WNBL – Page 4 – The Evening Game

WNBL: Guy Molloy talks Melbourne’s brush with extinction, working with Lauren Jackson and dancing with Bec Cole

March 28, 2017November 13, 2021Posted in SportTagged Basketball, Bec Cole, Brittany Smart, Guy Molloy, Lauren Jackson, Maddie Garrick, Melbourne Boomers, Monique Conti, Olivia Thompson, WNBL

“I’ll be honest, it was bloody brutal” Melbourne Boomers coach Guy Molloy says of the team’s 2016/17 campaign, which saw them record just five wins. For a team that could have easily become extinct, however, on-court results were secondary to survival.

For their fans, who continued to turn out in healthy numbers despite an early exit from finals contention, the good news is that the team is in a much more stable place and is planning a quick return to contention rather than an extended rebuild. “We’ve come out the other end” Molloy says of the dark days.

One thing that hampered Molloy’s side all season was a real lack of frontcourt size, which saw them place ahead of only one team for rebounds collected as well as rebounds allowed. Molloy says this deficiency was a direct consequence of the uncertainty about the club’s future which dominated the Boomers off-season.

““We’ve come out the other end” Molloy says of the dark days.”

“We were in limbo for a long time” he explains. “There was a really tenuous stretch there…we weren’t able to take part in free agency, we couldn’t sign players until very late in the piece”.

The team’s lack of size was compounded by a serious knee injury which ruled club co-captain and Opals squad member Elyse Penaluna out for the entire 2016/17 campaign. Adding to their snake-bitten season was a shoulder injury to star wing Maddie Garrick. “She got crunched badly really early on” Molloy says. She continued playing, but the injury “really impacted on her shooting for about a month”.

Still, the undermanned team refused to throw in the towel and had several agonising defeats, including a one point loss to Bendigo and two point margins against Dandenong and Townsville. The team finished with eight losses of five points or less. “I really felt for the team” Molloy reflects. “We worked really hard and there just wasn’t the reward. We battled valiantly”.

Help, however, is well and truly on the way. Having sat out free agency last off-season, the Boomers will now be aggressive free agency players. The team has already pulled off one major coup with the signing of Opals mainstay Jenna O’Hea, with more big-name signings soon to be announced. O’Hea’s scoring ability promises to make life much easier for Smart and Garrick, who have both already re-signed, and can settle into more natural roles as complementary scorers.

Jenna O'Hea in WNBA action for the Seattle Storm. — Jenna O’Hea in WNBA action for the Seattle Storm.

O’Hea rejoins the team (she previously played for Bulleen Boomers) after stints in the WNBA and a championship-winning sojourn in France. “I’m excited” Molloy says of her impending arrival. “She’s a truly elite player in this league… she works so hard and she’s a ‘lead by example’ player. That will soak into our culture”.

Many players on last season’s roster also showed enough to suggest better times are ahead. Young forward Olivia Thompson continued to develop as a physical presence and showed real resilience. “Through the difficult part of the season, she just found a way” Molloy says of Thompson. “She gained consistency and confidence”.

Olivia Thompson: "She gained consistency and confidence" — Olivia Thompson: “She gained consistency and confidence”

Molloy credits Thompson and point guard Brittany Smart with driving the team forward in the barren weeks of late 2016 when the team was ravaged by injuries. Smart continued to be a crafty point guard and reliable outside scorer, while Maddie Garrick also added new facets to her already potent game, improving her ability to slash to the basket and taking her defence up a gear.

Another positive for the Boomers was the play of rookie of the year Monique Conti, who joined the team after winning the world championship with Australia’s under 17 team. “I copped a bit of criticism for playing her” Molloy says of Conti’s initial appearances, which saw the then 16-year-old was fast-tracked into court time due to the injury toll. “She turned the ball over and lacked confidence”.

But the pint-sized point guard improved at warp speed in the surrounds of a professional team. “By December, we found she was really taking it to the older players at training. She’s a terrific talent and a hell of a good kid. She is legit”.

Known as a prolific scorer and silky ball-handler at junior level, Conti also showed real skill as a ball hawk, collecting a steal every 18.86 minutes, a rate that compares favourably to even the league’s best one guard Leilani Mitchell (who had a steal every 21.27 minutes).

Monique Conti "She's a terrific talent and a hell of a good kid". — Monique Conti “She’s a terrific talent and a hell of a good kid”.

