Court By Surprise! Breaker Shea's Baby Bonus

His daddy dream has come early

- Cloe Willetts

As Shea Ili cuddles up to his pregnant wife Morgan for our photos, he lovingly rubs her belly, his denim shirt a refreshing change from his usual New Zealand Breakers singlet.

The professional point guard feels fully connected with his unborn baby, who gently kicks at Morgan’s stomach as they chat about their eagerly anticipated December arrival.

Shea’s reaction to his active bub is different to the first time he felt it move, when he pulled his hand away in fright.

“It was weird!” admits the 25-year-old as his wife of three years laughs in agreement.

Morgan, 24 – who lives in Auckland while her basket baller beau is temporarily based in Wellington – beams as she talks about her morning sickness having passed and how she’s feeling great six months in.

“I first felt our baby kick around 20 weeks and it’s really the only thing making me feel pregnant because as soon as I hit 12 weeks, I’ve been really good,” she tells. “I was surprised.”

Shea – who spends his year working between the SkyCity Breakers, Tall Blacks and Wellington Saints – is happy but nervous for this next step, with the pair agreeing that they don’t want to know their baby’s gender ahead of the big day.

“Hopefully a surprise will help me get through the birth,” jokes Morgan, who met Shea six years ago in a friend’s garage.