WNBL.com: Latest News

WNBL Rumour Mill: Edition 7

Thu, 17 May 2012 09:27:00 +1000

Bendigo sign US college star
After seeing several of their 2011/12 squad depart, including MVP Tess Madgen , Bendigo has a new signing to show off with US college star Kathleen Scheer signing on for the 2012/13 WNBL season.

The 188-cm forward recently graduated from famous basketball school Duke University after helping the Blue Devils reach the elite eighth of the NCAA Women�s Tournament.

The addition of the talented forward will add some front court punch to the Spirit roster.

CLICK HERE to read the full story from the Bendigo Advertiser.

Richards back on board with Spirit
One of the stars of the Bendigo Spirit is coming back for the 2012/13 WNBL season, with Gabe Richards putting pen to paper on a new deal.

Despite an injury interrupted campaign, Richards was a key to the Spirit with her ability to score inside the paint and provide a presence on the boards.

CLICK HERE to read the full story from the Bendigo Adversiter.

Waves capture Kiwi international from Bendigo
The West Coast Waves have continued their plundering of the Bendigo Spirit playing stocks, adding Kiwi International Lisa Wallbutton to their squad for the 2012/13 WNBL season.

Wallbutton joins New Zealand Head Coach Kennedy Kereama in Perth, with the new Waves boss beginning to assemble a strong squad for the upcoming campaign.

CLICK HERE to read full story at the West Coast Waves website.

Star rookie joins Dandenong
Highly-sort young gun Carley Mijovic will return to her roots, signing for Dandenong for the upcoming WNBL season.

The 2012 Betty Watson WNBL Rookie of the Year impressed in her first full season in the WNBL, taking on a key role for the AIS squad.

CLICK HERE to read full story at the Dandenong Rangers website.

Jayco Opals Q&A with Bulleen Boomers star Sam Richards

Wed, 16 May 2012 12:00:00 +1000

After a couple of seasons abroad you made the decision to return to the WNBL with Bulleen. How much did lure of London play into your decision?

It definitely played into my thinking. If you�re under the eye of the selectors it gives you a better opportunity to make the team, so that was part of my decision making process.

But I also wanted to play for a good coach that was going to help develop me and that�s why I wanted to play for someone as credible as Tom Maher at Bulleen.

What have been the benefits of playing for Bulleen this season? Do you believe getting regular exposure in front of the national team coaching staff has been a positive?

You can go away to Europe for a few years and no one really hears about you, so it was a good opportunity for me to come back and get used to playing in the WNBL and play under the some great coaches.

Also being alongside Timmsy (Jayco Opals assistant coach Michelle Timms) I got some help from her along the way, and of course being under the eye of (Jayco Opals Head Coach) Carrie Graf.

You�re fighting for a position (point guard) with a host of other players. How does that affect your mindset when you�re in camp?

You can�t think about those things, you�ve just got to do what you�re capable of and hope that what you�ve put in is going to be good enough to make the team.

Every spot in the Jayco Opals squad is difficult to get because the depth in Australian women�s basketball is huge. No matter what position you play it�s going to be tough to make this team.

The Victorian-based Jayco Opals have been training under the watchful eye of fitness guru Bohdan Babijczuk at the new Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS) training centre in Albert Park. How beneficial has it been to have access to the facility?

It�s been great for me because I live only 10 minutes from the facility, so this is perfect for me. We�ve got everything here we need, the pool, bikes, weights, running track, we get to use everything here and it�s just a fantastic facility.

The 2010 World Championships were your first taste of a major tournament with the Jayco Opals, finishing fifth. Does making amends for that result play a lot into your motivation heading towards London?

We were all disappointed with how things ended at the World Championships, but you put that in the back of your mind. You�ve got to focus on each game on its merits and hopefully that will see in the medal rounds.

Every team that will be at the Olympic Games will be tough so you put that in the back of your mind that a game against a team like the Czech Republic (defeated the Jayco Opals in the quarter finals in 2010) can cost you a medal a we know that, so every game is important.

You�ve been playing your club basketball in the WNBL with the Bulleen Boomers alongside two of the youngest members of the Jayco Opals squad in Liz Cambage and Rachel Jarry. How have you seen their progress?

