Perth Lynx – The Evening Game

New Perth Lynx coach Ryan Petrik on #WNBL21, coaching philosophy and Sami Whitcomb’s return

June 26, 2020Posted in SportTagged Basketball, Perth Lynx, Ryan Petrik, WNBL, WNBL21

Heading into his first season as a Head Coach at WNBL level, 39-year-old Ryan Petrik hopes to refine and retool the team’s up-tempo style as they try to climb back into the semi-finals.

Petrik takes the helm after logging five years in the program as an Assistant Coach. He has also coached in the Western Australian State League, where he previously worked with new recruits Darcee Garbin and Sami Whitcomb, and won championships in 2014 and 2015.

Here, he talks to The Evening Game about the coaches who have shaped his thinking about basketball, recruiting in the time of COVID-19 and how he plans to get the most out of his returning superstar. This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.

Over the last few years the Lynx have played very fast, looking for a lot of fast-break points and three-point attempts. Do you see that style continuing?

Our methods will be very different, but overall our pace of play, the three-point shooting etc will be very similar. It’ll be just be a very different way of getting there.

When you coached (state league team) Rockingham, did your teams play that same uptempo, almost ‘D’Antoni ball’ style?

Yeah. It’s funny you say D’Antoni, he’s a massive, massive influence on how I coach. I’m probably not quite as in love with the Houston iso ball that he is running, but those mid-2000s Phoenix Suns teams were a very heavy influence on how we want to coach and play.

The Perth Lynx and Basketball WA are delighted to announce the signing of Ryan Petrik as the new Perth Lynx Head Coach for the next two WNBL seasons (2020/21 and 2021/22).

Congratulations Ryan, see the full Story https://t.co/sMyFeDaPds #WNBL #basketballwa pic.twitter.com/ruHDbFALRL

— Perth Lynx (@PerthLynx) June 4, 2020

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Are there any other coaches who have influenced you?

I’m a massive fan of (Milwaukee Bucks coach) Mike Budenholzer, D’Antoni obviously, and I really like a lot of the stuff that (Miami Heat coach) Erik Spoelstra runs.

Locally, I’ve always been a massive, massive Guy Molloy fan. Each year, his Melbourne Boomers teams come out with a whole new offence that is dedicated to that particular roster and it always makes a ton of sense. Nobody else in the league is ever running it. There is no copy and paste of Opals stuff, it’s all his own. I’ll certainly use that as an inspiration for what we do.

Do you spend a lot of time looking into whether a potential recruit will be a cultural fit?

That’s massive, especially coming from the Wildcats organisation and being really good friends with Troy Georgiu. He’s the Wildcats GM and I’ll lean on him a bit for this stuff. He’s always been a massive culture and character recruiter, as you can see in the Wildcats teams over the years. We will certainly try to use that in how we recruit.

Do you see this coming season as Darcee Garbin’s peak as a player?

You would hope so. She’s 26 now and especially as a big, they generally don’t hit their peak until their late 20s. Hopefully we’ll put in a base offence which lets her use her main weapons – she’s a really mobile, really agile big who can do a lot of really good things offensively. So if we put in place an offence based around her, Ebzery and Sam (Whitcomb), we think she’ll have at least as good a year as she’s ever had, but she’s also still trending upwards.

Is Sami Whitcomb is a better player than when she left?

That’s a hard one to answer because the obvious answer is that yes, she’s better, but that probably does a disservice to how good she was before. It was a very high bar that she was at before she left the country. I’ve been coaching her since 2013 and what I’ve seen is that how she plays in the WNBA is very different to how she plays in France. We’ll use more of the French version.

Having said that, we’ll build more stuff around her. We’ve had a bit of success building offences around her at a state league level. We’ll need a much, much more advanced version of that to really unlock her.

She really racked up the steals when she last played for the Lynx. Do you anticipate giving her a licence to gamble on defence and be quite aggressive on that end?

It’s funny; she was always the odd piece defensively back at state level. I’m generally a very conservative coach. I would much prefer to pack it in and make it hard for teams to get their feet in the paint, whereas Whitcomb is always one pass away, loves to jam the lane and go for steals. Generally, you wouldn’t be a fan of that, but the problem is she is so, so, good at it. We generally had team guidelines defensively, and then Sam was free to just make a read. 99 times out of 100, she would make the right read.

