THE teams of the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) are edging closer and closer to the commencement of the 2021 season. Some sides will be setting high expectations for themselves following last season, and the Melbourne Boomers are one of these teams. They were a strong side throughout the home-and-away season in 2020, with their record of nine wins and four losses good enough to see them finish fourth on the ladder with a postseason berth.
The Boomers headed into the 2020 finals series with confidence in their ability to take it up to any side in the competition. Following a strong victory over the University of Canberra (UC) Capitalis on the back of some outstanding defensive work, the Boomers advanced to the preliminary finals, but fell agonisingly short of a grand final berth. This had become a recurring theme for this side over recent years, and while it may seem like a slightly disappointing result, this side made excellent strides in the WNBL20 season. Their game style was up there with the best in the league, and at times they looked the strongest opponent in the competition.
Crucial offseason re-signings came in the form of late-season improver Ashleigh Karaitiana, Tess Madgen, Ezi Magbegor and Cayla George, as the front office look to recapture the elite form they showed at stages of last year. There were also some eye-catching additions, none more so than WNBA and Indiana Fever guard Tiffany Mitchell. Mitchell previously expressed an interest in playing in Australia and the Boomers were lucky enough to win the race for her services. The two-way player was a first round draft pick in 2016, and was named to the WNBA All Rookie team in her debut season. If she can combine with the current core group of players, and adapt to the ferocious brand of basketball that we saw in 2020, this side will be a strong chance to win it all this year.
With coach Guy Molloy preparing for another year at the helm, he will be looking to recreate the magic that saw this team record massive blowout wins against some of the competition’s best last season. The preliminary final loss will be burning in the belly of this group, so expect a hungry side to come out firing in season 2021.
Photo: Melbourne Boomers Facebook
Rillie backing up efforts for the Bears
Off the back of a career year at Northern Colorado, Jaron Rillie is backing up his senior year form as the Bears seek to solidify themselves at the top of the Big Sky conference. The fifth-year guard out of New South Wales is the son of Perth Wildcats head coach John Rillie and is one […]
SCOUTING NOTES | Florida vs. North Carolina
THE FLORIDA Gators have remained unbeaten this NCAAM basketball season after holding off the North Carolina Tar Heels to claim their 11th win of 2024 at Spectrum Centre on Wednesday morning. The Gators came into the clash as one of the form teams in college basketball, and were favourites against an inconsistent Tar Heels outfit […]
NBL25 Next Star Watch – Round 12
WITH Round 12 of the National Basketball League (NBL)’s 2024/25 season taking place over the weekend, the Next Stars are running out of time to impress NBA scouts, and each game carries plenty of importance. With another batch of games seeing some exciting action, the next generation of basketball stars will be looking to make […]
Davis dominates as Sixers get back on track
A MONSTER performance from Kendric Davis has helped the Adelaide 36ers secure a much-needed win in Round 12 of the National Basketball League (NBL) action over the weekend. Davis and the Sixers hosted the New Zealand Breakers at Adelaide Entertainment Centre on Saturday evening, with both sides looking to get back on the winners’ list. […]
Lynx, Wildcats get wins over weekend
JUST ONE game each was played by the Western Australian sides over the weekend for the first time all year, and it came as a success as both teams had convincing victories. For the Perth Lynx, Thursday night welcomed the bottom-placed UC Capitals to Bendat as the home side looked to bounce back from their […]
Collier shows her class in tough loss
ALTHOUGH it may not have been the ideal result for her UC Capitals, import Charli Collier delivered her best performance at Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) level in the loss to the Adelaide Lightning over the weekend. Collier and the Capitals travelled to Adelaide 36ers Arena to take on the Lightning and were looking to […]
Daniels Dash-ing to United as Next Star
THE DANIELS name continues to grow, with Dash looking to follow in his brother’s footsteps and make the NBA. However, he will be taking a different path, instead joining the National Basketball League (NBL) Next Stars program. Daniels’ brother Dyson was drafted to the NBA as the eighth overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, […]
NBL25 Wrapped – Round 12
THE STATE of play in the National Basketball League (NBL) was shaken up once again over the weekend, with Round 12 of the 2024/25 season delivering another crucial batch of results. The ladder is extremely tight in the back half of the fixture, and the events of the weekend ensured that trend looks to continue […]
Cotton craziness continues for Wildcats
BRYCE Cotton’s heroics continued into Round 11 of the NBL season, the superstar and now MVP frontrunner scoring 99 points across the Perth Wildcats’ two games. It was only enough to split results though as his side went down to the Illawarra Hawks on Friday night before heading to Adelaide and toppling the 36ers. Early […]
