Marianna Tolo – The Evening Game

WNBL19: University of Capitals coach Paul Goriss on Kristy Wallace signing and a new look team

May 6, 2018November 13, 2021Posted in SportTagged Basketball, Carly Wilson, Kelsey Griffin, Kristy Wallace, Leilani Mitchell, Marianna Tolo, WNBL, WNBL19, Women's sport

Speaking to this site after the 2016/17 WNBL season wrapped up, University of Canberra Capitals coach Paul Goriss reflected on some of the talented players that had come through the AIS when he coached there. Many of the youngsters he had worked with had become household names – Matthew Dellavedova, Dante Exum and Ben Simmons.

But there was one “very special player” he mentioned that was relatively unknown at the time – Kristy Wallace.

Since then, Wallace has further honed her craft at Division I program Baylor and played a starring role in Australia’s gold medal winning 2017 World University Games team.

She has also signed a two-year deal with the University of Canberra Capitals, reuniting with Goriss for her first professional basketball.

We would like to welcome Kristy Wallace to the UC Capitals for the next two years!https://t.co/A8qilERrdz pic.twitter.com/cG8DIecJsI

— UC Capitals (@UCCapitals) May 3, 2018

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‘Unleashing the beast’

Goriss says the intangibles Wallace brings immediately stood out when he coached her back in 2014. “There’s very few people that I’ve coached that have that drive and tenacity and want to get better,” he says.

“My first impression of her was someone that loves the game of basketball, wants to be the best that she can and goes about it with such a high work ethic.”

The 22-year-old Wallace will now need to call on all of that work ethic to overcome the ACL injury that brought her college career with the Baylor Bears to a premature end.

The team have no doubt she can make a full recovery, however. “We’d already spoken prior to her doing her ACL,” Goriss says.

“Whether she was injured or nor we started speaking to her very early on about coming back and playing WNBL.

“The knee injury was very unfortunate, but we’re standing by her because I know how valuable she will be to our group.”

After completing studies at the Texan college, Wallace is expected to arrive in Canberra around June, where she will undertake a full medical examination and the timeline for her return to court will become clearer.

Such a major injury requires a long and taxing rehabilitation program, though Goriss has a good-natured chuckle at the suggestion the team may look to ease her into the rotation when she returns.

“Mate, there’s no easing with her,” he says. “The thing will be us trying to stop her going full tilt at everything she does.

“We’ll throw her into the line-up depending on where she’s at medically and we’ll make sure all the boxes are ticked before she gets on court. But one thing we know with Kristy is this – as soon as we unleash the beast, the beast will be at 150%.

“There will be no stopping her, I’m sure, once she gets out there.”

Wallace’s fit on the team

Wallace’s ability as a scorer and distributor were a major part of why WNBA team Atlanta Dream drafted her in the second round and view her as a valuable long-term prospect. But her leadership and lionhearted defence are equally impressive parts of her game and led to her winning Baylor’s ‘Hustle and Courage’ award.

A long 5’11 guard who was a great floor general for Baylor, Wallace is seen as a combo guard by the team. Goriss says she will be a good fit alongside one of the team’s prized signings, Leilani Mitchell.

When coaching Wallace at National Under 19s level, Goriss played her in the backcourt alongside Flames prodigy Tahlia Tupaea, and says Wallace and Mitchell could form a similar switching 1-2 duo.“No one was a point guard or an off guard (in that team), it was whoever has the ball brings it up the floor and the other becomes a lane runner.

“We’re not going to pigeonhole Kristy into a role. She’s got unbelievable speed, so we want to enhance that, whether it’s the ball in her hands or not.

Goriss also believes Wallace’s ability to play as a primary ball-handler will free up Mitchell, a career .395 shooter from three-point range at WNBA level, to play off ball and function as more of a pure scorer.

On the defensive end, Goriss says Wallace has the length and athleticism to guard small forwards as well as guards. “Our league doesn’t really have too many threes that will really take you down and post you up. So, I think she can definitely guard a one, two or three.”