We won’t be as aggressive defensively as what Andy (Stewart, previous Lynx Head Coach) was, but if Sami’s going to be so elite at getting steals like that, I won’t try to reign it in too much.

Perth Lynx welcomes the return of
WNBA star ⭐️Sami Whitcomb!
🐯 https://t.co/lX2iGt7ZS3 #WNBL #Basketballwa @SamBam32 pic.twitter.com/t4grvYMIuu

— Perth Lynx (@PerthLynx) June 17, 2020

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Do you see Whitcomb as the two and Ebzery as the one, or is it more fluid than that?

It’s more fluid – we see them both as wings. They could both slide over if need be, but the plan is to play them both alongside a proper point guard.

We’ve got some interesting thoughts on that. The thinking is if we keep them both on the wings, it doesn’t matter what set we run for a wing, we will always (get a shot) for one of them. The plan is for the first 36, 37 minutes of the game we will keep them on the wings as much as humanly possible. Then, when it’s winning time, they might need to slide over.

With the no imports rule, some younger players are likely to get more court time. How do you get them ready for WNBL level competition?

We’ll make sure we sit them down and explain what their roles are. That’s one of the biggest pieces of feedback we’ve got from players in previous years, players want to know their role is and where they sit in the pecking order.

The team will be built around Sam, Katie and Darcee. Beyond that, is your job to facilitate and get Sam and Katie the ball or should you jack up a terrible shot? Then we get a boatload of repetition and scrimmage into them and show them (what to do) in film and practice.

We might say ‘Player X, your role is not to shoot heavily contested threes with 20 seconds left on the shot clock. Maybe that’s ok for Sami Whitcomb and Katie-Rae Ebzery, but for player nine (in the rotation), that’s not ok’.

How much of a challenge is it preparing for the WNBL without the winter competition?

It‘s certainly a hindrance in terms of filling up the roster. We’re clear on who the first seven or so players are, but from eight to 15 it becomes very murky. It’s much harder to differentiate players when you can’t see them live.

Earlier in the year, Sami Whitcomb nailed six second-half triples for the @SeattleStorm.

Last night she did it again 🔥 pic.twitter.com/UQv91PeoDq

— Perth Lynx (@PerthLynx) December 8, 2017

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Is it a significant advantage for teams like Southside and Canberra that have kept their Australian core together?

You would think so, anyway. Continuity of roster and coach should be a massive advantage whereas we will come in with 10 new players, a new Head Coach and a new offence. The benefit is that quite a few pieces we’re recruiting I’ve coached before or we’re quite familiar with. We think we’ll start behind the eight ball, but we don’t think it is a killer by any means.

Do you think it’s an advantage or disadvantage being a younger coach in the league?

There’s pros and cons to both. I’ve generally been one of the youngest at every level I’ve coached at so far. When I first became a Women’s Head Coach, I think I was the youngest. At State under ‘20s, I was one of the youngest and we got a Silver.

It would be a natural disadvantage against someone like Guy Molloy, who’s been around the league for so long. On the flipside, the positive of being so young is that you hopefully speak the player’s language a bit better. It’s probably a slight disadvantage, but there are major upsides as well.

Header image credit: TJ Dragotta, Unsplash.

WNBL18: Round 2 shootaround

October 15, 2017November 13, 2021Posted in SportTagged Abby Bishop, Adelaide Lightning, Basketball, Bendigo Spirit, Dandenong Rangers, Liz Cambage, Maddie Garrick, Melbourne Boomers, Perth Lynx, Townsville FIre, University of Canberra Capitals, University of Sydney Flames, WNBL, WNBL18

Two rounds into the competition, it’s time for the first shootaround of the year. Firstly, some early impressions of each team and then a look at what advanced statistics tell us about the best performances of the competition so far.

Townsville Fire (2-0)

Having powered to a pair of fairly comfortable wins, including a TV game defeat of the highly fancied Boomers, the Fire have every reason for optimism. Dig a little deeper, however, and the Fire’s start begins to look downright ominous for other teams. They’re yet to get import Sydney Wiese on the court and Batkovic is unlikely to have another 1-11 shooting line, as she did against the Boomers. New import Lauren Mincy looks at home and Cayla George has picked up right where she left off, snaffling every rebound in her vicinity and hitting outside shots. Both George (200 games) and Mia Murray (150 games) celebrated milestones this round, highlighting this squad’s valuable continuity and experience.

