WNBL: Laura Hodges on WNBL18, new Opals era and still loving the game

June 19, 2017November 13, 2021Posted in SportTagged Adelaide Lightning, Basketball, Chris Lucas, Laura Hodges, WNBL, WNBL17, WNBL18, Women's sport

“I still love the game as much as ever” Laura Hodges says. It’s a simple enough statement, but for basketball fans who feared the four-time Olympian may slip into retirement during the off-season, it’s positively stirring.

While some reports suggested the Sturt junior may call time on her career or move to another team, she recently re-signed with her hometown team, the Adelaide Lightning, strengthening an already stacked squad and further cementing her legacy as one of the state’s best ever basketballers.

“Towards the end of the season when I wanted to stay the reason why maybe (Adelaide) were a bit worried was that I was wanting to have a family” Hodges says. “It’s hard to explain, but I always just wanted to play in Adelaide, I’ve always wanted to play for them ever since I was a junior here. That Adelaide will be strong next year is just a bonus”.

Hodges continued to be an efficient inside scorer for a young Adelaide team.

Hodges’ play in season 2016/17 didn’t exactly suggest a player at the end of the line, as she again ranked in the top ten in points per game and rebounds per game, keeping the scoreboard ticking over with a polished array of put-backs, running hooks, transition layups and a reliable baseline jumper and mid-range game.

Advanced statistics paint an even more rosy picture of her season; she had a true shooting percentage of 51.8%, only fractionally behind league MVP Suzy Batkovic, who shot 52.2% by the same metric. She also continued to be a strong defender, quick enough to defend in space as well as in the post.

Yet Hodges brought much more to the team than stat sheet stuffing and her presence in the locker room was vital. Coach Chris Lucas told this site “I’ve been lucky to have some great leaders, but Laura Hodges is one of the best captains I’ve ever had. She’s a great player and an exemplary leader, just a delight to have around”.

A reliable baseline jumper has netted Hodges many points over the years.

Long-time Opals teammate Kristi Harrower had been equally effusive, describing Hodges as the “perfect teammate” in an article looking back on her accomplished career. “She is so unselfish” Harrower wrote of Hodges. “It’s never about her putting up big numbers”.

For her part, Hodges says she simply aspires to be the kind of mentor she had when she joined the Lightning as a young AIS alum in 2002. “I want to help people as much as I can, whether that’s just in a small way or whatever. When I first came to Adelaide, there were people like Rachael Sporn and Michelle Brogan here and they were such a massive help to me, I just lapped it up. Any little tip they had for me, it was so helpful”.

Hodges led Adelaide with 2.5 offensive rebounds per game.

Hodges’ leadership was particularly important given Adelaide’s youth last year. With an inexperienced squad assembled just before the season tipped off, the group displayed plenty of resilience despite their lowly position on the ladder.

Combo guard Sarah Elsworthy and forward Chelsea Brook, both local juniors, showed plenty to suggest bright futures at this level. Both will be back with a vastly more experienced set of teammates for the WNBL18 campaign. Hodges has high hopes for the pair.

“When you see how hard they work, it’s pretty clear they’ll be able to step it up to another level. Their maturity is such a great thing”. While the raft of new players the Lightning have recruited may cut into their playing time, Hodges says both Elsworthy and Brook will continue to play a crucial role. “With the league next year having so many games in such a short time, you need everyone to be contributing, you need to go ten deep”.

Live Jazz: Hodges with Opals legend Jenni Screen at the NBA Finals. (Photo: Instagram Laura_Hodges11)

Before gearing up for that campaign, however, Hodges had a rare break from training with her first proper holiday in years, travelling to the US with her husband. For this basketball lifer, however, there was inevitably basketball involved as she caught up with fellow Olympians Patty Mills and Joe Ingles and cheered from the stands as the latter put up a series of spirited performances in the Jazz’s playoff run.