Goriss welcomed the retired Carly Wilson to the coaching staff last season. "Carly has a great basketball IQ" he says. Photo: Vanessa Lam — Goriss welcomed the retired Carly Wilson to the coaching staff last season. “Carly has a great basketball IQ” he says. Photo: Vanessa Lam

Big name players, big time expectations

Wallace, of course, isn’t the only big signing the University of Canberra Capitals have made. Marianna Tolo, Kelsey Griffin and Leilani Mitchell are all players who have been in MVP contention in this league before. Individually, each moves the needle. Collectively, they give the team a big three that has already got people talking about championships.

“We’re not going to shy away from that,” Goriss says. “We’ve recruited the team to make the top four and to push for a championship run. I think that kind of expectation is good to have.

“I also think we’ve got the right character within the group. Number one, they’re good people and number two, they’re good basketball players. They all want to play together, they want to make the team work and they’re invested in it”

Goriss concedes such a new-look team may take time to gel. “I guess that’s always one of the big challenges with a new group and unfortunately we’ve had to bring in the majority of our group over the last two seasons.”

Mitchell, Tolo and Griffin have all played for the Opals at various stages, where Goriss is an assistant coach. The Capitals will run some of the same offensive systems, meaning there is some inbuilt familiarity for the incoming or returning players.

The team still has a handful of roster spots to fill, including both import spots and Goriss says they are likely to bring in an import three, as well as a player to start at the two until Wallace can play. A big to fill in for Marianna Tolo, who also has an ACL injury, is also on their shopping list.

Goriss also reflected on the value of having club legend Carly Wilson as one of his assistant coaches last season. “Carly has a great basketball IQ,” he says. “It was difficult for her working a full-time job and then coming to practice and the games, but what she knows about the players and the WNBL was invaluable.

“She has that perspective of a newly retired player and can bring what it’s like out on the floor into the coaching seat. And she can relate to the players, that’s a great quality of hers.”

The homecoming: Marianna Tolo on her WNBL return to the UC Capitals

April 25, 2018November 13, 2021Posted in SportTagged Basketball, Marianna Tolo, Paul Goriss, University of Canberra Capitals, WNBL, WNBL19, Women's sport

With all-star five calibre stars in Leilani Mitchell and Kelsey Griffin already locked in, the University of Canberra Capitals have made an aggressive change of direction in the off-season. Their latest signing is one of the city’s favourite daughters, Marianna Tolo, returning after a year in Turkey.

Her stint with Abdullah Gül Üniversitesi was cut short by a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament, but Tolo says it is good to be back anyway.

“It’s definitely nice to be home. You get to enjoy the little things you miss when you’re overseas.”

With the injury having occurred almost two months ago, Tolo has already progressed back into light track work and jumping and hopes to be running again in a month.

Tolo reunites with coach Paul Goriss. "I’m happy to play for him again," she says. "He’ll do everything to put the best team forward." Photo: University of Canberra. — Tolo reunites with coach Paul Goriss. “I’m happy to play for him again,” she says. “He’ll do everything to put the best team forward.” Photo: University of Canberra.

Having previously suffered the same injury in 2015, she says the recovery process is slightly smoother this time.

“I feel like I’ve got a better range of movement and I’m stronger.

“I’m also not as fearful because I’ve been through it before. I know what I can and can’t push, I know what to expect.”

A ruptured ACL brings with it one of the most gruelling rehabilitation processes of any sports injury, but Tolo is upbeat and enjoying the familiar environment and high-level rehabilitation facilities available in Canberra.

“I would prefer to (rehab) at the AIS over anywhere else in the world.

“I think we have the best facilities and the best staff and everything you need to help you through that process. I’m really grateful that I have the opportunity to do that.”

The University of Canberra Capitals have several more roster sports to fill, but there is already the core of a title contender in place and the tantalising possibility of a Mitchell/Tolo pick and roll being a staple of their offence.

The addition of Kelsey Griffin alongside Tolo in the frontcourt should also significantly bolster the team’s rebounding and ability to get second chance points, where they ranked only seventh and sixth respectively last year.

Tolo’s return also instantly improves the group’s ability to protect the rim. One of the WNBL’s elite shot blockers, she also holds the league record with a ludicrous 13 blocks in a single game.

Her impact off the court, however, may be as valuable her two-way contributions on it; in a previous interview with this site coach Paul Goriss described her as “irreplaceable” and “just amazing with the playing group.”

Her presence at training will likely be particularly beneficial for young bigs Lauren Scherf and Keely Froling, both aged 22 and already double-double beasts at SEABL level.