Mia Murray: Now part of Townsville's 150 games club. — Mia Murray: Now part of Townsville’s 150 games club.

Melbourne Boomers (3-1)

Despite some prolonged cold stretches in their loss against the Fire, the Boomers will be well satisfied with their form overall and they have cruised to blow out wins over the Spirit and Capitals. O’Hea is crashing the boards like no other wing in the competition and Cambage has been rampant despite playing restricted minutes. Louella Tomlinson (injured finger) will bolster their already miserly frontcourt defence when she returns. They have allowed 63 points in three consecutive games and grudged just 61 in the season’s opening clash.

Adelaide Lightning (2-1)

Signs have been healthy for the completely revamped Adelaide side, with Bishop already back in stellar form (her game against the Lynx was a statistical outlier, see below) and new signings Ruth Hamblin, Lauren Nicholson and Nicole Seekamp all making major contributions, while Nat Novosel’s ability to move the ball has revitalised their offence. A finger injury to Laura Hodges will eat into their depth, though being able to bring Colleen Planeta off the bench is a luxury.

Abby Bishop put up 35 points and 10 rebounds against the struggling Lynx.

University of Sydney Flames (2-1)

The defending champions trailed for much of an entertaining, high intensity match with Dandenong, but a couple of big plays down the stretch, particularly from Asia Taylor, Ally Wilson and Belinda Snell saw them snatch a home win. They miss the bench scoring that Tahlia Tupaea provided, however, and without the injured guard their bench have tallied 7,8 and 0 points. Fatigue may be a factor long-term if the starters need to play big minutes every night.

University of Canberra Capitals (2-2)

Capitals have certainly had a tough schedule to date, being one of only two teams to play four games and coming up against the against the two most impressive teams so far in round two. Consecutive losses have returned them to the pack. Points in the paint were crucial in both this round’s games: Fire outpointed them there 40-26, while Boomers dominated the paint 50-24.

Bendigo Spirit (1-2)

The Spirit will be collectively breathing an emphatic sigh of relief after their first win against the Lynx. A 43-point explosion in the third quarter, where Nadeen Payne, Betnijah Laney and a previously struggling Rachel Banham all run amok, hints at a lofty offensive ceiling. The hard-working Payne may be in for a breakthrough campaign, while Ebony Rolph, a real defensive disruptor at SEABL level, has earned more court time this season.

Dandenong Rangers (0-2)

Winless, but far from hopeless, the Rangers were actually troubling the Flames with Pedersen’s mobility and their ability to find mismatches for much of their round 2 loss. They have gone a combined 7/29 (24%) on three-pointers in their two games, a figure which is likely to climb significantly in coming weeks as this new look team finds its rhythm.

Perth Lynx (0-3)

While Courtney Williams (23.33 ppg) has been every bit the dynamic scorer the Lynx had hoped for, an inability to get stops has hampered last year’s semi-finalists. Teams have particularly hurt them from the three-point line, with the Flames shooting 9/22 (40%), Lightning going 10/22 (45%) and the Spirit putting up a ridiculous 12/21 (57%) from long-range. Blocks aren’t always a great measure of how well players are protecting the rim, though no team wants to record a lone block in a game as the Lynx did against the Lightning. Look for the long and defence-minded Nat Burton to play more minutes as they try to shore up their defence in time for a suddenly vital return matchup with the Spirit.

Best individual performances by Performance Indicator Rating:

Using the Performance Indicator Rating (PIR) metric, the best individual games to date have come from two of the competition’s marquee names. Abby Bishop’s hyper-efficient 35 point, 10 rebound performance against Perth just shades Cambage’s dominant showing against Canberra, where she monstered her way to 27 points and 9 rebounds in less than 25 minutes. Both games scored above 40 by this metric. For context, a score of around 10 is average, while 20 is a very good individual game. In European competition, where PIR has been used to determine individual awards, an average of around 25 is often the MVP level.

Abby Bishop v Perth Lynx 45

Liz Cambage v UC Capitals 42

Leading players by raw plus/minus:

So far, this metric (also known as ‘on/off’) shows the dominance of the Boomers and the Fire, with other Melbournians Bec Cole, Kalani Purcell and Jenna O’Hea also racking up healthy differentials. Lauren Nicholson (+9.7) and Ally Wilson (+6) lead their respective teams.

+/- differential per game

Cayla George +16

Maddie Garrick +15.5

Liz Cambage +15

Liz Cambage: already making an impact on WNBL18.

