WNBL: 18 Things to Look Forward to in WNBL18

October 2, 2017November 13, 2021Posted in SportTagged Abby Bishop, Basketball, Belinda Snell, Carley Mijovic, Courtney Williams, Ezi Magbegor, Katie-Rae Ebzery, Kelsey Griffin, Liz Cambage, Rachel Banham, Sami Whitcomb, Sara Blicavs, Suzy Batkovic, Tayla Roberts, Tessa Lavey, WNBL, WNBL18, Women's sport, Zitina Aokuso

Sydney become the hunted

The University of Sydney Flames steamrolled to the title last season and bring back most of their winning team, but basketball genius Leilani Mitchell, the league’s best clutch player in WNBL17, is a big loss. Much depends on returning Opal Ebzery, who may slide over to the one guard at times.

Dandenong’s duck boat friends

NBA fans have long been intrigued by the idea of the ‘banana boat’ team, a superteam comprising superpals Lebron James, Chris Paul and Dwayne Wade, so named because of a memorably ridiculous Instagram picture of the high-profile trio riding an inflatable banana with Wade’s wife, Gabrielle Union. A photo of Carley Mijovic and Sara and Steph Blicavs riding an inflatable duck with Opals teammates didn’t go quite as viral, but the friends did also form their own superteam of sorts, bringing in AIS buddies Tessa Lavey and Tayla Roberts to form a new-look core at Dandenong.

“I got a couple of messages from Sara and Carley saying ‘get here, let’s go, we’re going to get this championship” Lavey told the Herald-Sun. One of the most intriguing storylines is how this quack squad will fare.

Think of Alex Bunton and Alanna Smith as the Gabrielle Union of this photo.

The grudge match

Circle this date: Saturday October 14, 7:00pm. University of Sydney Flames v Dandenong Rangers. The grand final rivalry continues.

The return of Liz Cambage

One of the most physically dominant bigs in the league’s history, Liz Cambage at her best is good enough to shift the entire balance of power across the whole league. Her return after a five-year absence from the WNBL is one of the year’s biggest stories and enough to tip a now stacked Melbourne into a narrow lead as title favourites.

Adelaide star Laura Hodges said Cambage presents all kind of matchup problems for other teams. “Lizzie is a player like no other, she has great shooting touch, she’s a great scorer, extremely strong and athletic. You can’t stop her, you just have to work around her.”

The unscripted moments

Like this fine spill:

The youth brigade

Most players don’t get much WNBL court time in their first year, but Ezi Magbegor isn’t most players. The shot-blocking dynamo is a rare talent and already looked comfortable at this level during pre-season; also look out for her former AIS teammate, Zitina Aokuso, a hyper-athletic centre, who has joined the Fire. Melbourne pocket rocket Monique Conti is already one of the most fun players in the league to watch, while Kara Tessari (Spirit), Cassidy McLean (Flames) and Sarah Elsworthy (Lightning) all project as future stars.

Suzy Batkovic’s quest for six MVPs

Batkovic has quietly been one of the most dominant players not just in basketball, but in any Australian sport over the last decade. Yet there will be no shortage of players who could compete with her for this year’s award: Sami Whitcomb went painfully close last year, while previous winners Abby Bishop and Liz Cambage will again be candidates. Sara Blicavs and Asia Taylor should again be in the race, while newcomers Banham and Williams could storm into contention.

A fierce competitor, Batkovic would give up another MVP medal for a shot at a championship in a heartbeat, but we say a record sixth individual award would be pretty cool.

Kelsey Griffin: Anything is Possible

The FIBA Asia Cup was Kelsey Griffin’s first International basketball after having naturalised as an Australian citizen. More than this, however, it soon turned into a full-blown coming-out party for this gritty, hyper-competitive, supremely well-rounded player. It introduced the basketball world to a fact WNBL fans are already well aware of: Kelsey Griffin is very, very good at basketball. The team’s disappointment at missing the finals last season provides rich motivation, while the arrival of Rachel Banham adds much needed outside shooting to their hard-working core. As another basketballing KG once famously yelled: Anything is possible!