It�s been really good to have the opportunity to play with a really young team. I�m the oldest one in the group so it�s good to be around some enthusiast players.

Someone like Rachel Jarry is just full of fire and Liz (Cambage) has got so much potential.

They�re two great players to be playing alongside of and it�ll be really interesting to see how they develop in these upcoming Jayco Opals camps.

Has taking on a greater leadership role at Bulleen translated to the Jayco Opals squad?

I�m getting a bit older now and as a point guard a lot of your role is to be a leader, so I really want to use the momentum and experiences from Bulleen and play a leadership role in this Jayco Opals group.

Despite notching up more than 50 appearances in a Jayco Opals uniform the ultimate tournament has eluded you. What would the opportunity to represent Australian in London mean to you?

It�s a childhood dream. You struggle to put it into words. It�s something you�ve always wanted, but it feels so far away at the moment, but on that day when the coach picks the team you just hope that your name gets read out.

I think to play in the Olympic Games is the ultimate, so it would be a dream come true.

You�re eastern suburbs girl from way back. What does it mean for the region to now have a state-of-the-art facility in the State Basketball Centre, Knox on the doorstep?

I think it�s fantastic. The facility will create a great atmosphere for basketball in Victoria. It�s down the road from my Mum and Dad�s house and a great location for the people of the eastern suburbs.

Dandenong is quite a big venue, but to have another is great for basketball.

The Jayco Opals and Boomers will be officially opening the new facility as part of The Farewell Series: Basketball�s Road to London. Are you excited to usher in a new era for Victorian basketball?

I think it�s amazing you get to play in front of a full house in your Australian uniform. There�s nothing prouder that playing in front of all your friends and family for your country and I can�t wait for that opportunity.

The Farewell Series: Basketball�s Road to London will see our Jayco Australian Opals and Australian play in front of their adoring fans before setting off on their journey to London.

For all ticketing and event information visit www.thefarewellseries.com.au.

ALL BOOMERS AND JAYCO OPALS FAREWELL SERIES TICKETS ON SALE TODAY

Wed, 16 May 2012 07:13:00 +1000

Australia�s premier men�s and women�s players will take to the court across Victoria in the final home series for each team before beginning their journey to London, with fans in Melbourne, Bendigo and Geelong able to see our stars in action.

European-based stars Brad Newley and Aleks Maric, along with NBL talent Mark Worthington, Damian Martin and Adam Gibson, are expected to lead a Boomers squad eager to impress.

Preparing for a tilt at a fifth consecutive podium finish, the Jayco Opals are expected to be sporting a star-studded squad led by twin towers Lauren Jackson and Liz Cambage, surrounded by experienced stars in Kristi Harrower, Belinda Snell and Suzy Batkovic, along with emerging talent like Jenna O�Hea.

Fans will be in for a treat as the Boomers and Jayco Opals usher in a new era for basketball in Victoria, with the opening of the new State Basketball Centre at Knox.

The Boomers will get the first taste of the state-of-the-art facility as they face Greece on Monday 25 June in Game Two of their three-match stanza, before the Jayco Opals round out their series against Brazil at the new venue on Thursday 28 June.

Regional Victoria will also get their chance to farewell our national teams before London, with the Geelong Arena to host the Boomers and Greece on Wednesday 27 June and the Bendigo Basketball Stadium welcoming the Jayco Opals and Brazil on Tuesday 26 June.

The Victorian Minister for Sport and Recreation the Hon. Hugh Delahunty said the Victorian Government was excited to be able to support The Farewell Series.

�The Victorian Government is proud to support this event, and I encourage Victorians to come along and wish our Boomers and Opals good luck before they travel to London,� Mr. Delahunty said.

Basketball Australia Interim CEO Scott Derwin said The Farewell Series presents fans with an amazing opportunity to see our stars in action across Victoria.

�The Farewell Series gives fans a chance to see our London-bound stars of the Australian Boomers and Jayco Opals no matter where you are in Victoria,� Mr. Derwin said

�Taking games to basketball strongholds such as Geelong and Bendigo is a great way of rewarding our loyal fans and continuing to promote the sport in these regions.

