IT was a season to remember in the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) for the 2023/24 fixture, with an extremely tight season capped off with a marvellous finals series.

For a large portion of the season, most of the teams in the competition were in the hunt for a top-four spot. In fact it came down to the final round to determine which sides would advance to the postseason in a thrilling finish.

In the end, the Southside Flyers emerged champions after defeating the valiant Perth Lynx 2-1 in the Grand Final series.

With the season now wrapped, Rookie Me Central will be dissecting the performance of each club in the 2023/24 fixture, putting all 10 teams under the microscope now that the dust has settled.

The final team on the cards for this week are the Sydney Flames, who fell painfully short of the final postseason spot.

Sydney Flames

2023/24 record – 11 wins, 10 losses
Ladder Position – 5th

HOW IT HAPPENED

It was not exactly a fast start from the Flames, who bolstered their roster over the off-season in a bid to improve on a troublesome campaign during the 2022/23 season. Sydney lost its first two games, and managed just one win from the first five rounds, as ominous signs once again crept into the record. However, the star power of the team began to generate positive results, and as chemistry grew, as did the number of wins. The Flames looked well-placed heading into their last two games, but back-to-back losses cost them a spot in the semi-finals, ending the season on a sour note.

MVP – Lauren Nicholson

Nicholson was one of Sydney’s biggest signings over the off-season, joining the team fresh off a title with the Fire the season before, and the guard delivered in a big way. She won several games on the back of her own play, and was the offensive weapon that Sydney lacked heading into the fixture. Throughout the 2023/24 season, Nicholson averaged an impressive 16.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game, and was named to the All-WNBL First Team for her efforts.

THE COACH – Guy Molloy

Taking over as interim coach in April, Molloy had a terrific first season at the helm of the Flames, nearly turning the team from a bottom side to a finals side. Although it took a while to find their groove, the team got going eventually, and when they did, Molloy had them playing an effective style of play that worked on both ends of the floor. For his efforts, he was shortlisted for the 2023/24 Coach of the Year award, and should improve the team with a full pre-season.

WHERE TO?

The Flames will not need to make too many moves over the off-season, as star players such as Nicholson have signed on for multi-year deals. The worst patch of form for Sydney was when it was still building chemistry, and with the big names now used to playing alongside each other, the Flames should be firing come next season.