New stars: Williams, Banham, Wiese

Not all WNBA players who have come into the league have been dominant, but it would be a huge surprise if Courtney Williams, a WNBA rotation player, doesn’t make a major impact for Perth. Rachel Banham and Sydney Wiese were both elite shooters at college level who have the ability to get points in bunches and the gravity to stretch the floor and kick their team’s offence up a notch. Banham has already hit a buzzer-beater circus shot to win a pre-season game for Bendigo. Her scoring rampages for Minnesota attracted attention from one of the biggest names in the sport.

The tactics

Think of basketball as chess for tall people. The real-time tactical battles between coaches will again be fascinating as they punch and counter-punch to try to exploit any advantage their current line-up has.

Sara Blicavs, one of this league’s versions of the multi-dimensional queen chess piece, told this site in an earlier interview that the WNBL is more tactical than the men’s game. “The men are more athletic, but we get the same number of points. We have to be smarter, quicker and read the game better.”

Hold On, We’re Going Home

In WNBL18, everything old is new again: Nat Hurst is back at Canberra, where she has won a ridiculous seven championships. Cayla George has rejoined Townsville, where she starred in two WNBL titles. Abby Bishop is back at her hometown team, Adelaide, just as Katie-Rae Ebzery rejoins her local team in Sydney. Each has reason to believe they can lead their team to glory.

“Laura Hodges on Liz Cambage: “Lizzie is a player like no other…You can’t stop her, you just have to work around her””

An eight-team race

You could make a good argument for any of the eight competing teams to win the WNBL this season, such is the depth and spread of talent. It could be like the last NBL season, where only a couple of points spread the entire field and a team that was placed last at the halfway point ended up as champions.

With a shortened schedule and in such an even competition, chemistry and fit will be even more important. A buzzer-beater here and a tough road loss there could easily separate a finals campaign from an early exit.

The match-ups

Abby Bishop v Suzy Batkovic, Liz Cambage v double teams, Ezi Magbegor v Zitina Aokuso, Rachel Banham v your best perimeter defender.

The Sami show

Every Australian sports fan should see Sami Whitcomb, the league’s most unguardable player, in person. A spectacular shooter with a whole arsenal of stepbacks and almost imperceptibly quick shot release, Whitcomb will be joined by another scorer in Courtney Williams, a move that doesn’t so much create headaches for opponents as brain-splitting migraines.

Slam dunking?

Jen Hamson and Liz Cambage have both dunked during games. Zitina Aokuso is throwing them down in practice. Just saying.

The ageless Belinda Snell

Now entering her 21st season of elite level basketball, Belinda Snell should be slowing down. Should be, but isn’t. At the Asia Cup, she was still easily one of the Opals best players, regularly outpointing opponents a whole generation younger. Her ability to see the court and read opposition plays before they unfold was a huge factor in the Flames’ championship last season. Seasons change, empires rise and fall, but Snell remains a steady evergreen, racking up steals through sheer canniness and throwing perfect entry passes.

The double-headers

Christmas comes a month early for WNBL fans; on November 25 and 26, all eight teams converge on the State Basketball Centre for two days of double headers. Other rounds include joint fixtures with NBL teams. In a crowded summer sporting market, this kind of innovative scheduling can only help the league get the attention it deserves.

It’s back on TV

Let’s dance!

WNBL: Amelia Todhunter on 3v3 World Cup, dogged defence and her dog Louie.

May 29, 2017November 13, 2021Posted in SportTagged Amelia Todhunter, Basketball, Bec Cole, Carley Mijovic, Dandenong Rangers, Kayla Pedersen, Larissa Anderson, Nadeen Payne, Sara Blicavs, SEABL, Sport, Tessa Lavey, WNBL, WNBL17, WNBL18, Women's sport

Third in season 2015/16 and second last year, it’s hard to avoid the conclusion that the Dandenong Rangers are slowly but surely building to something special. They recently re-signed tireless point guard Amelia Todhunter, whose relentless defensive work gives the side much of its identity. The 29-year-old says the team’s recent second place finish will be front of mind when they return to training. “We’ll embrace it for sure and use it as motivation” she says.