Tolo says she is more than happy to play mentor. “I’m a bit older now, and with that comes a bit of responsibility to try to help as many people as you can.

“I’ll be looking to help them get the most out of their experience and get a little bit better every day. I will try to push them at training and I’m sure they will push me as well.”

Admitting to some pangs of jealousy while keeping an eye on the WNBL from Europe last season, Tolo says the league is on an upwards trajectory with its return to television.

“I feel like more people were engaged and definitely more people were talking about it.

“I’m glad that we’re making progress and I look forward to more changes we can make and ways we can step forward even further.”

Her return may to the court may not be until late in the year, but Tolo is already looking past that and eyeing a return to the post-season for the UC Capitals.

“Hopefully, we’ll get back on track during this season and bring a championship back to Canberra.

“I would love to have that experience again, it’s been a long time.”

WNBL18: Carly Wilson on new coaching role, UC Capitals season and the value of veterans

September 21, 2017November 13, 2021Posted in SportTagged Abi Wehrung, Basketball, Carly Wilson, Kate Gaze, Keely Froling, Marianna Tolo, Mistie Bas, Nat Hurst, Paul Goriss, University of Canberra Capitals, WNBL, WNBL17, WNBL18, Women's sport

Of all sport’s clichés, perhaps the most insidious is that nice guys finish last. Over her decorated WNBL career, Carly Wilson was like a one-woman counterargument to that idea, being one of the league’s most successful competitors as well as a universally popular figure and admired teammate.

Speaking to this site shortly after the last of her 363 games, UC Capitals head coach Paul Goriss said the club was keen to keep such an affable and experienced figure around, an ambition now realised with Wilson coming on board as an assistant coach.

“It feels like a natural progression” Wilson says of the appointment. “I’d taken on some player coaching roles in my last few seasons and I’ve always been lucky enough to have a really good relationship with the head coach as a player where I would be able to speak to them about anything I could see that I thought could help us, or they would come to me and get my opinions on things. So, I always thought (coaching) was something I would go into at some stage.”

UC Capitals coaching staff: Carly Wilson, Paul Goriss, Peta Sinclair. Photo: Vanessa Lam

Wilson is already relishing the move. “Every time I get to training and I’ve rushed from work and it’s been a ‘not great’ day because things have been super stressful, I think ‘Yes, I’m glad I’m on this side of the fence and not doing that same warm-up I’ve done a million times before!’. It feels right”

While Wilson played with the team last season, the squad is quite different, with only Kate Gaze, Abby Wehrung and Keely Froling returning from last year’s fifth-placed group. The youthful trio all saw Wilson as something of a mentor or quasi coach already, something she says may make the transition from playing group to coaching staff smoother.

Work commitments will likely prevent Wilson from doing too many individuals or video work, but she will be hands on at training and helping out with game plans. Wilson and fellow assistant, Peta Sinclair, a WNBL champion and experienced coach, are still working out the details of how they will divide up tasks. “I think that will happen organically during pre-season” Wilson says. “We’ll see which areas we feel comfortable in, and where we have ideas that we think will work.”

A physically taxing season ahead

One area Wilson feels her recent experience as a player can help with is in monitoring fatigue, training load and minor injuries. “When someone turns into a head coach, it’s difficult for them to keep track of those things, they just need players on court for longer and want to be coaching for as long as they can.

“I’ve still got that player mentality. If ‘Gorrie’ says at the start of training ‘We’re going for an hour and a half today’, then I’m in his ear when 90 minutes is up saying: ‘Right, how long more are we going for?’

Having a feel for the nagging pains and niggling injuries will be doubly important in the newly condensed WNBL18 schedule. “It will be a really big learning curve…it’s an environment we haven’t had to deal with before.” Wilson says. “This year there’s lots of double headers, lots of games in a short time, a lot of travel. We need to make sure we have those fit, happy, healthy bodies.”

Making the challenge even greater is what shapes as a hard-fought, supremely even competition. “I think it’s going to be really tight across the board, as you say each team could make a case for winning the whole thing.” Wilson needs to look no further than last year’s team to know the margin for error can be razor-thin in the WNBL, even for a richly talented squad.

“When I think of the team we had last year, we had such a great team and we really should have won more games. You just drop a couple and all of a sudden, you don’t make finals.”