Hodges also spoke with incoming Opals coach Sandy Brondello, who was preparing for the WNBA season with her Phoenix Mercury. Hodges talks with obvious enthusiasm about the appointment of her 2004 Olympic teammate, which heralds a new era for the Opals. Hodges will be part of a training camp for the Squad which takes place in Brondello’s Arizona base in late June.

“I just loved learning from her” she says of her time as Brondello’s teammate. “She was a really intelligent player and now she’s a very intelligent coach. She wants to implement her style of basketball and she only has a short time before the Asia qualifiers (in July), but I think it’s very exciting for Australian basketball to have a coach with that level of WNBA and European experience”

Fuelled by that excitement, Hodges is ready for the next chapter of a career which not too long ago seemed set to draw to a premature close. But there is no doubt that she is all in. “I’m now 33, almost 34, so I’ve been around a while, but I still love it” she says. “I just want to play as much I can and for as long as I can”.

An 05/06 trading card of Hodges (nee Summerton)

Laura Hodges 2016/17 Adelaide Lightning stats

Points per game: 17.56 (4th in league)

Rebounds per game: 7.13 (10th in league)

Assist to turnover ratio: 1.27

Free throw attempts per game: 4.88 (5th in league)

Field goal percentage: 48% (8th in league – minimum 50 attempts)

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: 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: 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: Opals star Rachel Jarry is returning as a better player

May 3, 2017November 13, 2021Posted in SportTagged Basketball, Opals, Paul Goriss, Rachel Jarry, University of Canberra Capitals, WNBA, WNBL, WNBL18

With Opals star Marianna Tolo returning to Europe and champion Carly Wilson retiring, the Capitals needed a genuine star signing to build on their progress this season. They now have that, with two-time Olympian Rachel Jarry agreeing to join the team for next season. It’s a major boost not just for the Canberra team, but for a league competing with lucrative overseas leagues for the best Australian talent.

“It is really exciting” Jarry said of her return. “I love playing in the WNBL. The opportunity to play with the Capitals has worked out really well”.

Briefly back in Australia after a season with French club Lattes Montepelier, Jarry says she kept an eye on the Australian competition from Europe and liked what she saw from her new team. “I thought the (Capitals) brought in some really young girls who showed a lot of improvement, so it’ll definitely be exciting seeing where they’ll go next season”.

““It is really exciting” Jarry says of her return. “I love playing in the WNBL”.”

While still only 25, already has a wealth of high-level experience, with the London and Rio Olympic campaigns, a WNBA championship run with the Minnesota Lynx and a spell with Lattes Montepelier, which included a Supercup win and Euroleague competition. It’s experience that Jarry hopes will translate into a leadership role at the Capitals, where she can mentor young stars like forward Keely Froling.

“I think that’s a strength of mine, that something that just comes naturally to me” she says of being a leader. “If I can help (the young players) out in any way, it’s only going to benefit the team”.

In her last WNBL season, Jarry was a top 20 scorer and rebounder and hit three-pointers at a scorching 47%, good for third best in the league. She gives Canberra a genuine two-way force on the wing.

Rachel Jarry with coach Paul Gorriss. "I've known 'Gorrie' for a long time" she said. — Rachel Jarry with coach Paul Gorriss. “I’ve known ‘Gorrie’ for a long time” she said.

“I think I’ll probably be in that 3 (small forward) spot, maybe moving around positions when needed. I think playing at the 3 gives me that flexibility to play as a guard or if I get a smaller matchup, I can post up as well. It gives me a chance to show my versatility”.

Having seen a range of defensive assignments during her time in France, Jarry will give the Capitals a player capable of defending multiple positions. “I was matching up with some of the great bigs in the world and also guards” she says. “I think that’s another strength of mine, being able to defend different matchups”.

Speaking just before the league’s new TV deal was announced, Jarry feels the league is in a better place now than during her last season here, when she was signed to the now defunct South East Queensland Stars. “The league is always strong, but it’s about being sustainable and making it attractive for Opals to stay here. Hopefully there are exciting things on the horizon…which I think will help attract girls back here”.