“There’s the three of us coming back (with Sara Blicavs and Steph Blicavs [nee Cumming]), but we’ve recruited really well. Getting Kayla (Pedersen) back is really exciting”. As Todhunter says, the Rangers will have something of a new look squad next season, but it’s not like the group are complete strangers. Blicavs, Carley Mijovic and new signing Tessa Lavey all came up together at the Australian Institute of Sport and are looking forward to reuniting on court.

Todhunter is currently playing for the Dandenong Rangers SEABL team, where she is putting up her best three-point shooting numbers (48%), making her more of an off the ball threat.

The Rangers SEABL side often plays Todhunter alongside fellow point guard and outgoing co-captain Aimie Clydesdale. Come the WNBL season, she expects to often share the court with Opals floor general Tessa Lavey in similar small ball two point guard lineups.

Todhunter often guarded the opposition's best scorer. Here, she sticks to Melbourne star Maddie Garrick and forces a turnover. — Todhunter often guarded the opposition’s best scorer. Here, she sticks to Melbourne star Maddie Garrick and forces a turnover.

“It’ll be really good working with Tessa” she says. “I think we can play that way where whoever gets the ball is the one (for that play) and the other one can run up the court. I think playing together will work well and will improve both our games”.

A smart, unselfish player on the offensive end, Todhunter is best known as a tenacious, pesky lock-down defender. Last year’s campaign, her tenth, was her best season as she racked up steals, snaffled rebounds from the clutches of larger opponents and pursued opponents up and down court and through mazes of screens, pushing herself into the discussion for WNBL defensive player of the year.

Not blessed with any great size or height, Todhunter instead relies on hard work and basketball smarts to negate opposing scorers. Every week, Rangers assistant coach Reece Potter compiles a video of her coming assignment, and then Todhunter starts scheming. “I try to see what (her opponent)’s go-to move is, and I try to take that away” she explains.

Always ready to hit the floor to grab a loose ball, Todhunter is one of the league's ultimate hustle players. — Always ready to hit the floor to grab a loose ball, Todhunter is one of the league’s ultimate hustle players.

In the mould of celebrated on-ball stoppers like Shane Battier and Briann January, Todhunter studies the tapes of her opponents long and hard and draws on every minute of her experience, which has given her an extensive knowledge of players tendencies and habits. “I’ve been in the league for a while now, so I know a lot of players games really well” she says.

Not only does she know some opponents better than they know themselves, she also has a strong grasp of her own game and sticks to a well-defined role. “I’m definitely more of a hard-worker than a finesse player” she says. “I pride myself on hustling and working really hard”.

Asked who her toughest defensive assignment has been, Todhunter says there are a number of very difficult covers. “The league is full of amazing players” she says. “I would say Leilani Mitchell, she is a bit smaller than me, which is hard to find, but she’s really tough and has so much experience”. Sami Whitcomb also rates highly, while she is glad she no longer has to guard new teammate Tessa Lavey in games and is expecting some tough battles against Adelaide-bound Aimie Clydesdale.

Todhunter guards Sydney Flames star Leilani Mitchell in last year's grand final. "She's a bit smaller than me...but she's so tough, and has so much experience" Todhunter says. — Todhunter guards Sydney Flames star Leilani Mitchell in last year’s grand final. “She’s a bit smaller than me…but she’s so tough, and has so much experience” Todhunter says.

Before those matchups, however, Todhunter will be part of Australia’s 3v3 team in the FIBA World Cup, which kicks off in Nantes, France on June 17. She will represent Australia alongside new Rangers recruit Mijovic, Bendigo’s Nadeen Payne and Boomer Bec Cole.

Todhunter says the preparation has involved the squad upping their aerobic fitness to even greater levels. “A lot of the training has just been sprinting for ten minutes straight. It’s very physical and it’s a lot more fast-paced. In three on three, you’ve just got to be going and going and going”.

Australia are relatively inexperienced in the format and will enter the tournament seeded 19th, but Todhunter says they have the nucleus of a successful team. “We’re working hard to be ready. (The format) is new to us, but I think we’ll pretty competitive. The games are going to be really physical, but being smaller, it’ll be nice to have a bit more space. Bec Cole and I will be looking to penetrate a lot and then kick the ball out”.

Louie, Louie: Todhunter's King Cavalier in the Dandenong Rangers calendar photoshoot. — Louie, Louie: Todhunter’s King Cavalier in the Dandenong Rangers calendar photoshoot.

