Venom unveil four Development Players

The Geelong Venom announced on Friday the commitment of four Development Players ahead of the fast-approaching WNBL27 season.

Millie McCarthy, Aleks Connolly, Poppy Stevens and Jasmine King are all joining the club, which incoming head coach Cheryl Chambers will lead.

The group brings genuine NBL1 pedigree and, in three of four cases, a basketball story that runs the entire length of Geelong's own pathway, from junior representative level, through Geelong United, and now into the WNBL system.

Stevens and King have each come through Geelong United's junior ranks to the NBL1, while Connolly has been a fixture of the club's NBL1 rotation and was named 2026 Geelong United Big V VYC Women's MVP.

McCarthy is the exception on paper only, raised through the Perry Lakes Hawks system in Perth, she has taken on a bigger role at Waverley Falcons in 2026 and arrives with the composure of a player who has already performed on the big stage.

"This group is exactly why we invest so heavily in our pathway," Geelong's GM of Pathways Megan Moody said.

"To see players come through Geelong United from junior level, right through NBL1 and now into the WNBL, is the clearest proof point we have that the system works.

"Three of these four are Geelong-born and bred, and that's not an accident; it's the result of years of work at grassroots level, and it's exactly the kind of story we want to keep telling."

Coach Chambers is thrilled to add four young talents to the Venom's program for the 2026-27 campaign.

"Each of these four brings something different," Chambers said.

"Millie's composure running the point, Aleks' consistency and competitiveness, Poppy's shooting touch and Jasmine's scoring instincts,. they all give us something we can build with.

"Bringing them into our WNBL environment is about giving them the next step in their development and giving this program real depth for the years ahead."

Geelong open their season against Tasmania at MyState Bank Arena on October 15.