 rebounds, 9 assists, 5 steals, and 1 block) provided support, while Tai Webster (20 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists) led Perth after Bryce Cotton left during the opening minutes with a rib injury as New Zealand won 89-85.
Eight days later, Mooney (24 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block) led New Zealand in a 93-89 road win over Sydney, with Jackson-Cartwright (21 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists) and Lopez (13 points, 10 rebounds, and 2 blocks) helping the Breakers hold off the Kings, while Le’Afa (23 points) led Sydney.
New Zealand produced one of its best performances of the season against Melbourne on November 4, where Mooney (17 points, 2 rebounds, and 4 assists), Mennenga (25 points and 4 rebounds) and Jackson-Cartwright (23 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists) led the Breakers to a 113-79 win, while Flynn Cameron (20 points) was United’s leading scorer. The result lifted New Zealand to 6-2 before it entered the FIBA break sitting second with a 7-3 record.
The Breakers changed their import group during the break when Gillespie (6.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks across 9 games) requested his release (to Milan) and Fall (11.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks across 18 games) was signed (via Nanjing) as his replacement. New Zealand struggled to regain its earlier rhythm following the change and lost its first eight games after the restart.
Following the Christmas Day loss to Tasmania, Jackson-Cartwright (18.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 1.6 steals across 21 games) received a five-game suspension for making contact with officials, leaving Mooney with greater responsibility as New Zealand’s primary ball-handler.
Mooney (23 points, 3 rebounds, 10 assists, and 3 steals) responded by controlling the backcourt against Cairns on New Year’s Eve, while Fall (21 points, 12 rebounds, and 1 block) and Mennenga (11 points and 5 rebounds) helped New Zealand end its eight-game losing streak with a 92-68 win, while Tanner Groves (21 points, 8 rebounds, and 1 block) led the Taipans.
Five days later, Mooney (28 points, 2 rebounds, and 6 assists) shot 10-of-14 from the field and scored 17 points during the third quarter against Perth, helping New Zealand recover from a double-digit deficit before fouling out with just over four minutes remaining. Fall (28 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 blocks) and Darling (8 points and 6 rebounds) also contributed, but Cotton (41 points and 4 assists) led the Wildcats on a closing 14-5 run as Perth won 96-86.
Mooney’s best game of the season came against Illawarra on January 11, where he made seven three-pointers and finished with 33 points, 4 rebounds, 8 assists, and 2 steals, including 15 points during the fourth quarter as New Zealand attempted to recover from a 21-point half-time deficit. Mennenga (24 points and 4 rebounds) and Lopez (16 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals) supported him, while Trey Kell (31 points), Darius Days (22 points and 6 rebounds) and Tyler Harvey (19 points) led the Hawks to a 108-100 win.
Two days later, Mooney (19 points, 3 rebounds, and 8 assists) made a three-pointer with 5.1 seconds remaining to put New Zealand ahead against Melbourne, with Lopez (19 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals) and Mennenga (18 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals) also contributing. Goulding (42 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists) answered with his tenth three-pointer of the game with 0.6 seconds remaining to give United a 91-89 win.
Mooney (11 points, 3 rebounds, 11 assists, and 4 steals) then recorded his first NBL double-double against Tasmania on January 16, while Mennenga (29 points, 9 rebounds, and 1 block) and Lopez (17 points and 2 blocks) led New Zealand to an 85-75 win, ending the club’s lengthy home losing streak, while Jordon Crawford (26 points and 4 assists) led the JackJumpers.
He delivered another strong all-around performance in New Zealand’s final victory, finishing with 24 points, 2 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 steals on 7-of-11 shooting as King (16 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 blocks) and Fall (14 points and 9 rebounds) helped the Breakers defeat Cairns 99-92 and avoid the wooden spoon, while Sam Waardenburg (16 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists) and Pedro Bradshaw (16 points and 3 steals) led the Taipans.
Mennenga (11.7 points and 5.3 rebounds across 29 games), Lopez (9.6 points and 4.7 rebounds across 25 games) and King (8.5 points across 17 games) provided the other main contributions. Jackson-Cartwright won the Breakers’ MVP and Members Choice awards, King was named Defensive Player of the Year and Mennenga’s career-high performance against Tasmania was voted the Fans’ Moment of the Year.
New Zealand won only three of its final 19 games and finished ninth with a 10-19 record, missing the postseason.
New Zealand closed the season against Illawarra at Spark Arena, where Mooney (6 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal) played only 13 minutes after a heated sideline exchange with Koponen continued in the locker room at half-time and he was asked to remain there. Koponen said, “Nobody’s bigger than the team, and it’s my job to protect the team.” Fall (16 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 3 blocks) and Lopez (12 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 block) led New Zealand, while Harvey (29 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists) led Illawarra to a 96-82 win.
