Writing and photographs by Dean Andrews
In Round 1 of the 2023/24 Cygnett WNBL season all eight clubs had at least one player making their debut in the league and there was a total of 22 WNBL debutants during Indigenous Round from Wednesday 1 November to Sunday 5 November. Seven clubs had multiple debutants in Round 1 led by Perth Lynx with six players, ahead of Melbourne Boomers, Sydney Flames and Townsville Fire who each had three players make their debut in the league. Adelaide were the only club that had a solitary debutant, forward Taylor Mole. During Indigenous Round 16 players scored their first points in the league including 15 players on WNBL debut. Adelaide forward Isabelle Bourne was the exception, scoring her first points in the WNBL in her third game.
Jordin Canada playing for Melbourne Boomers against Southside Flyers at the State Basketball Centre on 4 November 2023 and being guarded by fellow WNBL debutant Dallas Loughridge
Main roster players that made their WNBL debut in Round 1 – 19 players
Player WNBL team
Taylor Mole Adelaide Lightning
Mehryn Kraker* Bendigo Spirit
Esra McGoldrick Bendigo Spirit
Jordin Canada* Melbourne Boomers
Naz Hillmon* Melbourne Boomers
Tera Reed Melbourne Boomers
Stephanie Gorman Perth Lynx
Ashlee Hannan Perth Lynx
Aari McDonald* Perth Lynx
Emily Potter* Perth Lynx
Jasmine Dickey* Southside Flyers
Dallas Loughridge Southside Flyers
Paige Bradley* Sydney Flames
DiDi Richards* Sydney Flames
Cassandra Brown* Townsville Fire
Jessica McDowell-White Townsville Fire
Saffron Shiels Townsville Fire
Jayda Clark UC Capitals
Monica Okoye* UC Capitals
* Import
Naz Hillmon playing for Melbourne Boomers against Southside Flyers at the State Basketball Centre on 4 November 2023
Development players that made their WNBL debut in Round 1 – 3 players
Player WNBL team
Grace Foster Perth Lynx
Amy Jacobs Perth Lynx
The 22 WNBL debutants in Round 1 were comprised of 10 Australians, 10 imports and New Zealand Tall Ferns duo Tera Reed and Esra McGoldrick. 14 players that made their WNBL debut in Round 1 played for a team in an NBL1 Conference in 2023.
Details are provided later in this article on the 22 players that made their WNBL debut in Round 1 of the 2023/24 Cygnett WNBL season. Bourne scoring the first points of her WNBL career is also covered.
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On the eve of the 2023/24 season commencing Milestones and Misses published a Comprehensive guide to player movement and main rosters for the 2023/24 Cygnett WNBL season. The comprehensive guide provides details on the player movement and main rosters from a league wide perspective and then looks at these two aspects for each of the eight WNBL clubs. The club section includes player profiles on every player on a main roster as at 30 October 2023. A profile on each club’s Head Coach is also included. A link is below:
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Adelaide Lightning – 1 debutant in Round 1
Taylor Mole played three seasons of college basketball forUniversity of California Santa Barbara from 2020/21 to 2022/23. In 2020/21 Mole averaged 14.3 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. During the 2023 NBL1 North season Mole averaged 15.9 points and 6.2 rebounds per game playing for the Cairns Dolphins.
With four minutes and 13 seconds left in the first quarter of Adelaide Lightning’s 2023/24 season opener at home against the Melbourne Boomers on Wednesday 1 November forward Taylor Mole was substituted into the game to make her WNBL debut. Just over a minute later Mole registered Adelaide’s next score, a lay up with three minutes and six seconds to play in the term to score her first points in the WNBL. Adelaide trailed 53-56 with six minutes and 15 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Mole scored the next five points of the game, a lay up followed by a three pointer to give the Lightning a 58-56 lead with four minutes and 29 seconds to play in the fourth term. Mole finished her debut WNBL game for Adelaide with eight points, one rebound, one steal and an equal game-high two blocked shots playing 13 minutes and seven seconds court time.
Later in Indigenous Mole played in her first WNBL victory with Adelaide having an 82-79 road victory against the UC Capitals at the National Convention Centre on Sunday 5 November. Off the bench Mole made her only field goal attempt, scored two points and took one rebound playing five minutes and 28 seconds.