The retiring Wilson chaired off court by Mikaela Ruef and Marianna Tolo. Photo: 5 Foot Photography

Veteran leadership

A number of experienced players from last year, including floor general Lauren Mansfield and imports Mikaela Ruef and Jazmon Gwathmey have moved elsewhere. Most significantly, the team’s co-captain, offensive focus and general good egg, Marianna Tolo, has returned to European competition.

In light of this turnover, Wilson says the locker room presence of Mistie Bass and seven-time WNBL champion Nat Hurst becomes even more important. “You’ve always got to have those steadying veterans, that people can look to on court to calm everyone down, call the plays, make good decisions. We’re lucky that we’ve got two really good ones.” Wilson also sees Rachel Jarry as a leader amongst the playing group, a role the dual Olympian has been eager to embrace.

The veteran know-how should help bring the squad together quickly. “It’ll be really important to make sure everyone’s bonded and on the same page” Wilson reflects. “In other seasons, having a slow start might not affect you that drastically, you have to time to pull it back together. But now, if we’re talking the first three weeks, that’s already six games and a huge chunk of the season done. You don’t have that luxury of easing your way into it.”

It should make for a challenging, fascinating season and the league’s return to television only adds to the excitement. “It’s even bigger than people probably realise” Wilson says of the broadcast deal. “It couldn’t be more important and I’m thrilled about it.”

WNBL: Paul Goriss on the University of Canberra Capitals’ resurgent year

March 17, 2017November 13, 2021Posted in SportTagged Abi Wehrung, Alicia Froling, Basketball, Callie Bourne, Carly Wilson, Keely Froling, Lauren Mansfield, Marianna Tolo, Mikaela Ruef, Paul Goriss, WNBL

With seven premierships to their name, the University of Canberra Capitals are the most successful club in WNBL history, but after losing the iconic likes of Lauren Jackson, Jess Bibby and coach Carrie Graf to retirement, had endured two barren years. Under new coach Paul Goriss, who joined the team from Basketball Australia’s Centre of Excellence, their primary aim was to restore a winning culture to the club and identify young players who can form the core of the team for years to come.

Coaching staff identified 14 wins as the magic number to qualify for the semis before the season, but felt the finals would just be the “icing on the cake”. After only recording two wins last year, the Capitals tallied 13, with a couple of heartbreaking losses and badly-timed injuries seeing them just miss the playoffs. They beat every other WNBL team, but also lost to every other opponent. Overall, their improvement was dramatic, with the team increasing their points per game from 60.8 last year to a far healthier 72.

A huge part of this resurgence was down to the return of Marianna Tolo, who was utterly dominant at both ends. After being encouraged to subdue her selfless instincts and be a key scorer, she ranked third in the league in total points, while her elite rim protection made her a no-brainer choice for defensive player of the year. Sadly for the Caps, Tolo will return overseas next season, though it is not goodbye for good. “She goes to Europe with our blessing” Goriss says, “knowing that one day she’ll be back as a Canberra Capital”.

Goriss is under no illusions as to the difficulty of replacing such a player, however. “To be quite honest, Tolo is irreplaceable” he says. As influential as the Opals star was on the court, her impact on the club went well beyond her prolific shot-blocking and low post scoring. “She was great with sponsors, great with fans, great with kids and just amazing with the playing group. She played through injury for a lot of the year, and when she couldn’t play, she was getting ice for people, running water bottles for the other girls, that’s the sort of person she is. She’s a consummate player and professional. She’ll talk to anyone and gives everyone the time of day”.

Among Tolo’s frontcourt partners was Keely Froling, a long, athletic forward who has been a fixture in elite junior squads. Already signed for next season, she enjoyed a successful rookie year, particularly after her college career was marred by knee injuries described as “really horrific”. Froling brought real intensity to her court time and projects as a top rebounder; she collected a rebound every 4.86 minutes, a rate comparable to elite rebounders like Carley Mijovic (4.25) and Laura Hodges (4.48). More generally, she soaked up knowledge from the seasoned pros in the squad. “She really did a commendable job” Goriss says. “For her, training with people like Carly Wilson and Jazmon (Gwathmey) really expedited her learning”.