Molloy agrees Conti has all the tools to become a disruptive defender. “She definitely plays both ends and has…real speed in a basketball sense. She is built quite low to the ground, has great balance and quick hands”.

Off the court, the new Boomers ownership consortium have shown a willingness to recruit top front-office staff, including Lauren Jackson, who joined the club as a commercial operations executive last year. “Lauren’s been awesome” Molloy says. “Through a really, really hard year, she’s been a great help to me”. Jackson brought valuable networks and winning experience to her role and Molloy says her instincts on players are a huge asset. “Her read on players is really good, she knows how they are as competitors”.

One player everyone is confident is a great competitor is club veteran Bec Cole, who returned from injury and after taking a while to shrug off its lingering effects, enjoyed a strong end to the season. She brought intangibles to the team and even involved Molloy in some pre-game dap. “I’ve coached Bec a long time and she knew it was a stressful time and figured I needed to lighten up a little before games” he laughs. “I’m not much of a dancer, but she thought she’d give me some rhythm. It’s a good bit of fun”.

"A good bit of fun": Molloy and Bec Cole dance it out. — “A good bit of fun”: Molloy and Bec Cole dance it out.

For a team that has stared down basketball extinction and is now eyeing a return to the finals, the fun is only just beginning.

WNBL: Chris Lucas on Adelaide Lightning’s youth-fuelled rebuild

March 22, 2017November 13, 2021Posted in SportTagged Adelaide Lightning, Anneli Maley, Basketball, Chris Lucas, Coleen Planeta, Laura Hodges, Sarah Elsworthy, WNBL, WNBL17

2016/17 was always going to be a development year for the Adelaide Lightning, but the team’s improvement over the last couple of months of the season suggest green shoots are already appearing.

Having slumped to a 0-14 record in December, the team was much more competitive in 2017 and finished with three wins from their last ten games. Coach Chris Lucas, joining the club straight from back to back titles in Townsville, placed second in coach of the year voting, a testament to how much the team exceeded expectations given their lack of experience.

“Considering the team was thrown together so late, it was encouraging” Lucas says. “Post-Christmas we only had only one blowout. We’re trying to rebuild the program and hopefully next year we can move up a couple of spots”.

Part of this rebuild has been a renewed focus on local players. These included combo guard Sarah Elsworthy, who played the most minutes of the rookie class and improved at warp speed. In the Lightning’s final game, she roamed free against Sydney, connecting on 6/7 field goals for 12 points.

Sarah Elsworthy: "I thought she handled the situation very maturely" — Sarah Elsworthy: “I thought she handled the situation very maturely”

The Lightning recently announced she had re-signed with the team. “Sarah has earned the right to be re-signed” Lucas says. “I thought for an 18 year-old she handled the situation very maturely”. She placed second in rookie of the year voting and her committed work on the defensive end saw her named the club’s defensive player of the year.

Hotly-tipped youngster Anneli Maley joined the team mid-season and also looked the part, having a particularly promising outing against grand finalists Dandenong, where she scored 16 points and claimed 9 rebounds. Described as a “wonderful athlete and real star of the future” by Lucas, Maley tallied a rebound every 3.5 minutes. For context, Marianna Tolo, who had the third most rebounds in the league, averaged a rebound every 4 minutes. Maley’s efforts represent a small sample size, but suggested that scouting reports describing her as a potentially elite rebounder were accurate.

Anneli Maley on her way to a season-high 16 points against Dandenong.

Maley was just one of several locals to appear in the red, white and blue. Norwood product Jessica Good exemplified the team’s commitment to playing hard even in trying circumstances while Alex Ciabatoni built on her rookie of the year campaign, most notably being a thorn in Canberra’s side, dropping 17 then 20 points against the Capitals, the latter in a rousing victory.

Complementing this youthful group were a couple of veterans, like Coleen Planeta, who joined the team from the V League. Lucas says Planeta was chosen not just for her ability to contribute on-court, but her general personality. “I don’t sign anybody unless I’ve checked on their background” he says. “In the teams I’ve coached, chemistry and cohesion has been paramount and we’ve had a fair amount success with that”.

Nobody was more important to the Lightning’s chemistry was four-time Olympian Laura Hodges, who was a top ten scorer and rebounder, hustled hard and barely turned over the ball over. Lucas is effusive about her impact on the young players. “In Rachel McCully and Jess Foley, I’ve been lucky to have some great leaders, but Laura Hodges is one of the best captains I’ve ever had” he says. “She’s a great player and an exemplary leader, just a delight to have around”.

