"When girls and women try out the sport a lot love it because it's such a free game," he said. "You can use the whole court and aren't restricted say compared with a sport like netball.
"It's a fun sport and we keep seeing a steady increase year on year, but there needs to be clear pathways established."
Basketball New Zealand has lifted the profile of the premier national competition - the Women's Basketball Championship - with increased media coverage and livestreaming of games.
Basketball New Zealand's community participation director, Brad Edwards said: "It's simply about ensuring basketball is an accessible and attractive sport for girls and women."
Currently there is a Rotorua Reps development programme on a Tuesday night that looks to support up and coming talent.
And Pene believes programmes like this are a major reason why New Zealand women have now also surpassed the number of Kiwi men playing US. college scholarship basketball, with more than 50 as of last year.
This includes former Western Heights High School senior team and Rotorua Reps player Matangiroa Flavell who signed for a two-year full scholarship to play basketball and study health science at Midland College in Texas in May.
But Pene believes a regional competition needs to be established as well as a structured coaches programme.
"It's great that we are able to see more on the television as I do think that has affected the rise in numbers," he said.
"Matangiroa was able to get the help she needed and in this digital age she was able to get herself out there to teams over seas.
"But we want to be producing more quality players like her. That's why we need a local competition.
"At the moment we can arrange games but it's nothing official. We want competitive matches because being given that competitive edge early on can only push potential further."
Edwards said with more New Zealander's playing the game, it's an opportunity to establish the sport as one of the leading women's sports in the country, and believes the 'Women's Basketball Strategy' will do this.
"Basketball is offering Kiwi girls a great sporting environment," he said.
"We made a number of decisions last year to raise the profile and improve the opportunities in the women's game and this will continue.
"They love the physicality of the game, the friends they make, the global culture of basketball, and also the international opportunities, which includes college scholarships and professional opportunities that stretch around the globe."