Matthew Mooney played one season in the NBL. He averaged 16.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 4.4 assists in 29 NBL games.
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 28 | New Zealand | 10-19 (9) | 29 | 717 | 473 | 78 | 128 | 16 | 62 | 48 | 1 | 79 | 78 | 167 | 383 | 44% | 69 | 204 | 34% | 70 | 85 | 82% | 56% | 53% | 33 | Totals | 29 | 717 | 473 | 78 | 128 | 16 | 62 | 48 | 1 | 79 | 78 | 167 | 383 | 43.6% | 69 | 204 | 33.8% | 70 | 85 | 82.4% | 56% | 53% | 33 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 28 | New Zealand | 10-19 (9) | 29 | 24.7 | 16.3 | 2.7 | 4.4 | 0.6 | 2.1 | 1.7 | 0.0 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 5.8 | 13.2 | 44% | 2.4 | 7.0 | 34% | 2.4 | 2.9 | 82% | 56% | 53% | 33 | Total | 29 | 24.7 | 16.3 | 2.7 | 4.4 | 0.6 | 2.1 | 1.7 | 0.0 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 5.8 | 13.2 | 43.6% | 2.4 | 7.0 | 33.8% | 2.4 | 2.9 | 82.4% | 56% | 53% | 33 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 33 | 5 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 0 |
|---|
NBA EXPERIENCE
After going undrafted in the 2019 NBA draft, Matt Mooney joined the Atlanta Hawks’ Summer League roster and appeared in five games, averaging 9.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.4 steals in 23.1 minutes per game.
On September 4, 2019, Mooney signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Memphis Grizzlies, but was waived on October 14, and he was later named to the roster of the Grizzlies’ NBA G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle.
In the 2019–20 G League season, Mooney played 42 games (38 starts) split between the Memphis Hustle (24 games) and the Canton/Cleveland Charge (18 games), averaging 13.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.7 steals in 31.2 minutes per game while shooting .366 from three and .898 at the line.
On January 15, 2020, Mooney was signed to a two-way contract by the Cleveland Cavaliers and split time with their G League affiliate, the Canton Charge, making his NBA debut on January 20 with two points, a rebound and an assist in three minutes in a 106–86 loss to the New York Knicks.
Mooney appeared in four NBA games for Cleveland in 2019–20, and he was waived on December 19, 2020.
On January 27, 2021, Mooney signed with Raptors 905, averaging 11.6 points and 5.7 assists per game across 15 appearances during the 2020–21 G League season.
In October 2021, Mexico City acquired Mooney’s returning player rights from Raptors 905 in exchange for a 2022–23 NBA G League Draft first-round pick, and he later joined the Mexico City Capitanes for their inaugural G League season, averaging 15.2 points, 4.6 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 2.17 steals over 32.8 minutes per game in 12 contests.
On December 21, 2021, Mooney signed a 10-day contract with the New York Knicks, signed a second 10-day contract on December 31, and he played one NBA game for New York, recording one steal.
Across his NBA career, Mooney played five regular-season games between Cleveland and New York, averaging 0.4 points, 0.6 rebounds, 0.2 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.2 blocks in 4.1 minutes per game.
Mooney played 5 games in the NBA. He averaged 0 points, 0.2 rebounds, and 0.6 assists per game over his NBA career.
NBA TRANSACTIONS:
- June 20, 2019: Went undrafted in the 2019 NBA Draft and became an unrestricted free agent.
- September 4, 2019: Signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Memphis Grizzlies.
- October 14, 2019: Waived by the Memphis Grizzlies.
- October 16, 2019: Became a free agent after the Memphis Grizzlies waiver.
- January 15, 2020: Signed a two-way contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
- December 19, 2020: Waived by the Cleveland Cavaliers, ending his two-way contract.
- December 21, 2020: Became a free agent following the Cleveland Cavaliers waiver.
- December 21, 2021: Signed a 10-day contract with the New York Knicks.
- December 31, 2021: His first Knicks 10-day contract expired; he signed a second 10-day contract with New York.