Bendigo Spirit – 2 debutants in Round 1
Two Bendigo Spirit players, American import guard Mehryn Kraker and New Zealand forward Esra McGoldrick are playing their debut WNBL seasons in 2023/24. On 1 November Bendigo Spirit announced their leadership group of three players with Kelsey Griffin as captain and guard duo Kraker and Kelly Wilson as leadership group members. Bendigo captain Griffin told WNBL Media “For Mehryn, to be voted into the leadership group as an import is pretty rare, I don’t know how many times that’s happened across the WNBL. For her to already have the belief from her teammates that she’s one of the best people to be in that position, I think that speaks a lot about what she’s going to bring to the group.”1
In 2022 and 2023 Kraker played two NBL1 West seasons with Rockingham Flames. Kraker had an exceptional 2023 season with Rockingham to average 18.8 points and 5.8 assists per game to earn selection in the All-NBL1 West First Team and won the conference’s Golden Hands Award.
Kraker started for Bendigo in their Indigenous Round home game at Red Energy Arena on 4 November against Townsville Fire. One minute and nine seconds into the first quarter Kraker provided an assist for an Ally Wilson lay up for the first score of the game. With seven minutes and 26 seconds left in the first quarter Kraker made a three-pointer to register her first points in the WNBL. Kraker impressed on WNBL debut to finish the game with a team-high 16 points for Bendigo with a field goal accuracy of 50% and made a team-high four three-pointers from eight attempts at an accuracy of 50%. Kraker took four rebounds, all defensive, made four assists and had an equal team-high two steals playing 33 minutes and 45 seconds court time.
In the lead-up to Asia Cup 2023 Esra McGoldrick played six games for Casey Cavaliers in NBL1 South and averaged a double-double with 12.7 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. At FIBA Women’s Asia Cup 2023 McGoldrick averaged 5.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game to rank in the top five for New Zealand in both categories.
With five minutes and 52 seconds to play in the first quarter McGoldrick was substituted into the game replacing Bendigo centre Ruth Davis (nee Hamblin). After taking an offensive rebound McGoldrick made a jump shot to open her WNBL scoring account with 1 minute and 49 seconds left in the first quarter. In 11 minutes and 25 seconds court-time against Townsville McGoldrick scored two points and took five rebounds – ranked equal second for Bendigo behind Ally Wilson with six.
On Tuesday 7 November 2023, days after making her WNBL debut McGoldrick was selected in the New Zealand Tall Ferns extended 16 player squad for the FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament to be held in China from 8 to 11 February 2024.
Melbourne Boomers – 3 debutants in Round 1
In the WNBL season opener the Melbourne Boomers had a trio of debutants, imports Jordin Canada and Naz Hillmon along with Tall Ferns representative Tera Reed in their starting lineup for the road game against Adelaide on Wednesday 1 November at Adelaide Arena.
Forward Hillmon has played 74 regular season WNBA games for Atlanta Dream across the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Hillmon has represented USA at junior and senior level. Hillmon was the captain of the USA team that won gold at the FIBA Under 19 Women’s World Championship 2019, having a 74-70 victory in the final against the Australian Gems in overtime. At senior level Hillmon ranked third for rebounds for the gold medal winning USA team at FIBA AmeriCup 2021.
One minute and 35 seconds into the first quarter Hillmon scored her first WNBL point with a free throw and in the process scored the Boomers first point of the 2023/24 season. Reed took an offensive rebound off her own miss and made a lay-up 22 seconds into the second quarter to open her scoring account and score the first points for the term. Two minutes and five seconds into the third quarter Canada scored her first WNBL points with a lay up.
Melbourne trailed Adelaide by two points, 56-58 with four minutes and 29 seconds left in the fourth quarter. With the game on the line the Boomers debutant trio scored nine of the last 14 points of the game between them to play a critical role in Melbourne recording a fightback 68-60 victory after trailing Adelaide by 14 points, 6-20 with two minutes and 35 seconds to play in the first quarter.
After the Boomers trailed Adelaide 56-58 Hillmon scored five points in the last four minutes and five seconds of the game comprised of two lay ups and a free throw to help spark Melbourne’s game-winning 12-2 run to close out the game. Hillmon shot the ball proficiently to make five of eight field goal attempts at an accuracy of 62.5% and scored an equal game-high 14 points along with Lightning import Jocelyn Willoughby. Hillmon took eight rebounds comprised of five o-boards and three defensive rebounds playing 28 minutes and 31 seconds court-time.
At Asia Cup 2023 held in Sydney Reed was a member of the New Zealand Tall Ferns team that finished fourth. At the tournament Reed averaged 8.5 points (ranked third for New Zealand) and 6.2 rebounds (second) per game. After being teammates with Penina Davidson on the New Zealand national team and on Northern Kahu’s title winning team in the 2023 Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa championship in New Zealand Reed joined Davidson in the WNBL at the Melbourne Boomers in 2023/24.
On WNBL debut for Melbourne against Adelaide Reed recorded a double-double comprised of 10 points and an equal team-high 10 rebounds along with Davidson and co-captain Keely Froling. With adept shooting Reed made three of five field goal attempts at an accuracy of 60% and was even more damaging from long range, making two of three three-pointers at 66.7%. Playing 32 minutes and 22 seconds court-time Reed also made two assists, an equal game-high two steals and blocked one shot playing 32 minutes and 22 seconds.