Laura Hodges: "A great player and exemplary leader" — Laura Hodges: “A great player and exemplary leader”

While Hodges gave the Lightning a much-needed inside scorer, they struggled from the perimeter at both ends. Opponents shot 35% on 3 pointers to Adelaide’s 25%, a trend Lucas puts down to their youthfulness. “It’s inexperience defensively. Some players did well and some need to do better. It’s an area we need to improve on”.

The team fared better in terms of forcing turnovers, but Lucas says this wasn’t something that resulted from their defensive schemes. “It wasn’t something we were overly focused on, I think that comes down to the individual skills of the players”. Import guard Samantha Logic had 42 steals, good for fifth in the competition, while Sarah Elsworthy claimed 21 steals; only one player who played fewer minutes (Dandenong’s Natalie Novosel) had more.

Lucas says next year’s team will again have a youthful flavour with two or three 18 year-olds being given roster spots. The team has made bringing South Australian players home their long-term goal. They have previously been linked with former Lightning star Stephanie Talbot, and remain interested, but believe her to be well settled at Polish club Gorzow Wielkopolski.

Regardless of who ends up on next year’s roster, Adelaide fans can take heart from the team’s renewed focus on local youth, not to mention the stunning success Lucas had revitalising an ailing program in his previous coaching gig at the Townsville Fire. Adelaide’s rebuild will take time, but they’re committed to doing it the right way.

WNBL: Coach Claudia Brassard talks Townsville Fire’s title defence.

March 21, 2017November 13, 2021Posted in SportTagged Basketball, Claudia Brassard, Darcee Garbin, Haylee Andrews, Kelly Wilson, Mia Murray, Micaela Cocks, Suzy Batkovic, Townsville FIre, WNBL, WNBL17, WNBL18

When Suzy Batkovic bid an emotional farewell to Townsville’s 2016/17 campaign, it marked the end of an era of lofty success and the first time in four years the Fire hadn’t progressed to the grand final. It was a season which swung from brilliant to frustrating several times, perhaps peaking and plateauing in the same game, a thrilling overtime win against Sydney which also saw Kelly Wilson sidelined with a costly ankle injury.

Again, the central figure in the Fire’s campaign was the three-time Olympian Batkovic, who terrorised opponents inside the key, powering and finessing her way to a record fifth league MVP win. Batkovic finished second in points per game (20.92), second in rebounds per game (10.85) and sixth in total blocks (30).

Claudia Brassard, who moved into the head coach role this season after previously playing for the club and serving as assistant coach during the back to back championships, says that the intangibles Batkovic brought to the table were just as important. “Her captaincy and leadership skills are something she works on constantly”.

Indeed, Batkovic’s forthright leadership style was something that gave the team a real identity. “If you want someone to have your back, you could not have someone better than Suzy. If she thinks something isn’t right, or one of her teammates is missing out on something, she’ll go straight to the source”.

Brassard suggests Batkovic, a great teacher and mentor, was particularly beneficial for young power forward Darcee Garbin, who was a shining light against Sydney as the team went down to the white-hot Flames side in the semi-finals. “(Darcee) is a really good, promising player” Brassard says. “She would normally come off the bench and get us a couple of boards right away. But her greatest asset is her personality. She has a great work ethic and she wants to learn”.

Darcee Garbin had a strong year and learned plenty from Suzy Batkovic.

Players from last year’s championship side like Micaela Cocks, Batkovic and Garbin were joined by livewire point guard Kelly Wilson, though the Fire’s prized acquisition was dogged by injury at the start of the season and later missed games with an ankle fracture. “I think she’d say it was the most frustrating season she’s had” Brassard says. “I think we’ll see a much better Kelly Wilson next year”.

Instead of playing in the SEABL competition during the off-season like she normally does, Wilson plans to sit it out, but Brassard suggests that the high-energy guard, who was regularly doing extra work in the gym and video room, will be doing anything but enjoying some rest and relaxation. “She won’t be sitting on her bum, she’ll be keeping very active in some way”.

Kelly Wilson: unlikely to be found "sitting on her bum" — Kelly Wilson: unlikely to be found “sitting on her bum”

While WNBA player Natasha Cloud and Kiwi international Micaela Cocks looked set to give the Fire flexibility and valuable injury cover at the one when Wilson was injured, Brassard says the point guard logjam was both a blessing and a curse. “Honestly it’s something we struggled with throughout the season, that question of ‘who is the point guard?’ We would have liked some more stability there, but that’s the hand we were dealt”.

