LEADING by example for the Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence (CoE) throughout Round 7 of the NBL1 East Women’s season, Zara Russell enjoyed a tremendous weekend with two standout showings as the team broke even from their two games.

The CoE have been one of the contending sides throughout the 2024/25 campaign, sitting atop the standings for much of the season, and had two games on the schedule for the weekend – against the Norths Bears on Saturday evening, and then the Bankstown Bruins on Sunday afternoon.

The first game took place at the North Sydney Indoor Sports Centre, and it was going to be a tough matchup, with the Bears coming into the game undefeated from eight games and looking like the side to beat. It was looming as a true litmus test for the CoE, who are right in contention themselves, having lost just one game heading into this fixture.

Although her side could not get the job done, Russell was immense as a scorer, carrying her side on that side of the ball and showing her ceiling if she gets a bit more aggressive with ball in hand and looks to shoot as much as she can.

Dropping 30 points on 12/27 shooting, it was evident Russell was in for a big game early in the piece, producing nine quick points in the opening frame to start the match in fine fashion. As the game rolled on, Russell looked to stretch the floor a lot more, and although she made just two of her 10 attempts from behind the arc, it was a clear indication of her intent and how fast she fires off the shot if the defence sags off.

Although the CoE ended up falling by 14 points, it was still an excellent performance from Russell, who set the benchmark for her offensive production and was probably deserving of a win based on how easily she found the bottom of the net at times.

The CoE backed it up the following day, but had more success in their matchup against the Bears, gaining control of the match early before putting the foot down in the third term to seal the result and get themselves back on the winners list to stay in third spot in the standings.

Captaining her side, Russell was immense again and continued to get to her spots and find the bottom of the net. She was even more deadly from behind the arc this time around, nailing seven triples en route to a game-high 31 points and nine rebounds, almost recording a double-double in the process.

Russell played all 40 minutes and whenever the CoE looked dangerous, she was typically involved in the play, and always looked damaging with ball in hand. Again she started the match strongly, posting 10 points in the opening frame and getting the CoE off to a hot start.

Another 10 points in the third quarter helped get the CoE out to a matchwinning lead, as Russell showed the ability to score across all three levels with a pair of triples and some aggressive drives into the paint with plenty of intent.

It was an outstanding weekend from the 17-year-old, who was inspirational for the CoE and stood out among a roster full of talented young players.