IN this series each week, we take a look at the strongest performing players at each position to create our Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) Team of the Week.

After split Round 10, this weekend saw the WNBL action return to normal, although the match between the Perth Lynx and the Southside Flyers was forced into cancellation. However, there were still a number of excellent clashes that saw some outstanding individual performances in these contests, as the competition’s best players looked to get their respective sides over the line.

Point Guard – Stephanie Reid (Townsville Fire)

Despite the tough loss to the Spirit, Townsville point guard Steph Reid was terrific in her attempts to guide her side to victory. She found a good balance between scoring and creating, as she was able to control the tempo of the offence with ease and give her side some much-needed opportunities. She finished with 11 points and 10 assists in a classic point guard’s double-double, and while she didn’t score the most of any guard this week, her impact got her over the line here.

Shooting Guard – Shyla Heal (Sydney Uni Flames)

Next up in our team is Sydney Uni’s talented two-guard, who was once again amongst the action in her side’s matchup against the Boomers. Despite the Flames being unable to best their opponents, Heal was an offensive presence for all four quarters of this match. She finished with 21 points, six rebounds and four assists as she proved to be a reliable avenue to scoring.

Small Forward – Anneli Maley (Bendigo Spirit)

After weeks of performing well in a losing side, Maley was able to get reward for effort in Round 11. She led her Spirit to an upset win over the Fire on the road, and was clearly the most dominant player on the court. She finished with 25 points and 19 rebounds in an outstanding effort. She had produced similar numbers before, but this time it meant much more on a winning side, a result that could not have been achieved without her efforts.

Power Forward – Monique Billings (Townsville Fire)

Like her teammate in Reid, Billings fought incredibly hard to try and get her side over the line against the Spirit. Despite the disappointing result, Billings was still one on the most dominant players on the court, using her IQ and skills to get the better of the opposition. She poured in a big double-double of 23 points and 12 rebounds as she constantly proved a headache for the Bendigo defenders.

Center – Alanna Smith (Adelaide Lightning)

In the Lightning’s 13 point victory over the Flyers, Smith was the leading scorer for the match as she led her side by example. She finished with 23 points on some seriously efficient shooting. Smith finished with three shots from behind the arc too, showcasing how dangerous her game truly is. She was also able to pull down 10 rebounds in this outing as well, topping off a very successful outing.

Bench

First up on our bench is Tiffany Mitchell of the Melbourne Boomers, who delivered an excellent leader’s performance in the win over the Flames on Sunday afternoon. She poured in 21 points and two steals on some efficient shooting from the field.

Next in our reserve lineup is Flyers shooting guard Rebecca Cole, who has become a bit of a mainstay in this side throughout the season. In Round 11, she had a 17-point outing and was an offensive weapon once again for the reigning champs.

The first forward spot on our bench goes to Stephanie Talbot of the Adelaide Lightning, who did it all in the win over the Flyers. She stuffed the stat sheet with 12 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists as she flirted with the idea of a triple-double.

The next forward coming off the pine in our team is Keely Froling of the Sydney Uni Flames, who was excellent on the offensive end in her match against the Boomers. She had a game-high 24 points, proving a serious threat whenever the ball made its way to her.

The final bench spot on our list has been given to Kelsey Griffin of the UC Capitals, who was excellent in the blowout win over the Fire on Saturday night. She recorded a big double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds as she led the way in an excellent team performance.