Following the Paris Olympics she spent the Sevens off-season playing rugby league during an injury-disrupted 2024 season with the Brisbane Broncos.

Using her cellphone she called the police for help before assisting some of the injured children off the bus, including her niece and nephew.

She then walked to a nearby Matariki Early Childhood Centre to telephone her mother before returning to the crash site where she helped other children.

[7] While encouraged to consider playing rugby by friends and coaches at school she rejected the game as she had her heart set on representing New Zealand at netball.

[9] It wasn't until she began playing for the Waikato women's team in the 2014 Farah Palmer Cup that she was noticed in 2014 and was invited to attend a couple of Sevens training camps.

With Portia Woodman out of commission since October 2018 as a result of an Achilles tendon injury Waaka filled her shoes to become the dominant try scorer during the 2018–19 World Rugby Women's Sevens Series season.

In July 2021, she was a member of the New Zealand team that won the gold medal in the women's event at the 2020 Summer Olympics.

Waaka signed with the New York Locals where she played alongside Black Fern teammates Manaia Nuku and Tenika Willson.

Waaka announced in early March 2024 that after the Paris Olympics she had agreed to play rugby league for the Brisbane Broncos in the NRL Women's Premiership.

As she is contracted to New Zealand Rugby through to 2026 she would remain available to play sevens as the respective codes' seasons didn’t overlap.

[39] During the pool play game against Great Britain at the Madrid tournament held on 31 May–2 June 2024, Waaka scored her one hundredth try in the seven series.

On 20 June 2024 it was announced that she had been selected as a member of the New Zealand Women’s Rugby Sevens team for the Paris Olympics.

[48] Waaka recovered from her leg injury in time to be named in New Zealand sevens team for the fourth tournament of the season to be held in Vancouver on 21–23 February 2025.

[49] Alongside Liam Messam and Erena Mikaere, Waaka was presenter in 2021 on Te Ao Toa, a weekly sports show on Maori TV.

[50] Because of the courage she had shown during a bus crash in 2011 Waaka was selected in 2019 by World Rugby to be a member of The Unstoppables XV.

[51] At the 2023 World Rugby Sevens Series Awards Waaka was named as a member of the 2023 women's dream team.