- January 10, 2022: Became a free agent after the second New York Knicks 10-day contract expired.
| Season | Team | PTS | AST | STL | BLK | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 86% | 96% | 95% | 36% | ||||||
| 2 | 0 | 33 | 11 | 4 | 1 | ||||||
| Total | 167 | 383 | 43.6% | 69 | 204 | 33.8% |
NBA TOTAL STATISTICS
| YEAR | AGE | TEAM | POS | GP | GS | MINS | PTS | TRB | AST | ORB | DRB | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | 25 | New York | SG | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0% | 0 | 1 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| 2019-20 | 23 | Cleveland | SG | 4 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 25% | 0 | 2 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0% | 0% | 25% | Total | 5 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 20% | 0 | 3 | 0% | 0 | 0 |
NBA PER GAME STATISTICS
| YEAR | AGE | TEAM | POS | GP | GS | MINS | PTS | TRB | AST | ORB | DRB | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | FT | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | 25 | New York | SG | 1 | 0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0% | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| 2019-20 | 23 | Cleveland | SG | 4 | 0 | 4.8 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 1.0 | 25% | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0% | 0% | 25% | Total | 5 | 0 | 4.2 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 1.0 | 20% | 0.6 | 0% |
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
-
Spain
- Unicaja2022
Germany
- Niners Chemnitz2022
Turkey
- Beşiktaş2022–2023
- Darüşşafaka2023
- Samsunspor2023–2024
Italy
- Dolomiti Energia Trento2024
New Zealand
- New Zealand Breakers2024–2025
Puerto Rico
- Piratas de Quebradillas2025
On January 31, 2022, Matt Mooney began his overseas club career by signing with Unicaja in Spain’s Liga ACB, and he made 22 combined appearances across domestic league play and the Basketball Champions League, producing 7.2 points and 2.3 assists per game during his stint in Málaga.
On August 12, 2022, Mooney moved to Germany after signing with Niners Chemnitz of the Basketball Bundesliga, joining Rodrigo Pastore’s squad ahead of the 2022–23 campaign.
On October 7, 2022, he signed with Beşiktaş Emlakjet in Turkey’s Basketbol Süper Ligi after a short spell in Germany.
On January 29, 2023, Mooney joined Darüşşafaka Lassa, and he produced a signature moment in the Basketball Champions League on March 7, 2023 by scoring a game-high 27 points and finishing the 105–104 double-overtime win over UCAM Murcia with the game-winning layup in the second extra period.
On July 12, 2023, Mooney signed with Reeder Samsunspor for the 2023–24 Turkish Basketbol Süper Ligi season, and he appeared in 17 league games with averages of 11.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.8 steals per game before his mid-season move to Italy.
On February 1, 2024, he signed with Dolomiti Energia Trento in Italy’s Lega Basket Serie A through the end of the 2023–24 season, going on to play 16 regular-season games while averaging 11.7 points, 2.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 26.5 minutes per night.
On August 9, 2024, Mooney signed with the New Zealand Breakers for the 2024–25 NBL season, and he finished his Breakers campaign averaging 16.3 points, 4.4 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game.
On February 3, 2025, Mooney was announced as an import signing for Piratas de Quebradillas ahead of the 2025 Baloncesto Superior Nacional season in Puerto Rico alongside fellow NBL alum Brady Manek.
COLLEGE
Mooney played his college basketball at Air Force, South Dakota, and Texas Tech, finishing his NCAA career with 135 games, 14.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 44.6 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from three-point range.
Mooney began his career at Air Force in 2014–15, playing 29 games with eight starts and averaging 6.9 points in 19.2 minutes per game while shooting 44.8 percent from the floor and 38.7 percent from three, then sat out the 2015–16 season after transferring under NCAA rules.
He broke out at South Dakota in 2016–17, starting all 34 games and averaging 18.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 2.2 steals per game, with his season producing Summit League recognition that included Summit League Transfer of the Year, First-team All-Summit, and Summit League All-Newcomer honours, while he also earned a place on the Summit League All-Tournament Team during the postseason run.
Mooney backed it up in 2017–18 with another 34 starts for the Coyotes and near-identical production at 18.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 2.0 steals per game, adding a second First-team All-Summit selection while also earning Lou Henson All-America recognition, and he posted several signature performances including a career-best 33 points against South Dakota State and a 22-point, 10-rebound double-double against North Texas in the postseason.
As a graduate transfer at Texas Tech in 2018–19, Mooney started all 38 games and averaged 11.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game, with his defensive impact and two-way play earning him second-team All-Big 12, Big 12 All-Defensive Team, and Big 12 All-Newcomer Team recognition while he helped drive the Red Raiders’ run to the national championship game.
Mooney’s NCAA tournament run in 2019 included major stage moments, including 17 points in the Elite Eight win over Gonzaga and 22 points in the Final Four win over Michigan State to send Texas Tech to the title game, where the Red Raiders fell to Virginia 85–77 in overtime, and his tournament performance earned him West Region All-Tournament, NCAA All-Region, and NCAA All-Tournament Team honours for 2018–19.
AWARDS
- Second-team All-Big 12 (2019)
- Big 12 All-Defensive Team (2019)
- Big 12 All-Newcomer Team (2019)
- 2× First-team All-Summit League (2017, 2018)
- Summit League Transfer of the Year (2017)
- Summit League All-Newcomer Team (2017)
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