WNBL18: An off-season primer

July 26, 2017November 13, 2021Posted in SportTagged Adelaide Lightning, Basketball, Bendigo Spirit, Dandenong Rangers, Melbourne Boomers, Perth Lynx, Townsville FIre, University of Canberra Capitals, University of Sydney Flames, WNBL, WNBL18, Women's sport

It’s been an eventful WNBL off-season, with last season’s stragglers, Melbourne and Adelaide, bringing in major talent, while last year’s semi-finalists also look to be strong.

Stay tuned for comprehensive previews of each team in what promises to be one of the most competitive and closely-run WNBL seasons to date.

ADELAIDE

Incoming: Abby Bishop, Aimie Clydesdale, Ruth Hamblin, Lauren Nicholson, Natalie Novosel, Vanessa Panousis, Nicole Seekamp,

Outgoing: Anne Hatchard (AFLW), Sam Logic, Anneli Maley (Oregon)

Retained: Chelsea Brook, Sarah Elsworthy, Jessica Good, Laura Hodges, Shannon McKay, Colleen Planeta

Free Agents: Jordan Hunter, Mollie McKendrick, Ieva Nagy

Coach: Murray Wong / Chris Lucas

Notes: A major overhaul from last year’s last-placed team, Adelaide have made major strides forward over the off-season.

BENDIGO

Incoming: Rachel Banham, Betnijah Laney

Outgoing: Blake Dietrick, Kerryn Harrington (AFLW), Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe (France)

Retained: Kelsey Griffin, Ashleigh Karaitiana, Heather Oliver, Nadeen Payne, Gabrielle Richards, Ebony Rolph, Ashleigh Spencer, Kara Tessari,

Free Agents: Jane Chalmers, Andrea Wilson

Coach: Simon Pritchard

Notes: Bendigo should benefit from continuity as they have retained much of their 2016/17 core, including the whole second unit. They have also addressed their previous lack of outside shooting with Banham and Laney.

Capitals guard Abbey Wehrung will be back after her best WNBL season yet.

CANBERRA

Incoming: Mistie Bass, Natalie Hurst, Jordan Hooper, Rachel Jarry, Ezi Magbegor, Chevannah Paalvast, Maddi Rocci, Lauren Scherf,

Outgoing: Jazmon Gwathmey (Turkey), Lauren Mansfield (Europe), Marianna Tolo (Turkey), Carly Wilson (Retired)

Retained: Keely Froling, Kate Gaze, Abby Wehrung,

Free Agents: Janelle Adams, Maddison Allen, Callie Bourne, Issie Bourne, Alice Coddington, Mikaela Ruef

Coach: Paul Gorriss

Notes: Replacing Tolo and Wilson will be no easy task, but the Caps have brought in WNBA vet Mistie Bass and have retained some intriguing young player. They also get some genuine star power in Hooper and Jarry as well as Scherf, who looks to be on the brink of a breakthrough season. The Capitals still have one free import spot.

DANDENONG

Incoming: Tessa Lavey, Carley Mijovic, Laia Palau, Rebecca Pizzey, Kayla Pedersen, Tayla Roberts, Kiera Rowe

Outgoing: Chloe Bibby (Mississippi State), Aimie Clydesdale (Adelaide), Jacinta Kennedy (Retired), Ally Mallott (Latvia), Natalie Novosel (Adelaide), Lauren Scherf (Canberra)

Retained: Rachel Antoniadou, Sara Blicavs, Steph Blicavs (nee Cumming), Amelia Todhunter

Free Agents: Rosie Fadljevic, Madeline Puli, Saraid Taylor, Briahna Whatman

Coach: Larissa Anderson

Notes: Dandenong have a new-look team from last year’s runners-up, but again look to be finals bound. Laia Palau, a three-time Olympian for Spain, joins a star-studded backcourt.

MELBOURNE

Incoming: Liz Cambage, Chelsea D’Angelo, Courtney Duever, Cassidy Gould, Ash Grant, Peri Kalka, Emma Nankervis, Jenna O’Hea, Louella Tomlinson, Kalani Purcell

Outgoing: Alice Kunek (Perth), Olivia Thompson (Perth)

Retained: Kasey Burton, Bec Cole, Monique Conti, Maddie Garrick, Bec Ott, Brittany Smart

Free Agents: Chante Black, Kelly Bowen, Jess Bygate, Tegan Cunningham, Kalisha Keane, Elyse Penaluna

Coach: Guy Molloy

Notes: Boomers have addressed their lack of frontcourt players in the most emphatic way possible, recruiting Liz Cambage. Jenna O’Hea gives them a top-tier wing, while their overall depth looks to be a level up from last year.

