OVER the weekend, the NBL1 West competition held its night of nights, and handed out the silverware to the strongest performing individuals in the men’s and women’s competitions.
Upon the regular season’s conclusion, it was time to recognise the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of each competition, and in the men’s it was a familiar name etched on the bottom of the trophy.
Following a move from NBL1 Central a couple of years ago, Devondrick Walker has thrived in the West, dominating from his first game as a member of the Rockingham Flames, and on the weekend, he was rewarded with a second consecutive MVP award.
Walker delivered another outstanding season, producing offensive games that were unmatched, highlighted by a 50-point game against the Mandurah Magic earlier in the season.
He averaged 27 points per game during the 2023 season, emphasised by shooting 53 per cent from the field across the fixture.
Hailing from Texas in the United States, Walker has become one of the NBL1’s best players across any state, and this was on full display with back-to-back MVP’s over the past couple of seasons.
Much like Walker himself, his Rockingham Flames are also looking to go back to back, continuing their quest for consecutive titles in the coming weeks. Their campaign kicks off against the Perry Lake Hawks in a qualifying final this weekend, where Walker will have a key role to play.
In the women’s competition, the highest individual honour was handed to Alex Sharp, who also picked up her second MVP award in the NBL1 West.
Fresh off an impressive performance in the final round, Sharp has delivered another terrific season for the Willetton Tigers, leading the team to another finals campaign.
She averaged 21 points, 14 rebounds and four assists across another dominant campaign in Western Australia. Her WNBL experience was on full display all season, constantly producing double-doubles and establishing her presence in the low block.
No player delivered such strong performances at the same level of consistency as Sharp, and much like Walker, she has established herself as one of the premier players in the competition’s history.
The NBL1 West finals kick off this weekend with an exciting batch of elimination and qualifying finals set to take place, starting on Friday.
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