The team is also keeping an eye on the progress of Froling’s twin sister, Alicia, who is currently smashing rebounding and scoring records for Division 1 school Southern Methodist University, though it’s far from a given the pair will once again play together. “She’s part of our recruiting plans for sure, we’d love to have her” Goriss says of Alicia. “But we’re also aware that (the sisters) don’t necessarily come as a package deal”.

Capitals already have one set of sisters, local juniors Callie and Issie Bourne, who joined the team as development players and earned some valuable exposure to WNBL level. Callie is a waterbug point guard while Issie, one of the youngest players to get court time in the recent years, could potentially play at multiple positions. Both reflect the team’s focus on providing a pathway for talented locals.

Abbey Wehrung was a much improved 3 point shooter.

The youth movement also includes third year guard Abbey Wehrung. While Goriss initially told Wehrung that he wasn’t that sure she was an WNBL player, the 21-year-old soon overcame his initial scepticism and was arguably amongst the competition’s most improved players, upping her numbers across the board. She was also more efficient, raising her field goal percentage from 34% to 41%, and seeing her outside shooting percentage jump from 28% to 40%. It’s an improvement Goriss puts down to her work ethic. “She is one of the hardest working young players I’ve seen. She lives the game, she loves the game, and she really proved she belongs”. Her late absence due to an ankle injury proved telling: “We were much better when she was on the court”.

More experienced players also had strong campaigns for the resurgent team. Mikaela Ruef joined from Adelaide and continued to be a monster on the boards; she led the competition in rebounds and earned a training camp invite from WNBA champions Los Angeles Sparks. Point guard Lauren Mansfield continued to push her case for Opals selection as a high level pick and roll orchestrator, while Kate Gaze was an elite catch and shoot player in her best games, most memorably sinking six of six three-pointers to help inflict a rare loss on Sydney. Gaze struggled with back problems at times and Goriss says her best form directly correlated with her health. “When she had that time on the court and practise time, that’s when she was really shooting well”.

As much as possible, the Capitals plan to keep this core together. Goriss is an avowed admirer of the San Antonio Spurs, who are widely regarded as basketball’s smartest organisation and place a high value on continuity. Just as that team gave retiring legend Tim Duncan the opportunity to be “assistant coach of whatever he likes”, the Caps have every intention of keeping beloved retiree Carly Wilson involved in a yet to be determined role.

“We’ve had a brief discussion (about her future), but I also want to give her some time and space, it was an emotional time with her retiring and how we went out” Goriss says of Wilson. “She’s very keen to get into coaching, but she’s also always telling me she hasn’t had an off-season or a summer off in 18 years. So she needs some time away from the game, but definitely wants to help in any way she can, so she’ll be around, whether that is doing individuals or in some other capacity”.

Carly Wilson brought leadership and outside shooting.

As the team continues to rebuild, the passionate Goriss has become a strong advocate for the club’s links with the University of Canberra and believes such affiliations can be key to the league successfully competing for talent with the US college system. “I think it’s just a case of educating the players on how we can develop them here, because I think we can do it better than the colleges”.

He is full of praise for the current Capitals setup. “I may be biased, but the facilities and support staff…it really couldn’t have been better. We have something special here”. For Canberra fans who have been heartened by the team’s vastly improved on court fortunes, such an endorsement for their off-court setup is a huge positive as they look to return to their glory days.

13 Things We Loved in the WNBL This Year

February 21, 2017November 13, 2021Posted in SportTagged Asia Taylor, Basketball, Carley Mijovic, Marianna Tolo, Sami Whitcomb, Sara Blicavs, Suzi Batkovic, Things we loved, University of Sydney Flames, WNBL, Women's sport

BATGIRL RETURNS

Two constants in the WNBL in recent years have been the ongoing success of the Townsville Fire and the machine-like production of Suzy Batkovic. One of only two players to score 20 points a game (21.3) and one of only a pair of players who averaged more than 10 rebounds (10.6), she was again utterly dominant in the paint, continuing to use her imposing size and unorthodox leftie game to devastating effect.

THE RIM PROTECTION OF MARIANNA TOLO

Of the league’s three elite shot blockers (With Jennifer Hamson and Ruth Hamblin), Tolo is the most mobile and an instinctive defender. Her return to the Capitals, along with her undiminished ability to swat shots and change countless others was a key reason last year’s last-placed Canberra squad improved by eleven wins and hovered on the edge of the finals this year.

One of 58 blocks Marianna Tolo collected.

