Maddy Rocci was one of the league’s big improvers in season 2019/20, emerging as a committed, high energy perimeter defender and a resourceful passer.
Having played just under six minutes in game three of the 2019 grand final, the 22-year-old guard earned 37 minutes in this year’s decider.
She recently re-signed with the University of Canberra Capitals for a tilt at a rare three-peat.
Along with Rocci, Marianna Tolo, Kelsey Griffin, Keely Froling, Alex Delaney and Abby Cubillo have all committed to another year. It makes for a level of continuity that Rocci believes will give the group a running start.
“It’s always good to try and keep a core group together,” she tells The Evening Game. “It’s hard playing with players you haven’t played with before and it takes you a while to get rolling.
“Having the six of us return is super exciting. We know how each other plays, how we train and we know how to work hard.
Big shoutout to Maddy Rocci for a career-high 19 points yesterday 👏👏 #GoBIG #WNBL20 pic.twitter.com/YuY6NUz23z
— UC Capitals (@UCCapitals) January 20, 2020
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Rocci is currently based in Brisbane, having moved north expecting to work at a local school and play in the WNBL1 over winter. With that competition scrapped, she has been doing individual training with a coach and has recently been allowed back into basketball courts.
Having watched former teammate Olivia Epoupa diligently arrive before training to fine-tune her ball-handling, Rocci is now focusing on this skill, along with three-point shooting. Her long-range percentage has already improved steadily; she made only one of 12 three-pointers in her rookie year, jumped to 32.6% in year two and put up 36.1% last year while taking twice as many shots from the previous season.
Further honing these guard skills will serve her well in a campaign where there will be no imports and the Capitals will be adjusting to life without Epoupa and reigning MVP Kia Nurse. Both were high-usage players and focal points of the team’s attack; they took a combined 69 shots over the two grand final games. Their absence will likely mean Rocci is tasked with more a scoring responsibility.
It’s a challenge she is up for. “You can’t replace such great talent,” she says of the pair. “But I’m looking to step up, take on a bigger role season and really develop my game”.
One other player looking to fill that void will be new signing Tahlia Tupaea, a close friend of Rocci’s.
Rocci believes she will alternate between the one and two alongside the similarly versatile Tupaea, a former teammate in Australian youth teams. “Gorrie (coach Paul Gorris) said I’d play a bit more of the one (next season), which is super exciting because I’ve always been a point guard until recently.
“To be able to play (both guard positions) is something I’ve always wanted. I don’t want to be a player who can only play one position.”
MADDISON (MADDY) ROCCI 2019/20 STATS:
Points per game = 9
Effective field goal % = 47.5%
Assists per game = 2.3
Assist/turnover ratio = 1.1
The Evening Game 