Finally, here at The Evening Game, we take a strong interest in the WNBL’s top doggos and had to ask Todhunter about her King Charles Cavalier, Louie, whose listed interests include exploring, cuddles and “the ladies”.

Her beloved pet is already something of a celebrity; he has his own Instagram account and even appeared with Amelia in the Rangers 2017 calendar. Todhunter says she has plans for an international-themed Louie post to tie in with her 3v3 campaign.

“I’m going to get him a little Australian jersey!” she laughs. “I just have to find something small enough. It’s funny (the attention Louie gets), because I find him pretty adorable”.

Amelia Todhunter 2016/17 Stats:

Points per game: 4.89

Assists per game: 1.96 (5th on Rangers)

Steals: 46 (3rd in league)

WNBL: Sara Blicavs on returning to the Rangers, new TV deal and grand final revenge

May 14, 2017November 13, 2021Posted in SportTagged Basketball, Carley Mijovic, Dandenong Rangers, Larissa Anderson, Sara Blicavs, Steph Cumming, Tessa Lavey, WNBL, WNBL grand final, WNBL17, WNBL18, Women's sport

Co-winner of the Dandenong Rangers MVP in season 2016/17, Sara Blicavs has re-committed to the team and is already looking forward to another run at the finals. Although her return to the team was only officially announced last week, Blicavs says she never had any intention of leaving. “I was always going to play with Dandenong again, how could you not?”.

The Rangers runner up finish will prove a major source of motivation. “Making the finals and coming so close, it just adds fuel to the fire” she says. Coming off her best WNBL season to date, Blicavs seems to be moving into her prime as a player. “She’s only just now realising the damage she can do” Rangers coach Larissa Anderson told this site earlier in the year.

Blicavs drives against finals foe Asia Taylor.

The recently announced TV partnership with Fox Sports also adds to the interest in the coming season. “It’s so exciting” she says. “It’s really helped getting bigger names into the league, already you’ve seen Liz (Cambage) and Jenna O’Hea return”. Blicavs remembers the disappointment of the league losing coverage when she was at the AIS and is elated at the long-awaited return to TV. “It’s amazing to see the league will be getting the coverage that it’s worthy of”.

While Dandenong teammates Aimie Clydesdale, Nat Novosel and Lauren Scherf have all moved to other clubs and legend Jacinta Kennedy has retired, the Rangers have not sat idle in free agency.

Blicavs and Steph Cumming shared the club MVP award and will again be a huge part of the Rangers core.

They’ve recently re-signed club co-MVP (and The Evening Game favourite) Steph Cumming and have been strongly linked to Conneticut Suns forward Kayla Pederson. They are expected to announce the signing of Olympian one guard Tessa Lavey shortly and have pulled off a coup by signing stretch four/five Carley Mijovic, one of the league’s most lavishly talented players.

The return of Mijovic to her junior club is one that Blicavs welcomes with open arms. “I can’t wait” Blicavs says of reuniting with her former AIS teammate. “She’s one of my closest friends. She’s going to bring a lot of scoring power and that real feistiness to the team, and obviously she’s 6’6, so it’s really exciting”.

Fifth in WNBL MVP voting last season, Blicavs says she wants to add even more consistency to her game in the coming campaign. “I set mini-goals for each game, and I want to turn the good games from last year into great games, and the bad games into good games”. She is also working on raising her three-point percentage, which already stood at a healthy 39% last year, fifth amongst WNBL players who took at least 50 outside shots.

Silly squad: Dandenong Rangers celebrate Turtle Power on Mad Monday. Photo: Instagram, @sarablicavs

Whether winning or losing (though there was definitely more winning), the Rangers always seemed to be having a great time last season. Blicavs says their close-knit nature is a huge part of their identity. “That’s what gets us so far, that we’re really close on and off the court. Larissa is really big on personalities, getting the right personality that will fit into the team…we really make an effort to do things together away from basketball”.

A popular figure on social media, Blicavs comes across as a very upbeat personality, but it would be a grave mistake to see her amiability as a lack of competitive fire. Clearly, the grand final loss still burns and is one she is determined to avenge. “There’s a few grudges against Sydney, I’ll tell you that!” she says.