�I urge fans to get out there and support our Boomers and Jayco Opals as they embark on the journey to London.�

Tickets for The Farewell Series: Basketball�s Road to London are now on sale for all games with adults starting from just $25 and children/concession from $15.

For more information on The Farewell Series visit: www.thefarewellseries.com.au.

Farewell Series Schedule

Hisense Arena, Melbourne (Double Header)
Sunday June 24

Jayco Opals v Brazil � Tip Off 4:30PM
Boomers v Greece � Tip Off 7:00PM

Tickets available now through Ticketek
Phone: 132 849
Website: www.ticketek.com.au

State Basketball Centre, Knox
Monday June 25

Boomers v Greece � Tip Off 7:00PM

Tickets available now through Foxtix
Phone: 1300 111 369
Website: www.foxtix.com.au

Bendigo Basketball Stadium
Tuesday June 26

Jayco Opals v Brazil � Tip Off 7:00PM

Tickets available now through Bendigo Stadium
Phone: (03) 5440 6214
Website: www.bendigostadium.com.au

Geelong Arena
Wednesday June 27

Boomers v Greece � Tip Off 7:00PM

Tickets available now through Foxtix
Phone: 1300 111 369
Website: www.foxtix.com.au

State Basketball Centre, Knox
Thursday June 28

Jayco Opals v Brazil � Tip Off 7:00PM

Tickets available now through Foxtix
Phone: 1300 111 369
Website: www.foxtix.com.au

WNBL Rookie of the Year signs for Rangers

Wed, 16 May 2012 06:25:00 +1000

The 2012 Betty Watson Rookie of the Year enjoyed a standout season with the AIS, averaging 9.1 points (per game) and 5.2 rebounds, statistics that made the 17-year-old one of the most sort after players in this year�s free agent market.

Already a well-credentialed player at the international level, after appearances at the Under 19 and Under 17 FIBA World Championships, Mijovic will return to the club she represented as a junior following the completion of her high school studies and AIS scholarship commitments later in the year.

The 196cm centre recovered from two bouts of knee surgery to enjoy a largely uninterrupted WNBL season, with standout games against Sydney in Round 4 (21 points, 9 rebounds), Bulleen in Round 6 (15 points, 5 rebounds) and Canberra in Round 17 (17 points, 7 rebounds).

The addition of Mijovic comes hot on the heels of a host of big name re-signings for the Rangers, with Jenna O�Hea, Alison Downie, Steph Cumming and Tegan Cunningham all coming back for the 2012/13 WNBL season.

WNBL Great Moments Winner Announced!

Mon, 14 May 2012 10:00:00 +1000

Over the past three weeks we have seen fans from across Australia put forward their great moments from a memorable WNBL season on the WNBL Facebook Page and on Twitter using the hashtag #WNBLgreatmoments.

From Townsville�s exciting opening night win at the new Townsville RSL Arena, to the battle of the stars between Suzy Batkovic and Liz Cambage, to Kristi Harrower�s amazing buzzer beater against Canberra, all the way through to Dandenong�s inspirational performance in the WNBL Grand Final, we have had some fantastic nominations.

But there can only be ONE winner.

The winner of the WNBL Great Moments competition takes home an Official Spalding WNBL Match Ball signed by a host of WNBL and NBL stars including Jayco Opals Coach Carrie Graf, WNBL Grand Final MVP Kathleen MacLeod, Jayco Opal Sam Richards and many more!

For her nomination of Dandenong�s amazing journey from laying on the canvas against Sydney, facing a premature end to their season, to winning eight on the bounce on their way to the WNBL Grand Final, to the inspirational performance from Kathleen MacLeod to lead the Rangers to the WNBL Championship, we at wnbl.com.au would like to congratulate Bec McGrath, the winner of the Official Spalding WNBL Match Ball signed by the stars!

Check out Bec�s post on the WNBL Facebook Page!

This is what Bec has won!

Thanks to all the fans that took part on Facebook and Twitter. Keep visiting the WNBL Website for the latest news and updates in the build-up to what promises to be an exciting 2012/13 WNBL Championship season.