Having played in the sport’s top league, the WNBA, Jarry says the experience has improved her attention to detail. “You need to be really on top of your one-percenters” she says of the demands of the WNBA. “Getting enough sleep, eating the right things, everything like that”.

Already an elite WNBL player before joining Minnesota, Jarry has continued to fine-tune her game. “I’ve improved my decision-making and that is something that’s constantly a focus of mine” she says. “I think overall my basketball smarts have improved a lot”

Set to rejoin Canberra after a WNBA season with the Atlanta Dream, Jarry is hopeful there are better days ahead for the league. “We’re doing some good work behind the scenes, hopefully that will come into public knowledge soon and we’ll be able to showcase our sport and make it attractive for young girls to get involved”.

WNBL: Cheryl Chambers on Sydney’s drought-breaking championship win.

April 11, 2017November 13, 2021Posted in SportTagged Ally Wilson, Asia Taylor, Basketball, Belinda Snell, Carly Boag, Cassidy McLean, Cheryl Chambers, Jennifer Hamson, Lara McSpadden, Lauren Nicholson, Leilani Mitchell, Sarah Graham, Shanae Graeves, Tahlia Tupaea, University of Sydney Flames, WNBL, WNBL grand final, WNBL17, WNBL18, Women's sport

When the questions ended and it was time for coach Cheryl Chambers and Asia Taylor to file out of the championship game press conference, the good-natured banter between the pair showed no signs of wrapping up. They couldn’t help themselves.

This is the kind of chemistry that gets you championships and for the Flames, it was there almost from right from the start. Two games into the season, they had a team meeting to address the defensive lapses which saw them begin the season with a pair of losses. Yet the mood was one of complete confidence.

“We all looked around the room and thought ‘You know, this is a pretty special group’” Chambers says. “We had a mix of old players and young players, introverts and extroverts, but there has always been a pretty good feeling within the group”.

The idea of creating a cohesive unit, that got on off the court and would play for each other, was central to putting the squad together and preparing for the season. “Teams that have won championships and been successful have great chemistry” Chambers says. “We did some weird and wacky things that would connect us”.

““We all looked around the room and thought ‘You know this is a pretty special group’” Chambers says.”

Beyond the chemistry, it was a shrewdly assembled group, both deep and balanced, giving Chambers, returning to WNBL coaching for the first time since 2009, a multi-faceted, shape-shifting team to work with.

The aforementioned Taylor ended up fitting the team like a tailor-made glove, but Chambers says signing the Louisville alum was a difficult process. “It was quite nerve-wracking” she says. “I always find it hard to recruit someone I haven’t physically seen so I kept saying to her agent ‘Can I see some more film?’ I wanted more and more film…but we were really keen to get an X-factor”

Asia Taylor had a quick first step that made her a handful; here she blows past Adelaide's Coleen Planeta. — Asia Taylor had a quick first step that made her a handful; here she blows past Adelaide’s Coleen Planeta.

Taylor was all that and more, giving the Flames points in bunches and proving a nightmare matchup for every team with her explosiveness and deceptive strength. While Taylor was the team’s heat check wildcard, heady veterans Leilani Mitchell and Belinda Snell were invaluable steadying presences.

Snell was entering her nineteenth season in top-flight basketball, but her game has always relied more on excellent fundamentals, high-level shooting and basketball smarts than raw athleticism and she remained mightily effective, ranking high in assists per game (5th), points per game (17th), and steals (13th).

Snell’s ability to cover multiple positions was a key facet of a Flames team that could go big with strong rebounders like Shanae Graeves and Carly Boag teaming with Taylor and the imposing Jen Hamson in the frontcourt, and using Snell at shooting guard. They could also go small, playing multiple guards.

Most of the backcourt players rebounded well above their height, with Snell, Lauren Nicholson and Tahlia Tupaea all coming up with enough boards that teams couldn’t really punish their shorter lineups. Even the tiny Mitchell collected her share of long rebounds. Chambers said Snell ended up playing much more power forward than the team expected, but the team’s malleable nature proved a real asset.