Sara Blicavs 2016/17 statistics

Points per game: 15.45 (9th in league)

Rebounds per game: 7.00 (12th)

Steals: 43 (4th)

Efficiency: 14.45

SEABL Prospect watch: womens’ prospects

May 11, 2017November 13, 2021Posted in SportTagged Anneli Maley, Basketball, Bendigo Lady Braves, Chantel Horvat, Chloe Bibby, Dandenong Rangers, Geelong Supercats, Kimberley Hodge, Launceston Tornadoes, Monique Conti, Sara Blicavs, SEABL, Tayla Roberts, University of Sydney Sparks, WNBL, WNBL18, Women's sport

In this new column, we take a look at some of the most interesting players in the SEABL. This may include College-bound young stars, WNBL players looking for a new deal and anyone else that catches our eye. Stay tuned for future instalments, which will look at the men’s prospects and take a close look at the Centre of Excellence talent.

“Sara Blicavs on Chantel Horvat: “She’s going to be a big part of Australian basketball in years to come, you can already tell that””

Tayla Roberts (Launceston Tornadoes)

A somewhat enigmatic player at WNBL level after a hugely promising junior career, Tayla Roberts has straight up dominated the SEABL this year. After moving to the Torns, she kicked off her season with a monster 35 point, 17 rebound effort in a tight win over Frankston. Roberts is the only player to rank in the top five for both points per game (23.8, first in league) and rebounds per game (10.8, fourth in league).

Few players can deal with her size and upper body strength and she often draws double and triple teams as players can’t keep her out of good post position or off the boards. Reaping the benefits of a reliable hook shot, she has also shown promising signs of an increased shooting range, connecting on 6/9 three-pointers this season. Take it as read that WNBL teams will be paying close attention.

Tayla Roberts and Anneli Maley combine for WNBL club side Adelaide Lightning.

Anneli Maley (Dandenong Rangers)

Bound for elite eight school Oregon, Maley is currently playing for the Dandenong Rangers. Already an elite rebounder (9.2 per game, 10th in league despite playing relatively low minutes), Maley is getting to the free throw line and displaying the kind of tools that saw Adelaide coach Chris Lucas describe her as a “wonderful athlete” and that has placed her high on the wish list of a number of blue chip colleges. When she adds some scoring polish to her game, watch out.

Kimberley Hodge (University of Sydney Sparks)

Sydney have a development-based team, with a range of youthful prospects filling out the roster around a handful of Flames players. Amongst the youth brigade is centre Hodge, who is only slight, but has the kind of height and length which will attract attention from higher level scouts. With a high release and a difficult to defend baby hook which she can employ from the low post, Hodge is an intriguing prospect in a team chock full of raw youth.

Tayla Roberts (hand up) is guarded by Kimberley Hodge in a University of Sydney v Launceston SEABL clash.

Chantel Horvat (Geelong Supercats)

To call Horvat, a 6’1 guard, a prodigious talent would be underselling her rapid ascent; she holds the record for the youngest SEABL player ever, having appeared in the competition aged just 14.

Rated as a five-star recruit by American scouts who are already enraptured by scoring ability and athletic gifts, Horvat ranks as one of the brightest prospects in a hugely promising new generation of Australian basketballers.

Talking to The Evening Game earlier this week, WNBL star and Geelong teammate Sara Blicavs said she saw a lot of herself in the UCLA-bound youngster. “She’s very raw, athletic, very fast. Going to college is going to be huge for her, because she’s already got the skills, athleticism and raw talent, that’s already there. She’s going to improve on decision-making and just getting more court time against tougher players is going to be huge for her. She’s going to be a big part of Australian basketball in years to come, you can already see that”.

Chloe Bibby (Bendigo Lady Braves)

Bibby is getting to the line more than any other player in the competition (59 FTA, first in the league) and is also crashing the boards (63, fourth in the league). She poured in 20 points on 7/11 shooting in a win against the Tornadoes, racking up a +21 plus/minus. She also dominated against Sandringham, collecting 30 points and 11 rebounds. A prolific, multi-dimensional scorer at junior representative level, the 6’1 forward is headed for Division 1 school Mississippi State University.