Spirit sign US college star for 2012/13 WNBL season

Mon, 14 May 2012 08:50:00 +1000

After a tough period that saw the departure of two-time Spirit MVP Tess Madgen, local star Deanna Smith and Kiwi International Lisa Wallbutton, the Bendigo club have bounced back over the past week.

The signing of Scheer comes hot on the heels of Gabe Richards decision to re-sign, with the Spirit beginning to assemble a strong frontcourt.

Scheer recently graduated from the famous US basketball college, Duke University after helping the Blue Devils reach the Elite Eight of the NCCA Women�s Basketball Tournament.

At 188cm the talented forward is sure to make the Spirit frontcourt one of the most feared in the upcoming season.

CLICK HERE to read full story in the Bendigo Advertiser.

Spirit gets major boost with Richards re-signing

Thu, 10 May 2012 14:04:00 +1000

Richards has been an integral part of the Bendigo Spirit�s short history. Bendigo Spirit coach Bernie Harrower rated last season as the best and most consistent played by Richards in a Spirit uniform.

Harrower said that every week Gabe battled at both ends of the floor against much taller opponents and has continued to show she�s one of the best post players in the league.

�Gabe was one our most consistent performers and averaged just over 12 points and almost eight rebounds per game,� Harrower said.

�Her matchups with some of the higher profile post players in the league were outstanding performances.�

�It�s so important to have a genuine post player who is a great target offensively and able to defend other bigs. Gabe does a great job with that and the challenge for us is to find some support for her so we can manage her workload.�

�If not for a knee injury which plagued her throughout the second half of the season, she may even have had a better 2011/12 season.�

Richards is not playing basketball in the off-season and is working on being fitter and stronger for the start of the next WNBL season.

The Spirit is expected to announce a number of key signings in the coming weeks as it works to retain key players and add some new talent to the group.

WNBL Rumour Mill: Edition 6

Wed, 09 May 2012 14:15:00 +1000

O�Hea re-signs for Dandenong
The WNBL has retained one of its biggest stars, with Jenna O�Hea re-signing with the Dandenong Rangers for the 2012/13 season.

After spectacular season with the Rangers, ending in a brilliant WNBL Championship win, O�Hea resisted the temptation to try her hand in Europe, electing to help Dandenong retain their crown.

CLICK HERE to read full story in the Greater Dandenong Weekly.

Hodges confirmed to Adelaide
Adelaide Advertiser basketball writer Boti Nagy confirmed via Twitter the Adelaide Lightning have secured the services of current Jayco Opal Laura Hodges (nee Summerton) for the 2012/13 WNBL season.

The former Adelaide star was first talked about as a target of the Lightning in WNBL Rumour Mill last month and will return to the club she played for from 2002 to 2006.

Randall returns to Bulleen for 2012/13 WNBL season
The Bulleen Boomers has pulled off another recruiting coup, signing former Jayco Opal Emma Randall for the upcoming WNBL season.

A member of the 2006 Gold Medal winning World Championship and 2008 Silver Medal Olympic team, Randall brings a wealth of experience to the Boomers squad and is still just 26-years-old.

Randall returned to Australian shores in 2010 after two seasons in Europe, joining the Logan Thunder. Her departure follows that of Thunder Coach Olaf Lange.

CLICK HERE to read more in the Manningham Leader.

Norwood joins revolution in Canberra
Western Australian native Samantha Norwood has made the big leap to leave home and be a part of the Lauren Jackson-led revolution in the nation�s capital.

Since debut for the then Perth Breakers in the 2008/9 campaign, Norwood has been a regular in the Waves squad, renowned for her inside presence and rebounding prowess.

Story courtesy of the Canberra Times.

Payne makes Adelaide move
North Queensland youngster Nadeen Payne made herself the hottest young property in the WNBL by announcing her intentions to leave Townsville, with Adelaide pulling off a significant coup in landing the promising tall.

As reported in the last edition of the WNBL Rumour Mill Payne had parted ways with the Fire, with Logan and Adelaide set to swoop.