Belinda Snell had more assists than any non point guard in the league. Here, she spots a Leilani Mitchell backdoor cut before anyone else and throws an exquisite pass.

This off-season, Snell will be one of the assistant coaches for Sydney’s new SEABL team, the Sparks, and Chambers says she has the basketball knowledge to succeed in this new role. “If something’s not working on court, she’s always got an idea to fix it and it’s not always about her, she’s very selfless”.

Leilani Mitchell was also invaluable, playing the most minutes of any player in the league (1042). While every other team had a swoon at some point of the season which led to a run of losses, in the back half of the season Sydney started to do that thing all champion teams do: win games without coming close to playing their best. In matches against Melbourne, Canberra and Adelaide, they struggled for rhythm, but on each occasion Sydney had Leilani Mitchell and the opposition didn’t, so Sydney won.

Chambers particularly remembers Mitchell’s nerveless approach as she hit the game-winner against Canberra: “She just coolly looked up and saw what he had in front of her and decided to run a closeout play”. The run of close wins gave the team irresistible momentum and by the grand final series they had won ten in a row and looked inevitable champions.

Leilani Mitchell consistently made big clutch plays. Here, she hits a game-winning jumper against Canberra. "She just coolly looked up and saw what she had in front of her" remembers Chambers. — Leilani Mitchell consistently made big clutch plays. Here, she hits a game-winning jumper against Canberra. “She just coolly looked up and saw what she had in front of her” remembers Chambers.

Ranking first in assists and second in steals, Mitchell was the ideal point guard: always thinking team-first, but more than capable creating her own shot or scoring herself. Perth coach Andy Stewart suggested Mitchell wouldn’t have been far off the league MVP. “She was a very, very difficult cover for us, not just with her scoring, but her ability to play-make and find the open shooter”.

Sarah Graham led the league in three-point percentage with 54%.

Those open shooters represented yet another strength for the Flames, who shot 38.90% from distance, the best of any team. Snell, Mitchell, Wilson all made more than 50 three-pointers at a good clip, while Tupaea and Nicholson were effective at lower volume. As if this wasn’t enough to torment teams, they could throw in Sarah Graham, who had the competition’s highest three-point percentage (54%).

On the defensive end, the Flames protected the rim ferociously and comfortably had the most blocked shots of any squad. Jen Hamson used every inch of her 6’9 wingspan to tally 63 blocks, first in the league. When Hamson was able to avoid foul trouble, she was a real handful, piling up rebounds as well as setting good picks and rolling hard to the rim. “One night (the players) came off and I said, ‘Wow, you’re defending well’” Chambers recalls. “Someone said ‘Yeah, that’s because Jen is out there changing every single shot’.

"Jen is out there changing every single shot". Jen Hamson was the competition's leading shot-blocker. — “Jen is out there changing every single shot”. Jen Hamson was the competition’s leading shot-blocker.

Ally Wilson was one of the most improved players in the competition and came up huge in the post-season, rampaging towards 27 points against Townsville. Chambers had coached Wilson previously in junior teams and considered her “a great athlete” who was ready to contribute more at WNBL level. “In the pre-season I said to her ‘I think that there can be huge improvement in you’” Chambers says. The season saw Wilson expand her game significantly, increasingly showing an ability to break defenders down off the triple and cut to the rim for easy baskets. She also handled some huge defensive assignments with aplomb, restricting Perth phenom Sami Whitcomb to 4/17 shooting in an important home win.

Ally Wilson had her best WNBL season, showing new dimensions to her game.

Lauren Nicholson was another strong addition, making some big threes late in the season and playing low turnover basketball. Despite the enviable depth that players like Nicholson gave them, the Flames were tested by injuries at times, with Snell, Taylor and Nicholson herself all missing games, while Tahlia Tupaea sat out half the regular season with a foot injury and Hayley Moffatt had the wretched luck of sustaining an ACL injury in the opening game.