PERTH

Incoming: Alex Ciabattoni, Amanda Dowe, Alice Kunek, Ali Schwagmeyer, Kayla Standish, Olivia Thompson, Courtney Williams

Outgoing: Breanna Butler (Deportivo Zamarat), Ash Grant (Melbourne), Ruth Hamblin (Adelaide), Tessa Lavey (Dandenong), Carley Mijovic (Dandenong)

Retained: Nat Burton, Toni Farnworth (nee Edmonson), Tahlia Fejo, Sami Whitcomb

Free Agents: Kisha Lee, Tenaya Phillips

Coach: Andy Stewart

Notes: Perth still have at least four roster spots for 2017/18, but have retained their key player, Sami Whitcomb, who is currently playing in the WNBA. Coach Andy Stewart has said the team is looking for athletic players who will fit into their uptempo style.

SYDNEY

Incoming: Katie-Rae Ebzery, Kimberley Hodge, Emily Matthews, Maddie O’Hehir

Outgoing: Leilani Mitchell (Turkey), Lauren Nicholson (Adelaide)

Retained: Carly Boag, Shanae Graeves, Sara Graham, Jen Hamson, Cassidy McLean, Lara McSpadden, Belinda Snell, Asia Taylor, Tahlia Tupaea, Susi Walmsley, Ally Wilson

Free Agents: Chris Boag, Hayley Moffatt

Coach: Cheryl Chambers

Notes: Most of the championship-winning squad from 2016/17 returns, but replacing basketball genius Leilani Mitchell is easier said than done. Asia Taylor was expected to move overseas, but will now return in a huge get for Sydney. Opals regular Ebzery will likely again be a top ten scorer and focal point of the attack.

TOWNSVILLE

Incoming: Zitina Aokuso, Cayla George (nee Francis), Miela Goodchild, Marena Whittle, Sydney Wiese

Outgoing: Natasha Cloud, Kayla Standish (Perth)

Retained: Haylee Andrews, Suzy Batkovic, Michaela Cocks, Darcee Garbin, Mia Murray, Kelly Wilson

Free Agents: Amy Kame, Chevannah Paalvast, Ainsley Walsh, Jacqui Zelenka

Coach: Claudia Brassard

Notes: With the return of George, Townsville have returned to their twin towers frontline who were the two leading scorers in their champion teams of 2014/15 and 2015/16. Sydney Wiese adds shooting, while the team has added some exciting youth in Aokuso, Whittle and Goodchild. The team are currently pursuing a second import.

WNBL: Sally Phillips on the return to TV and the league’s bright future

May 17, 2017November 13, 2021Posted in SportTagged Abby Bishop, Basketball, Bendigo Spirit, Erin Phillips, Jenna O'Hea, Liz Cambage, Melbourne Boomers, Monique Conti, Opals, Perth Lynx, Rachel Jarry, Sally Phillips, Sami Whitcomb, Suzy Batkovic, Townsville FIre, University of Canberra Capitals, University of Sydney Flames, WNBL, WNBL18, Women's sportLeave a comment

“It seems like since the broadcast news, almost every day there’s been a major announcement” Head of the WNBL Sally Phillips says. “It’s been really exciting”.

Phillips, a 193 game veteran of the league who also worked as Commercial Operations Manager at Dandenong Rangers before her present role, isn’t exaggerating – this has been the most action-packed off-season in recent memory, with a multi-year broadcast partnership with Fox Sports giving the league new momentum. Already, international stars like Cayla George, Abby Bishop, Rachel Jarry and Liz Cambage have signed up for the revitalised competition.

The 2017/18 schedule will be shortened, a feature which Phillips says will help entice overseas-based talent to the league. “I think it’s really going to allow our athletes to play in the WNBA as well and if they want to play Euroleague they can choose to do that as well without missing much of the season at all”.

**Rachel Jarry is amongst the Opals stars who are returning for WNBL18.**

Phillips says she has been “absolutely blown away” by the standard of games since moving into the role last year. But she says communicating the strength of the league to the broader public can always be improved. “Basketball as a whole, we haven’t done a great job of telling our story” she says. “We have an elite competition, but still in Australia not many people know about us”.