Monique Conti (Melbourne Tigers)

The reigning WNBL rookie of the year is a real livewire player, with excellent handles, speed and ability to get to the hoop and navigate through traffic. Still only 17, her progress is ahead of schedule and she leads all players in assists per game despite international calibre point guards Aimie Clydesdale and Lauren Mansfield also playing in the league. Teams can’t exactly negate her impact by sagging off her and forcing her to shoot either; she has connected on 20 three-pointers, behind only renowned long-range shooters Carley Mijovic and Sarah Graham.

Monique Conti in WNBL action for the Melbourne Boomers.

Coming soon on The Evening Game:

– Head of WNBL Sally Phillips on the broadcast deal and the league’s bright future

– Dandenong Rangers star Sara Blicavs on her re-signing with the club and grand final revenge.

WNBL: Dandenong coach Larissa Anderson on the Rangers grand final run

April 3, 2017November 13, 2021Posted in SportTagged Aimie Clydesdale, Ally Malott, Amelia Todhunter, Basketball, Dandenong Rangers, Jacinta Kennedy, Larissa Anderson, Lauren Scherf, Natalie Novosel, Rosie Fadljevic, Sara Blicavs, Steph Cumming, WNBL, WNBL grand final, WNBL17, WNBL18, Women's sport

Before season 2016/17 tipped off, Dandenong star Sara Blicavs predicted the side woul be “that annoying, youthful, speedy side that oppositions don’t like to play against”. They were all that and more, powering through the odd flat spot (like a late four game losing streak) to a 19-5 record and a home semi-final berth.

“It was a phenomenal effort to make the grand final” coach Larissa Anderson says. They eventually fell to a Sydney outfit who were not so much a team with momentum as a full-on basketball avalanche, entering the finals on a 12-game winning streak and coming off a comprehensive slaying of defending champions Townsville.

Still, Dandenong weren’t satisfied with being runners up and Anderson feels they had more to give. “I don’t think we put our best foot forward in that series” she says of the 2-0 grand final loss. “We all know we could have done better, but you learn a great deal from the experience”.

Dandenong had a switchy, versatile defence. In these stills from game 2 of the grand final series, Leilani Mitchell is guarded by (from top to bottom) Aimie Clydesdale, Natalie Novosel and Amelia Todhunter.

Injuries had been a subplot for Dandenong all year and raised their head during the finals. The team kept this quiet at the time, but import Ally Malott was again playing through significant injuries, having previously suffered ankle and foot problems and been on a minutes restriction earlier in the season. Before the grand final series, she had suffered a new knee injury which meant she couldn’t push off or get any power.“I really felt for Al” Anderson says. “She had injury after injury. She was in quite a bit of pain, and losing her for that series was a big loss for us, she is a quality player that made a large impact when she was fully fit”.

Steph Cumming continued to be an all-round contributor and tough bucket maker for the team. "She is Dandenong through and through" says Anderson. — Steph Cumming continued to be an all-round contributor and tough bucket maker for the team. “She is Dandenong through and through” says Anderson.

If opponents didn’t like playing against Dandenong, one of the main reasons why was the all-round play of Steph Cumming, who finished in the league’s top 20 for points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, three-point percentage and free throw percentage. Perhaps unsurprisingly, she was the only player to appear in every one of these lists.

Cumming shared the team’s MVP award with Sara Blicavs, who enjoyed her best WLBL season yet. A self-described “coffee coinnosseur”, Blicavs was like a human triple espresso shot for the Rangers this year, forever energising the team with her all action inside/outside game.

Sara Blicavs takes it to the hoop against finals opponent Asia Taylor. "Her playing ability is endless". — Sara Blicavs takes it to the hoop against finals opponent Asia Taylor. “Her playing ability is endless”.

Asked whether Blicavs could one day be MVP of the league, Anderson has no hesitation. “Absolutely” she says. “Her playing ability is endless and she’s only just now realising the damage she can do”. Anderson says Blicavs’ energy and personality were also keys to the team’s success. “She’s always happy, and always happy for her teammates. She’s a phenomenal team player”

“Larissa Anderson on Sara Blicavs: “Her playing ability is endless. She’s only just now realising the damage she can do””

The Rangers firepower went well beyond their two leading scorers; apart from Sydney there was no deeper team in the league. Perth coach Andy Stewart felt the greater scoring power of the Rangers bench was the key factor in his team’s semi-final loss to Dandenong. They were a stacked and versatile unit, able to go big or small and bring match-winners off the bench depending on the matchup.

