Lowery’s Top 10: Expert reveals his pre-season rankings

With the start of the WNBL27 Season drawing near, each roster is stacked with elite talent across every position.

Opening night will see the Tasmania Jewels begin their WNBL journey against the Geelong Venom at a sold-out MyState Bank Arena.

Ahead of that, basketball expert Damon Lowery has delivered his list of the Top-10 players for the upcoming campaign.

Read more >> WNBL27 launched as League hails ‘biggest era’

10 - Steph Reid (Tasmania Jewels)

Kicking things off is the face of the newest franchise in the WNBL. Don’t believe me? There’s a billboard in Hobart with her face on it.

Steph Reid knows how to take over wherever she goes. She did it in China, she did it in Europe, and now she’s back in the WNBL to repeat what she did in 2022 when she won a championship with Townsville.

I don’t currently have a ‘Little Big Woman Society’, but if I do, she might need to become the first President.

9 - Jade Melbourne (Bendigo Spirit)

Jade Melbourne knows how to make things happen on the floor, and she’s going to have defences scrambling again in WNBL27.

From a starting role in the WNBA with Seattle to forming what might be the WNBL’s most potent backcourt combo, I would be scared this year coming up against Jade in her new colours.

8 - Amy Atwell (UC Capitals)

Amy Atwell. I’m gonna keep calling her Amy ‘Splashwell’, because you know she can hit them from anywhere on the floor.

This absolute flamethrower dropped just under 16 points a game last season, and she’s right at home in a new environment at the UC Capitals after a huge off-season.

I’ve already made the call that she’s going to lead the League for three-pointers, and it won’t be easy to defend her at that line when she gets going this year.

7 - Maddy Rocci (Geelong Venom)

A new-look Geelong Venom side needed a massive spark to lead the line. Who better than Maddy Rocci?

She had a career-best year for Southside last year, dropping 16 points, 7 assists and 4 rebounds a game, and there’s no reason why she can’t level up again this year.

If I were Cheryl Chambers heading into this year, I’d be very comfortable knowing that this superstar was leading the way for my lineup.

6 - Ally Wilson (Sydney Flames)

Ally Wilson has a case for being one of the best point guards in this League, and she’s going to be ready to run riot under Coach Renae Garlepp up in Sydney.

She’s won a gold medal with the Opals and Gangurrus, took home multiple championships, and she’s a player that wins you basketball games. Plain and simple.

Playing alongside some huge stars in a new Sydney Flames squad this year, we might see a whole new layer to Ally Wilson, and it’s going to be exciting.

5 - Courtney Woods (Townsville Fire)

A two-time WNBL champion and the standout in last year’s Championship Series with a Grand Final MVP award to her name, Courtney Woods is the real deal.

Woods is a certified statsheet-stuffer wherever she goes and will look to improve on her 15.2 points, 6.1 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game from WNBL26.

Townsville, keep putting the ball in her hands, and you cannot go wrong this year.

4 - Steph Talbot (Adelaide Lightning)

Steph Talbot is the ultimate professional who knows how to make a big impact.

The Las Vegas Aces went deep into the playoffs with her this season, and she’s already staked her claim to an MVP honour, two Defensive Player of the Year awards, and multiple All-WNBL selections back home with the Adelaide Lightning.

The Lightning have locked in some big-time names for WNBL27, and Talbot is going to be as important as any of them if they want to shoot for that chip at the end of the season.

3 - Han Xu (Geelong Venom)

The addition of Han Xu changed Perth’s season in WNBL26, and she’ll be an even bigger signing for the Geelong Venom in WNBL27.

The superstar had some unbelievable moments for the New York Liberty in the WNBA and has won all there is to win over in the WCBA.

If you’ve got the reigning Defensive Player of the Year in your line of sight, get out of the way. It isn’t worth it.

2 - Anneli Maley (Perth Lynx)

Anneli Maley was an inevitability this high on this list. I don’t even need to do the talking; her numbers do it themselves.

It takes a special basketball player to average double-digit points and rebounds across five WNBL seasons. Don’t be surprised if she makes that a sixth.

The Lynx have seen some big changes for WNBL27, and Maley needs to lead the way once again if they want to return to where they were last year.

1 - Izzy Borlase (Bendigo Spirit)

Big-time Borlase already has an MVP in the bag, and best believe she’s in the box seat to do it again.

At just 22 years old, she’s done it all over the world. We saw her put the Opals on her back at this year’s FIBA World Cup when they were up against it, and she’s helped the fourth-placed Atlanta Dream book a spot in this year’s WNBA Finals.

The sky is truly the limit for this young superstar. Best of luck to anyone who wants to stop her.