Tupaea contributed steadily at both ends after returning, giving Sydney a starting calibre guard off the bench and chipping in 18 points and 10 rebounds in the series-clinching victory over Townsville. Tupaea seems to have been around for a while, but at just 19 she is easily one of the top prospects in Australian basketball and on track to be a future Opal.

Joining Tupaea in the youth department were Cassidy McLean and Lara McSpadden, who had both been members of Australia’s all-conquering under 17s team. Chambers says McLean has “unlimited potential” and the nimble guard impressed the team with her competitive nature. “At training, she certainly didn’t take a backwards step” Chambers says of McLean. “She always wanted to match up with Leilani”.

The Flames have some great young prospects alongside their experienced core. Here, Cassidy McLean assists on a Tahlia Tupaea basket.

The team’s other rookie, centre Lara McSpadden, projects as a good rebounder and shot-blocker and moves well for a big. Chambers likes her fundamentals (“She’s pretty tenacious, she can find the ball”) and was won over by her work ethic. “She’s really motivated, I never had to go and find her to do individuals, she was also into me first to do them”.

So far, Wilson, Snell, Graeves and McSpadden are contracted for next year and Chambers is not underestimating the difficulty of keeping this stacked squad together, noting that as the Flames were playing in the semi-finals, other eliminated teams were already at work on identifying talent and planning for next year.

“There will be big budgets coming after our girls” she says. “But it was a wonderful year, and anyone who wants to come back, we’d absolutely love to have them”.

Asked whether the grand final win has sunk in yet, Chambers says “The enormity of it is probably still to come”. It may take a while to adjust to their new status as champions, but the Flames made a little bit of history this year. It’s a victory that will longer long; as Chambers told her players after the final siren sounded: “We’re bonded forever”

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: 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: Bendigo coach Simon Pritchard reflects on #WNBL17: “We’re all about championships”.

March 30, 2017November 13, 2021Posted in SportTagged Basketball, Bendigo Spirit, Gabrielle Richards, Heather Oliver, Kara Tessari, Kelsey Griffin, Kerryn Harrington, Nadeen Payne, Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe, WNBL, WNBL17, Women's sport

“The thing that stands out to me is that we conceded the least points of any team” Bendigo Spirit coach Simon Pritchard says of the team’s 2016/17 campaign. “But at key points, our defence broke down”.

The anomaly of the team’s greatest strength deserting them at times summed up a puzzling season which saw the team produce some masterful defensive performances, but also endure some extremely costly lulls which resulted in a sixth place finish.

In the first half of the competition, the Spirit were downright miserly, grudging only 66.08 points per game, In the back half, they allowed a far less imposing 76.25 a game.

Kerryn Harrington with the steal and fast break points. Her injury-enforced absence would prove costly for Bendigo.

Along the way, the hard-nosed team had managed to completely shut down grand finalists Dandenong, who could only manage a miserable 44 points and hassled eventual champions Sydney into a 55-point outing. Oddly, the team also seemed to do better when on the second leg of a back-to-back, compiling a 4-1 record in these games.

Boasting a 10-5 record at one stage, the Spirit went into a major swoon in January, losing four games straight. This stretch included a 41-point shellacking at the hands of Perth, where both Sami Whitcomb and Ruth Hamblin ran riot. “Emotionally, it shocked the hell out of us” Pritchard says of the loss to the Lynx.

Pritchard believes a big part of this dip can be explained by the lengthy break the players were given around Christmas. It’s a mistake he takes responsibility for and one Bendigo won’t be making again. “That was a really poor decision on my part” he says. “The long break allowed some deconditioning. Ideally, we would have brought them back five days earlier”.

Major injuries also hampered Bendigo’s campaign, with veteran guards Jane Chalmers and Kerryn Harrington both going down after the former played through a thumb injury in 2016. After the Spirit had already lost Kelly Wilson to Townsville, their loss hit particularly hard. “We had two injuries in the same position” Pritchard says. “To lose both of them and to have to shuffle a heap of players, it had a compound effect down the line”.

