She Hoops clinics electrify Far North Queensland

She Hoops headed north over the weekend, delivering four clinics across Port Douglas and Cairns as part of the WNBL Townsville Tip Off, connecting the elite end of Australian women’s basketball with more than 80 women and girls to grow the game across Far North Queensland. 

With the Opals preparing for next month’s FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup, Cayla George and Alex Fowler joined former WNBL player Mikaela Ruef and Caddie O’Brien, one of only two female NBL1 North Head Coaches, alongside six female coaches from Port Douglas and Cairns to deliver the clinics. 

The weekend began in Port Douglas, returning to a community She Hoops first visited in 2024 through the Australian Government’s Play Our Way program. 

Following that visit, Douglas Heat Basketball President Hannah Santarossa was inspired to connect with neighbouring associations, with Port Douglas, Atherton, Cooktown and Innisfail now working together to grow basketball and create more opportunities for women and girls across the region. 

Two years on, the local competition continues to grow, with 29 women and girls taking part in the She Hoops clinic. 

The group then travelled to Cairns, where 52 women and girls took part, adding to the Port Douglas clinic to bring the weekend’s total participation to 81 women and girls across Far North Queensland. 

The Cairns clinics were supported by Cairns Basketball and General Manager Luca Vergaro, a strong advocate for women’s basketball who has recently been appointed General Manager of Logan Basketball. 

Across both locations, participants embraced the opportunity to learn directly from Opals, WNBL players and leading female coaches, with the presence of role models on court proving just as powerful as the drills themselves. 

For many of the girls and women involved, seeing elite athletes and local coaches working side by side reinforced what is possible at every level of the game, and the importance of visibility in regional communities where pathways can often feel distant. 

Opals forward Cayla George said the connection went beyond basketball skills. 

“If you can see it, you can be it,” George said.

“Being out here in these communities and showing young girls what’s possible is just as important as anything we do on the international stage.” 

Douglas Heat Basketball President Hannah Santarossa echoed that sentiment from a local perspective.

“Having these role models in our region changes everything,” Santarossa said.

“Our girls don’t just get to watch them - they get to meet them, learn from them, and realise they belong in this space too.” 

The energy across the weekend was incredible, with participants loving the chance to connect, learn, play and share the experience with women from across the game. 

The weekend also reflected the different stages of life women can move through while remaining part of basketball. 

George is currently pregnant, while Mikaela gave birth on June 9 and returned to NBL1 North just 24 days later. 

Ruef and O’Brien had their newborn with them throughout the weekend, with the former on court and the latter leading the clinics.  

From Opals preparing to represent Australia on the world stage, to local female coaches developing their craft, women playing and coaching through motherhood, and regional associations building stronger connections, the weekend captured what She Hoops is about — creating a basketball community where women and girls can belong, connect and lead at every stage.