Elsewhere, the team’s strength was inside the paint, where they collected a league-leading 36.8 rebounds a game, again led by Suzy Batkovic, the competition’s most prolific defensive rebounder. The Fire also ranked high on assists, with Cloud, Wilson, Batkovic and Murray all recording plenty of dimes. As Brassard explains, the team’s ball movement flowed from the defensive attention Batkovic drew in the low post.

A bread and butter play for Townsville Fire: Batkovic draws a double team and passes to Murray for an open three.

“Suzy was always seeing double and triple teams and I think we did a reasonable job of finding the outside shooters from that”. Yet the team’s unselfishness had a downside at times. “Sometimes that (approach) was to our detriment, there were times when we could have been a bit more selfish”.

In particular, coaching staff encouraged sweet-shooting forward Kayla Standish to look for her own shot. “We’ve been working with her on not fading away, on going inside” Brassard says. Standish still led the squad in true shooting percentage and added range to her game, connecting on 19 threes after only making six the previous season.

Kayla Standish was an efficient scorer for the Fire.

Another willing passer, Mia Murray, had a nice season as a canny second-option scorer and good decision maker, while star junior guard Haylee Andrews joined the team as a development player. Brassard had previously coached Andrews in youth teams and has high hopes for the youngster. “I see her as a Tess Madgen type, with those really strong legs, she can get into the key and finish over bigger players”.

Currently in the midst of recruiting and retaining players, the Fire are aware that like every WNBL team, they have to compete with the lure of bigger money on offer in Europe. They’re confident, however, that the environment they have created and the support from the community will be powerful incentives to entice players to sign up for another tilt at the title. “I’m proud of the culture we’ve built here” Brassard says.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Abbey Wehrung was a much improved 3 point shooter.

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

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

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

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

Carly Wilson brought leadership and outside shooting.

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

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

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

WNBL Semi-finals preview: Flames v Fire

February 24, 2017Posted in SportTagged Asia Taylor, Basketball, Leilani Mitchell, Mia Murray, Sport, Suzy Batkovic, WNBL, Women's sport

Not for the first, second or third time in her career, the influence of Suzy Batkovic looms large over this semi-final series. The Townsville centre remains the WNBL’s leading inside presence and her ability to pick up cheap points, though Sydney have a capable big defender in Jen Hamson, one of the few players to have a height advantage over Batkovic. Still, the Flames will look to help on Batkovic as much as possible, with bench bigs Carly Boag and Shanae Graeves likely to be used in short spells to play physical defence and crash the offensive boards.

Teams have found it difficult not to give away fouls on Batkovic and Sydney will particularly want to keep the explosive Asia Taylor in the game as long as possible. Double teams on Batkovic will open up outside shots for Mia Murray (36% for the season) and Micaela Cocks (37%), who looms as something of an X-factor in the series, having exploded in last year’s finals series where she upped her productivity and was MVP. Expect Sydney to go under screens against point guard Natasha Cloud, and live with her shooting the three where she is only hitting on 21% from distance this season.

A huge reason why Sydney should be favoured in this matchup is their versatility; they can push Belinda Snell to small forward and may look to run Townsville around with three guard lineups including Tahlia Tupaea, whose form since returning from injury demands playing time. Leilani Mitchell is the clear #1 point guard in the league and has rounded into form at the right time of year, giving Sydney the edge in the backcourt.

Another intriguing player in the Sydney rotation is Sarah Graham. She hasn’t been required in some recent matches, but her long-range shooting (an eye-popping, league-leading 56% for the season) provides immensely valuable floor spacing and could net points in bunches if the Flames offence goes into a lull.

The defending champion Fire will not give up their title lightly and are a well-balanced squad, ranking third in both offence and defence. Overall, however, Sydney look to have too much depth and versatility over the course of the series. Further good news for Sydney is their irresistible form (8 wins in a rows) and they fact they were able to give their stars some rest as they coasted to a win over Adelaide in the last round.

Prediction: Sydney 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).

WNBL MVP race: can Suzy Batkovic win her fifth?

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

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

Sami Whitcomb (Perth Lynx)

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

Susy Batkovic (Townsville Fire)

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

Marianna Tolo (University of Canberra Capitals)

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

Laura Hodges (Adelaide Lightning)

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

Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe (Bendigo Spirit)

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

Asia Taylor (Sydney Uni Flames)

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

Steph Cumming (Dandenong Rangers)

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

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