Pritchard on Kelsey Griffin: "a match winner" — Pritchard on Kelsey Griffin: “a match winner”

The silver lining of this injury cloud was that it allowed Kara Tessari to gain valuable exposure to WNBL level competition, and the 17-year-old, one of the team’s many juniors from regional Victoria, thrived. “She’s a great defender and controlled the team really well” Pritchard says. Having been elevated from a development player spot to the senior list during the season, the team sees Tessari as very much on the ascent. “She’ll be an important piece going forward. We’ll certainly look to give her more of a role”.

Long-term, Tessari may be able to help with an area where Bendigo struggled this year, namely perimeter shooting. The Spirit made just 102 three-pointers, only one ahead of last-placed Adelaide and, remarkably, behind the individual three-pointer tally of Sami Whitcomb (105). Their overall three-point percentage was 26.42%, again only good for seventh. “That was a personnel thing” Pritchard notes. “We need to recruit into that spot next year”.

The Spirit had sought to bring in more long-range shooting by signing Seattle Storm player Blake Dietrick, but she couldn’t recapture the shooting form she previously showed at Princeton. “We thought we were recruiting a better shooter than we did” Pritchard laments. “We did expect Blake Dietrick to do a bit better job than what she did, offensively and defensively”.

Kelsey Griffin and Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe were the team's star players. Here, Griffin throws a bullet pass inside for Raincock-Ekunwe. — Kelsey Griffin and Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe were the team’s star players. Here, Griffin throws a bullet pass inside for Raincock-Ekunwe.

The club’s other import, super athletic Canadian Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe, proved a revelation at both ends of the court. Scoring mainly around the basket (she had only 11 three-point attempts, for one make), she ranked amongst the competition’s most efficient players. She put up 15.88 points per game (good for eighth in the league), collected 8.38 rebounds (fourth in WNBL) and ended up earning an invite to training camp with WNBA team New York Liberty.

The club are hopeful of getting Raincock-Ekunwe back next year. Although they have secured their financial future, they do have budgetary restrictions to contend with which mean Raincock-Ekunwe may play as the team’s sole import.

Kelsey Griffin, who started as an import before becoming an Australian citizen, is another player who the team are desperate to retain. The thought of Griffin, who has won two championships with Bendigo, playing for another team just seems wrong. “Kelsey is a match-winner, she’s proven that over a long period” Pritchard says. “It’s just a matter of whether we can keep her”.

With Raincock-Ekunwe and Griffin, the team’s strength was in their frontcourt, where Griffin also chipped in with scoring (15.13 a game), typically outstanding defence and rim protection (27 blocks). Popular centre Gabe Richards was again hard to keep off the boards, though her scoring was somewhat down from past all-star five efforts, slipping from 15.50 in 2015/16 to 7.58 this season.

Gabrielle Richards muscles to the hoop against the Flames. "She's a really smart basketballer" Pritchard says. — Gabrielle Richards muscles to the hoop against the Flames. “She’s a really smart basketballer” Pritchard says.

Pritchard suggests there are a number of reasons for Richards’ lower numbers. “We changed our offensive structure this year, so she wasn’t getting as many of those baseline looks” he says. “Though she also had some good looks that she missed, she was maybe a bit unlucky there”. He backs Richards to continue to be a high-level contributor. “She’s a really smart basketballer. We need to find a role that maximises what she can do”.

The team finished on a strong note, with Nadeen Payne coming off the bench to hit 14 and then 16 points in consecutive one-point victories against Melbourne and finals-bound Perth. Underrated guard Heather Oliver also had strong all-round performances in both games, while Raincock-Ekunwe hit a long two to seal the game against Perth. In many ways, the closing stretch summed up the Spirit at their best: tough, intense and confident that Raincock-Ekunwe and Griffin would make the clutch plays to get them over the line in a dogfight.

Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe hits the game-winner against Perth.

Those last two wins meant the team finished with a 13-11 win/loss record, which Pritchard agrees would normally be enough for a playoff berth. But the Spirit have zero interest in settling for consolation prizes. “We’re all about championships” Pritchard says. “There’s only first”.