THE RISE (AND RISE) OF CARLEY MIJOVIC

Increased minutes don’t always lead to increased production, but Perth’s Carley Mijovic relished the chance to become the Lynx’s second scoring option behind Whitcomb and her stats climbed in almost every category. Agile, tall enough to play the five and a good enough shooter to be a floor-stretching matchup nightmare, Mijovic was Perth’s most improved player in the 2015/16 and if anything only hastened her improvement this season. She recorded 3 times as many blocks as last year, along with more than doubling her rebounds (7.5) and assists (1.29) per game and rocketed up the points per game chart, from 28th to 13th in the league.

THE FANTASTIC STEPH CUMMING

God damn, what a basketball player. While some pros carve out perfectly respectable careers by being excellent at one thing, Cumming’s particular niche is being good at everything: outside shooting, persistent perimeter defence, dishing out assists, scoring efficiently with her back to the basket, getting to the foul line. She passed 250 WNBL games this year and has never been better, nor played with such controlled fire. “No-one ever wants to lose” she told a reporter recently, eyes grim with intensity. “You’re a liar if you say you like losing”.

SAMI WHITCOMB, TORMENTOR OF DEFENCES

Initially arriving in the WNBL via the Western Australian Basketball League with little fanfare, the California-born Sami Whitcomb is now the league’s MVP frontrunner. Her late-blooming game includes superior ball-handling, herky-jerky drives to the basket and pure shooting from well beyond the three-point arc. It’s a multi-faceted puzzle nobody around the league has managed to solve on a consistent basis and her continued dominance has led to a well-deserved call-up to the WNBA. As Perth coach Andy Stewart recently told local press, it’s not a question of whether she is up to the sports premier competition, “My question would be – can she dominate it?”

Sami Whitcomb shoots over a double team.

THE MASCOTS

Look at them go!

CARLY WILSON GOES OUT A WINNER

A great outside shooter and scorer who also collected blocked shots at a rate normally reserved for towering centres, Wilson was an Opals mainstay in the early 2000s. She retired from the league this week with 363 WNBL career games, 1016 3-pointers, 3 WNBL championships, 2 all-star five selections, countless pairs of her trademark pink socks and a level of respect amongst fellow players and fans that would be impossible to quantify. The good news for the league is that she wants to stay involved in some capacity; a commentary gig in a new TV deal would be a win for all involved.

LEILANI MITCHELL, FLOOR GENERAL SUPREME

Leilani Mitchell is one of the smallest players in the WNBL, and also one of the best. Overcoming some uncharacteristic struggles with finishing earlier in the season, she was dynamic in the Flames’ 8-game winning streak, particularly down the stretch of close games where her calmness running the point, uncanny ability to get to the rim and redoubtable pull-up jumper were invaluable and loom as major assets come Finals time.

MADDIE GARRICK, FUTURE OPALS STAR

Melbourne’s unwanted penchant for losing close games condemned them to an early exit from the playoff race, but the continued growth of Maddie Garrick was a bright spot. With a tight handle and an arsenal of feints, fakes, jab steps and hesitations polished enough to get separation from even the most dogged of defenders, she seems headed for Opals selection.

DOING IT FOR THE KIDS

Broadcasters continued to shun the league, but that didn’t stop the younger generation turning out in force.

KICKING IT OLD SCHOOL

NBA fans have bemoaned the decreased importance of post-up players as D’Antoni ball has taken over the league, all but wiping out the old style of bigs with low-post repetoires. Pace and space basketball is spectacular and efficient, but there is still a place for the old skills and in the WNBL, the back to the basket game is alive and well with players like Suzy Batkovic and Bendigo’s Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe being post-up juggernauts.

SARA BLICAVS, BIG TIME SMALL FORWARD

Whether flying around screens, acting as an ambassador for charities or churning out comedy gold on Twitter, Sara Blicavs was a star in season 2016/17. A genuine two-way force and one of only two players to average at least 16 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal (the other was Asia Taylor), her athletic ability and well-rounded game were a major reason why Dandenong secured a home semi-final in a congested ladder.