Phillips agrees that promoting the game needs to go beyond scores and stats and says the league has recognised that human interest stories about the players resonate with fans. “People want to see the personalities of the girls, what they’re like off court. They want to see who they’re supporting”.

“There are a lot of great stories out there, many of the girls are studying or doing great work in the community”. Digging deeper into these kind of stories is something she says Fox Sports are “working tirelessly” on with the league.

One thing the conpetition is already doing well, however, is fan engagement at games. Phillips has seen the value of this first hand; she still fondly remembers meeting Geelong Cats legends illy Brownless and Mark Yeates as a youngster and collecting their autographs each week.

Jenna O'Hea's return from Europe will be huge for a revamped Melbourne. Photo: Pierre-Yves Beaudouin — Jenna O’Hea’s return from Europe will be huge for a revamped Melbourne. Photo: Pierre-Yves Beaudouin

Phillips says the Melbourne Boomers led the way with this kind of fan engagement, which has now been embraced across the league. At any given game you might see kids getting a selfie with five time MVP Suzy Batkovic or swarming Sami Whitcomb for some shooting advice.

This engagement is particularly important with young fans, Phillips says. “The WNBL is such a family-friendly environment, and that’s something I’m very proud of”.

The league will continue to work on strengthening ties with junior players nationwide, aiming to leverage Australia’s strong basketball participation rates. “That’s the thing that stands us in great stead” Phillips says. “Depending on the time of year, we might have 1 million or even 2 million playing. We need to find a way to engage those people and convert them into fans of the NBL or WNBL. It’s something we’re mindful of and working hard on. It’s important that clubs and players are out there working in the community”.

Another huge plus for the league is the promise of improved competitive balance in the WNBL next year. Last year’s stragglers, Adelaide and Melbourne, have both recruited aggressively and look set for huge improvement. “It’s going to be a really even competition” Phillips enthuses. “It could be like the AFL where you don’t know who’s going to win every week”.

Erin Phillips' success in the new AFLW competition "has put WNBL on the map" for AFL recruiters says Sally Phillips. Photo: flickerd — Erin Phillips’ success in the new AFLW competition “has put WNBL on the map” for AFL recruiters says Sally Phillips. Photo: flickerd

Speaking of the AFL, the league is also working on the complex issue of facing a new competitor for its elite talent. With Opal Erin Phillips starring in the AFLW’s first season, recruiters are increasingly eyeing elite basketballers for a code switch. Still others, like electric Melbourne youngster Monique Conti, have ambitions of playing both sports at the highest level. “It’s a really hard one” Phillips acknowledges. “The last thing we want to do is to force girls into making a choice”.

The AFL has always got a lot of mileage out of its glamorous Brownlow Awards night and Phillips says the league would love to emulate that event’s broad appeal with its own awards night, though this has proven difficult without sponsorship. “We’ve done the best with what we have” she says. “But our athletes definitely deserve to be recognised in that way”.

Liz Cambage's return will be one of the main storylines of WNBL18. Photo: Bidgee — Liz Cambage’s return will be one of the main storylines of WNBL18. Photo: Bidgee

Another area the league is looking at behind the scenes is expansion. Phillips says they want to ensure any increase in the number of teams is done in a considered way. “It’s definitely on the radar” she says. “We want any teams that enter to be absolutely financially sustainable. We’ve done studies on the best areas and best ways for teams to enter, so (any expansions teams) will have to be strongly aligned with the studies and the criteria we have”.

For now, though, Phillips is understandably thrilled with the obvious progress the league is making around the new broadcast partnership. “There’s a real air of positivity around the WNBL again”.

WNBL: Andy Stewart talks semi-finals, road trips and Sami Whitcomb’s miracle year.

April 6, 2017November 13, 2021Posted in SportTagged Andy Stewart, Antonia Edmonson, Basketball, Brianna Butler, Carley Mijovic, Nat Burton, Perth, Perth Lynx, Ruth Hamblin, Sami Whitcomb, Tahlia Fejo, Tessa Lavey, WNBL, WNBL17

Coming off a run to the grand final which stunned many observers and helped secure Andy Stewart coach of the year last season, the Perth Lynx again hovered around the upper reaches of the ladder for much of 2016/17, before succumbing to Dandenong in a semi-final series.

