Maddy Rocci is “super excited” to return to the champion Capitals

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Maddy Rocci was one of the league’s big improvers in season 2019/20, emerging as a committed, high energy perimeter defender and a resourceful passer.

Having played just under six minutes in game three of the 2019 grand final, the 22-year-old guard earned 37 minutes in this year’s decider.

She recently re-signed with the University of Canberra Capitals for a tilt at a rare three-peat.

Along with Rocci, Marianna Tolo, Kelsey Griffin, Keely Froling, Alex Delaney and Abby Cubillo have all committed to another year. It makes for a level of continuity that Rocci believes will give the group a running start.

“It’s always good to try and keep a core group together,” she tells The Evening Game. “It’s hard playing with players you haven’t played with before and it takes you a while to get rolling.  

“Having the six of us return is super exciting. We know how each other plays, how we train and we know how to work hard.

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Rocci is currently based in Brisbane, having moved north expecting to work at a local school and play in the WNBL1 over winter. With that competition scrapped, she has been doing individual training with a coach and has recently been allowed back into basketball courts.

Having watched former teammate Olivia Epoupa diligently arrive before training to fine-tune her ball-handling, Rocci is now focusing on this skill, along with three-point shooting. Her long-range percentage has already improved steadily; she made only one of 12 three-pointers in her rookie year, jumped to 32.6% in year two and put up 36.1% last year while taking twice as many shots from the previous season.

Further honing these guard skills will serve her well in a campaign where there will be no imports and the Capitals will be adjusting to life without Epoupa and reigning MVP Kia Nurse. Both were high-usage players and focal points of the team’s attack; they took a combined 69 shots over the two grand final games. Their absence will likely mean Rocci is tasked with more a scoring responsibility.

It’s a challenge she is up for. “You can’t replace such great talent,” she says of the pair. “But I’m looking to step up, take on a bigger role season and really develop my game”.

One other player looking to fill that void will be new signing Tahlia Tupaea, a close friend of Rocci’s.

Rocci believes she will alternate between the one and two alongside the similarly versatile Tupaea, a former teammate in Australian youth teams. “Gorrie (coach Paul Gorris) said I’d play a bit more of the one (next season), which is super exciting because I’ve always been a point guard until recently.

“To be able to play (both guard positions) is something I’ve always wanted. I don’t want to be a player who can only play one position.”

MADDISON (MADDY) ROCCI 2019/20 STATS:

Points per game = 9

Effective field goal % = 47.5%

Assists per game = 2.3

Assist/turnover ratio = 1.1