THE ATHLETICISM OF ASIA TAYLOR

Experienced WNBL journalists were projecting Sydney to miss the finals; the eye-catching play of the Louisville alum was one major reason they exceeded expectations. She was a difficult cover for any type of defender: too physically strong for fleet-footed wings and possessing a first step too quick for lumbering bigs. Explosive enough to swipe rebounds and run the floor, her top 10 scoring and rebounding numbers saw her named in the team of the week 8 times, equaling Suzy Batkovic and behind only Sami Whitcomb (13).

WNBL MVP race: can Suzy Batkovic win her fifth?

January 30, 2017Posted in SportTagged Basketball, Laura Hodges, Marianna Tolo, Sami Whitcomb, Sport, Steph Cumming, Suzy Batkovic, WNBL

It’s been another tightly contested WNBL season with some of the competition’s legends joined by exciting new names. As the league rounds into its second half, we take a closer look at some of its standout players.

Sami Whitcomb (Perth Lynx)

The WNBL’s leading scorer with an even 24 a game, the Perth shooting guard has been both a revelation as both an inside and outside threat. Possessing an explosive first step and a range of jab steps and crossovers to get separation, Whitcomb has been deadly from three-point range (41%). She is also a strong enough facilitator to frustrate double teams, with 4.1 assists per game and a disruptive defender, with 37 steals, good for first in the league. In a tightly-contested competition, her plus/minus stats of +69 for the season are impressive, and include a crazy +44 in just 25 minutes against Adelaide. Whitcomb’s 33 points first half masterclass against a quality team in Bendigo must have sent shivers through the league and is the kind of scheme-wrecking dominance which makes her the MVP frontrunner.

Susy Batkovic (Townsville Fire)

Batkovic already has four WNBL MVPs to her name and a record-breaking fifth wouldn’t surprise, given a monster season which has seen her rank second in both points (21.4) and rebounds (10.4) per game. Her size, touch around the rim and sheer canniness as a low-post player remain undiminished and she gets to the foul line more than any other player in the competition. Controversially left out of the Opals Olympic team, Batkovic has proceeded to bend opposing defences to her will, recording a whopping 9 double doubles and has also made some huge clutch plays, not least an off-balance reverse layup to force overtime against Sydney Uni Flames in a match the Fire eventually won.

Marianna Tolo (University of Canberra Capitals)

A hydralike rim protector (her 33 blocks ranks 3rd in the competition) and supremely reliable inside scorer, Tolo is having another strong year with her combination of length, instincts and mobility making her one of the competition’s elite bigs. Her 38 point, 12 rebound performance against the tall timber of Sydney’s frontcourt was one of the most dominant single games of the season.

Laura Hodges (Adelaide Lightning)

Usually players on winless teams don’t figure in MVP discussion, but Hodges’ work on the battling Adelaide lightning makes her an exception to the rule. The four-time Olympian has used her quickness and finishing nous to again put up strong numbers as a scorer (18.50, 4th in the WNBL) and rebounder (7.90, 8th in the league) despite a glaring lack of support.

Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe (Bendigo Spirit)

The athletic Canadian has made an immediate impact in her first season, with her polished offensive game netting 16.27 points a game (7th in league). She has been a particular menace on the offensive glass (53, 2nd in league), a major reason why Bendigo have won the battle of second chance points in 12 of 15 games. Raincock-Ekunwe has also been a model of efficiency as an inside scorer, with her 58% shooting percentage tied with Marianna Tolo for the best in the competition.

Asia Taylor (Sydney Uni Flames)

Another first year WNBL import who has made a smooth transition to the league. In the games Taylor missed through a concussion, the Flames went 1-2, as opposed to the 9-3 record they have with her on the floor. Taylor is crashing the boards (8.67 per game) and dishing out assists at a rate rarely seen by a frontcourt player. Having failed to score double figures only once, she figures to be one of the most influential players in the race for the finals.

Steph Cumming (Dandenong Rangers)

The reigning defensive player of the year has quietly become one of the most productive on the offensive end, with her 17.53 per game ranking 6th overall. Against Perth, her 31 point, 12 rebound and 4 assist tally included five three-pointers. Cumming’s outside shooting (46%) rates among the league’s best and her strong two-way game has been a major factor in Dandenong heading into the new year first on the ladder.

Honourable mentions: Kelsey Griffin (Bendigo Spirit), Mikaela Ruef (University of Canberra Capitals), Leilani Mitchell (Sydney Uni Flames), Jen Hamson (Sydney Uni Flames).