The Rangers had been a difficult matchup for them all year, with Dandenong winning three of their four regular season fixtures. Stewart agrees Dandenong’s greater depth was crucial in the 2-1 defeat. “I think we were one or two players light” he says. Dropping the last two games of the regular season may have also been costly, with Perth losing the chance to host the semi-finals.

The Lynx again wholeheartedly embraced pace and space in 2016/17 and it made for entertaining basketball, with whippet-like point guard Tessa Lavey pushing the tempo and gun shooters like Sami Whitcomb, Carley Mijovic and Brianna Butler providing plenty of floor spacing.

Whitcomb in particular was prolific from beyond the arc, taking more than half her shots from outside and making 105 three-pointers for the year. Remarkably, she had more three-pointers than two entire WNBL rosters, Bendigo (102) and Adelaide (101).

Yet Whitcomb was more than a long-range gunner, showing phenomenal ability as both a shooter and shot creator, scoring from anywhere and everywhere on her way to the highest points tally ever recorded in the competition. “We saw glimpses of it the year before, but some of her exhibitions were quite outstanding” Stewart says. “It’s a shame she didn’t get (the MVP award), though there were two or three girls that were exceptional, with Suzy Batkovic and Leilani Mitchell”.

Stewart says that every facet of Whitcomb’s offensive arsenal, including those crazy step-backs from well outside the three-point line, are all the result of diligent and persistent practice. “I don’t know of a person that works harder” he says. “She puts in an enormous amount of practice. Everything you see on court is the result of hours and hours and hours of time”.

No player came close to Sami Whitcomb's tally of 70 steals. "She is extremely disruptive" Stewart says. — No player came close to Sami Whitcomb’s tally of 70 steals. “She is extremely disruptive” Stewart says.

While some prolific scorers get away with taking a breather on the defensive end, Whitcomb was a blur of action, continually turning up right where opponents didn’t want her, often successfully gambling for steals or using her explosive speed to get into passing lanes. She led the league for steals by some distance (with 70, Leilani Mitchell was second with 49) and picked up the club’s defensive player of the year award.

“She is certainly a unique defender” Stewart says. “She’s not your classic ‘lock a player down’ kind of defender, but she is extremely disruptive. Her steals often ignited us into very positive periods of play”.

“Andy Stewart on Carley Mijovic: “There’s not much in world basketball that is beyond her””

Perth took the most three-point attempts of any team by far, doubling the tally of some rivals and attempting 300 more three-pointers than semi-final opponents Dandenong. Forward Carley Mijovic was a major part of their outside-heavy game, hitting 64 threes at 36%.

It was another season of progress for Mijovic, who again claimed the club’s most improved player award. Stewart says she has the physical tools to be anything. “She’s a 6’6 three-point shooter who can run the floor really well” he says. “If she tackles it with tenacity, there’s not much in world basketball that is beyond her. She has a WNBA body and she’s just got better and better”.

Ruth Hamblin and Carley Mijovic reject shots against the Bendigo Spirit. The pair had 98 blocks between them, the most of any two  teammates in the league. — Ruth Hamblin and Carley Mijovic reject shots against the Bendigo Spirit. The pair had 98 blocks between them, the most of any two teammates in the league.

The club was also well-served by Canadian import Ruth Hamblin, who provided shot-blocking and tough screens and showed a high basketball IQ on defence. Asked whether his approach on imports is to bring in the best available player or to recruit to a specific need, Stewart says his method is a bit of both. “You want a unique player, someone who will change the way opponents see you, but you also want a player that can plug holes which can’t be plugged by an Australian player”

Perth were always looking to run. Here, Antonia Edmonson gets a fast break layup.

Antonia Edmonson chipped in with some massive games, including six of six three-point shooting in a huge win over Adelaide. Stewart says he thought it was her best WNBL campaign and believes the Tall Ferns representative will continue to have some monster outings. “She won’t dominate every single game, but she’ll be a presence”.

One of Edmonson’s back-court partners, Opal Tessa Lavey, saw her three-point shooting decline somewhat on previous years (26% in 2016/17), but she remained the driver of the Lynx’s high-octane offence and her ability to collect steals (36, equal 6th in league) was a big part of Perth collecting the most steals of any WNBL team.

Lavey missed four games with an ankle injury early in the season, an absence Stewart says was one of the two major disruptions Perth faced, along with the injury-enforced replacement of their WNBA import Monica Wright, a popular figure amongst the playing group, with the sweet-shooting Brianna Butler.