In the end it was last season�s preliminary finalists who captured the 18-year-old, with the talented youngster announcing the move on Twitter.

Downie back on board with Rangers
The key names continue to be locked away for the Dandenong Rangers, with Alison Downie the latest WNBL Championship-winning player to put pen-to-paper for the 2012/13 WNBL season.

A three-time WNBL Champion with the Rangers, Downie has been a regular on the team roster for more than 10 years.

CLICK HERE for full story at Dandenong Rangers website.

AIS youngster signs with home-town Logan
New Logan Thunder Coach Jason Chainey has made his first signing of the WNBL off-season, capturing the signature of highly-rated AIS young gun Mikhaela Donnelly.

The exciting guard joins a Thunder backcourt filled by experienced duo Kristen Veal and Kate McMeeken-Ruscoe.

CLICK HERE for fully story in the Albert & Logan News.

Cumming back to defend Dandenong WNBL title
In a further boost to their bid for back-to-back WNBL titles, the Dandenong Rangers have re-signed Stephanie Cumming.

On the back of a career season that saw her contribute more than 13 points and 4 revounds per game, Cumming has quickly become a key piece in the Rangers WNBL Championship puzzle.

CLICK HERE to read full story at Dandenong Rangers website.

WNBL Great Moments: Townsville's grand home opening

Tue, 08 May 2012 09:22:00 +1000

The brand-new Townsville RSL Arena opened with the Fire hosting a star-studded Bendigo Spirit, with both teams eager to get their WNBL finals aspirations off to the perfect start.

It was an on-court battle led by the respective veteran point guards, with Rachael Flanagan eager to impress in front of a massive home crowd against her long-time rival and Jayco Opals legend Kristi Harrower.

Nothing could separate the two teams in the first three quarters as American import Shanavia Dowdell shined on debut with 19 points, 8 rebounds and 4 steals, while Bendigo star Gabrielle Richards was dominant amassing an impressive stats line of 22 points (8-of-11 shooting) and 10 rebounds.

Holding a one-point lead heading into the final quarter the game was looking for a hero. Enter rookie Micaela Cocks.

The Kiwi had made her name at the University of Oregon and was already well established in the New Zealand national team before her first season in the WNBL, showing her poise and skill from outside with back-to-back three pointers to send the home fans into raptures and make the first WNBL game at the new stadium one to remember.

Was Townsville�s grand home opening one of your favourite moments of the 2011/12 WNBL season? Or do you like something else?

Tell us for your chance to win an Official Spalding WNBL Match Ball signed by some of the biggest names in the basketball, including Kath MacLeod, Carrie Graf, Mark Worthington and many more.

Write a post on the WNBL Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/WNBLfanpage.
Tweet us at @WNBL remembering the hashtag #WNBLgreatmoments

WIN AN OFFICIAL WNBL MATCH BALL SIGNED BY THE STARS

Mon, 07 May 2012 10:49:00 +1000

The Official WNBL Website www.wnbl.com.au is celebrating a season to remember and wants you to tell us what were your greatest moments of the season.

It could be a great game, an individual performance, a remarkable comeback, a game-winning block, a match-turning basket, it�s all up to you!

Post on the WNBL Facebook Page (www.facebook.com/WNBLfanpage) and tweet on the WNBL Twitter site (www.twitter.com/wnbl) using the hashtag #WNBLgreatmoments.

The winner will receive an Official Spalding WNBL Match Ball signed by some of the stars on hand at the 2012 Basketball Australia MVP Awards including:

� Jayco Opals and Canberra Capitals coach Carrie Graf

� WNBL All-Star Five duo Rachel Jarry and Sam Richards

� WNBL Grand Final MVP Kath MacLeod

� Robyn Maher WNBL Defensive Player of the Year Alicia Poto

� All NBL First Team star Mark Worthington

� NBL Defensive Player of the Year Damian Martin just to name a few!

So tell us what was memorable about the 2011/12 WNBL season and be in the running for this fantastic prize to be announced on the WNBL Website on Monday 14 May 2012.

To help jog the memory the WNBL Website will take a look back at the some of the amazing moments of what was a memorable season.