Anderson says the team’s depth made it hard to get rotations right at times, but she notes she would always take a deep squad over a top-heavy one. “We were deep, but at the same time still very young, so different players contributed in different ways each week”.

Two things that worked well for Dandenong in season 2016/17: crisp ball movement and Natalie Novosel shooting threes.

Natalie Novosel was one of the players who gave them such enviable depth, and although knee injuries affected her season, the new acquisition was again one of the competition’s sharpest three-point shooters (44%), made smart passes and consistently drew contact and got to the foul line. Anderson is quick to point out that Novosel was an excellent addition to the squad. “We knew Nat would fit really well with this group and she settled in very quickly. She brings a great deal on and off the floor”

Another beastly defender off the bench was Rosie Fadljevic, who hustled hard and could be used to defend multiple positions. “Every minute she played, she made the most of” Anderson says of Fadljevic. “She constantly made a big basket and came up with a great stop”.

Co-captain Aimie Clydesdale fit the “young” and “speedy” parts of the team’s identity and was easily amongst the most improved players in the competition. Her field goal percentage jumped from 31% to 39% and her assists per game exactly doubled. She also showed signs of developing into a three-point threat, hitting twice as many three-pointers this season as in her previous two years combined.

AImie Clydesdale, pictured here in Dandenong's SEABL team back in 2013, had her best ever year for the Rangers. — AImie Clydesdale, pictured here in Dandenong’s SEABL team back in 2013, had her best ever year for the Rangers.

“I could not be more proud of Aimie’s improvement” Anderson says. “When I first came in, I knew Aimie had it in her to be one of the most prominent point guards in the league, the way she holds the team together and thinks on her feet”.

At the other end of the positional chart were bigs Jacinta Kennedy and Lauren Scherf. Still only 21, Scherf proved a good shot blocker and rates as one of Australia’s most promising centres. She could not have hoped for a better mentor than Jacinta Kennedy, who was again a revelation in her final year of a decorated career.

For anyone outside the Dandenong setup, the continued productivity of Kennedy, who returned to top-level basketball in 2015/16 after a break of nine years, was remarkable, but it was no surprise to those who knew her well. “I had no doubts she would have an impact, she’s just an amazing person” Anderson says. “She just picked up where she left off”.

Having coached Kennedy in the Dandenong Rangers SEABL team, Anderson convinced her to return to the top flight WNBL again. “I was sure she was up to it physically, it was more about the commitment it would take having a family and at the time her husband was still overseas. Thankfully she was able to make it work”.

Another player Anderson coached at SEABL level, Amelia Todhunter, certainly did her share of annoying opponents and was a huge part of the grand final run, routinely being given major defensive assignments, picking up steals (46, third in league) and generally harassing opposing scorers and point guards.

Todhunter was one of many former Dandenong Rangers Anderson has brought back into the fold. She also helped recruit Rosie Fadljevic, Sara Blicavs and Steph Cumming, who she describes as “Dandenong through and through” back to the club. Thrown in mainstay Aimie Clydesdale, who has never played a minute for a rival club at Big V, SEABL or WNBL level, and the Rangers have remarkable continuity.

Dandenong have made a point of bringing juniors and former players back to the club. This includes Steph Cumming, pictured here with Aimie Clydesdale, after the team's 2011/2012 grand final win. — Dandenong have made a point of bringing juniors and former players back to the club. This includes Steph Cumming, pictured here with Aimie Clydesdale, after the team’s 2011/2012 grand final win.

“I’ve got a lot of history with those players” Anderson says of the returning group. “They know exactly what I want from them. It’s really special to have that connection, but it’s also about creating an exciting new journey with a great group we have assembled ”.

Similarly, Jacinta Kennedy, a revered figure at the club, will not be lost to the program as she moves into a new career as a teacher. She will be in around in some capacity, perhaps just as the team’s most high-profile fan. “We’re not letting her go anywhere” Anderson laughs.

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

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).