Tessa Lavey's quick hands led to 36 steals, good for equal sixth in the league. — Tessa Lavey’s quick hands led to 36 steals, good for equal sixth in the league.

Elsewhere, Opals member Nat Burton finished the year with averages of 3.9 points and 3.4 rebounds and seemed custom-built for Perth’s transition game. Her Olympic experience, however, meant she had a long and emotionally taxing off-season. “I don’t think it did benefit her” Stewart says. “I would suggest she went through a flat period after coming back, but how could you not?”

At the other end of the experience scale was development player Tahlia Fejo, who saw limited minutes, but is seen as a long-term prospect for the club. “She’s a project” Stewart says. “It will be a while before she’s dominant”. Stewart says Fejo initially found the demands of being in a WNBL squad difficult, though notes “she certainly got a lot better at all that” as the season progressed.

Speaking shortly before the team announced the key re-signing of Whitcomb, Stewart was hopeful of bringing most of the squad back but mindful that some players have families thousands of kilometres away and resigned to the fact that some retention decision would be out of the team’s control.

Similarly, he is resigned to the greater travel demands Perth sides will always face, but is determined to see their isolated location as a positive rather than complaining about it. “It’s something you become really used to when you live in Perth…I think it’s become quite useful really, you bond on those long trips and you learn to make the most of it”.

WNBL Semi-finals preview: Rangers v Lynx

February 24, 2017Posted in SportTagged Amelia Todhunter, Basketball, Carley Mijovic, Dandenong Rangers, Perth Lynx, Ruth Hamblin, Sami Whitcomb, Sara Blicavs, semi-finals, Sport, Steph Cumming, WNBL

Dandenong go into this series with home court advantage (where they hold a 8-4 record) and the confidence of a 3-1 series result against Perth this year. The Lynx, however, are the leading offensive unit in the WNBL and in Sami Whitcomb boasts the overwhelming MVP and a player explosive enough to throw the most meticulous game plans into disarray.

Perth are particularly strong from three point range, though their strength in this area is somewhat eroded against Dandenong who have a pair of elite perimeter defenders in Blicavs and Cumming. Whitcomb averages 18.75 against Dandenong this year, down on her historically good season average of 23.6. Expect Dandenong to start the dogged, steal-happy Amelia Todhunter on Whitcomb, where she has had some success. Rangers are also like to employ reigning defensive player of the year Steph Cumming on Whitcomb at times as well. The Perth star’s remarkable ability to create her own shot means she is unlikely to be neutralised, but if Dandenong can stop her from going crazy (as when she scored 12 last quarter points in Perth’s win over the Rangers) it will go a long way towards victory.

Perth’s advantage in outside shooting becomes clear when you consider Whitcomb and Mijovic alone have made only one less made 3 pointer than the entire Dandenong team. In fact, Perth have almost 100 more 3 pointers than Dandenong over the course of the season (252-154). The disparity is particularly surprising as it’s not like Dandenong don’t have capable long-range shooter themselves, with Cumming (42% this year), Blicavs (40%) and Novosel (48% on a small sample size) all well above average. Novosel particularly likes to work from mid-range.

6’4 forward Malott is also hitting three-pointers at a good clip (39%) and could be the key to Dandenong going small, as they did with some success against Sydney before the fatigue of an unfriendly schedule and early flights caught up with them. If Dandenong do give Malott minutes at centre, Perth would likely counter with their own stretch four, Carley Mijovic. Mijovic is obviously a tough cover in her own right, but given that Hamblin was pivotal in Perth’s lone win over Dandenong this season, claiming 4 blocks, Rangers may prefer her role being minimised. Perth have also been a better rebounding team than Dandenong, but even winning the battle of the boards in their most recent meeting didn’t prevent the Lynx slumping to a 22 point loss.

Perhaps the biggest advantage for Dandenong lies in their enviably deep bench. In their four meetings this year, the Dandenong second unit has outscored Perth’s reserves by a total of 44 points. Former Opal Jacinta Kennedy is an absolute luxury to bring off the bench, while imports Novosel and Malott have had nice seasons and Rosie Fadljevic can contribute energetic defence at multiple positions.

Ultimately the Rangers seem equipped to neutralise Perth strengths and though the freewheeling scoring of Whitcomb and Mijovic should net Perth one win, Rangers in three seems the most likely result.

Prediction: Dandenong 2-1