Jordin Canada was selected by Seattle Storm with pick 5 at the 2018 WNBA Draft and played four consecutive seasons with Seattle from 2018 to 2021 which included winning WNBA Championships in 2018 and 2020. In between Seattle’s two WNBA titles Canada led the WNBA for steals per game in 2019 and was selected in the 2019 WNBA All-Defensive First Team. In the past two WNBA seasons Canada has played for the Los Angeles Sparks. In 2023 playing for the Sparks Canada led the league in steals per game in, ranked sixth for assists, finished second in the WNBA’s 2023 Most Improved Player Award and was selected in the WNBA All-Defensive First Team for the second time in her career.
Playing a team-high 36 minutes and 55 seconds for the Boomers against Adelaide Canada scored six points, took two rebounds, and had eight assists and two steals to set equal game-highs in the latter two categories. In the post- game press-conference Boomers Head Coach Chris Lucas commented “Jordin Canada’s been in the country for just over one week, she hasn’t even got her feet yet.”
On Saturday night 4 November the Deakin Melbourne Boomers completed their Indigenous Round road double against cross-town rivals Southside Flyers at the State Basketball Centre. In a Boomers 77-70 victory the club’s three-players in their debut WNBL season, Reed (18 points), Canada (15) and Hillmon (14) combined for 47 points between them and were the club’s three highest scorers for the game.
A Melbourne Boomers team huddle amongst starters, Jordin Canada, Sara Blicavs, Keely Froling, Naz Hillmon and Tera Reed during the game against Southside Flyers at the State Basketball Centre on 4 November 2023
Canada’s skills and high basketball IQ were on full display against Southside. One minute and two seconds into the second quarter Southside led Melbourne by three points 19-16. Led by a Canada masterclass the Boomers dominated the remainder of the second quarter to go on a 24-7 run to lead by 14 points 40-26 at half-time. During this time Canada provided four assists, for Froling, a Davidson lay up, a Blicavs three-pointer and a Reed three-pointer. Canada made an impact on the scoreboard herself, making a floating jump shot, a pull up jump shot, a driving lay-up, and a jump shot four seconds before half time to score eight points for the second quarter, matching Southside’s tally for the term. At half-time Canada had scored 12 points, taken six rebounds and made six assists to be on track for a triple double. In the end Canada fell two rebounds short of achieving a rare WNBL triple-double, finishing the game with 15 points, eight rebounds a game-high 10 assists and an equal game-high two steals to play a critical role in the Boomers defeating Southside in game 1 of the Michele Timms Cup.
Jordin Canada passing to Melbourne Boomers teammate Keely Froling during the game against Southside Flyers at the State Basketball Centre on 4 November 2023
On Monday 6 November the WNBL announced that Canada was the WNBL Player of the Round for Round 1. Across Melbourne’s two Round 1 victories Canada averaged 10.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 9.0 assists per game. The Melbourne Boomers previous two American import guards Tiffany Mitchell and Lindsay Allen both earned All-WNBL selection playing for the club. Given her performances in the WNBA over six seasons and an impressive start to the season Canada is ideally placed to continue this pattern and earn All-WNBL selection in the 2023/24 Cygnett WNBL season.
Jordin Canada shooting a jump shot for Melbourne Boomers against Southside Flyers at the State Basketball Centre on 4 November 2023
In Melbourne’s victory against Southside Hillmon was the only player in the game to record a double-double, scoring 14 points and taking an equal game-high 11 rebounds along with Boomers co-captain Froling. Although Southside had the size advantage in the front court Melbourne convincingly won the rebound count 55-38. Hillmon was a presence on the boards at both ends, taking five o-boards and six defensive rebounds. Hilmon made six of seven free throws at an accuracy of 85.7%.
Naz Hillmon shooting a free throw for Melbourne Boomers against Southside Flyers at the State Basketball Centre on 4 November 2023
Both sides struggled with field goal accuracy in the cross-town derby with Melbourne having a field goal accuracy of 37.0% and Southside being a touch better at 37.1%. Reed was one player in the game that was able to shoot the ball accurately, making six of 11 field goal attempts at 54.5% and was phenomenal from long range, making all three three-pointers. Reed took six rebounds to be one of six Boomers that took at least five rebounds for the game.
Tera Reed shooting a free throw for Melbourne Boomers against Southside Flyers at the State Basketball Centre on 4 November 2023
Days after making her WNBL debut for the Boomers Reed was selected in the New Zealand Tall Ferns extended 16 player squad on Tuesday 7 November for the FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament to be held in China from 8 to 11 February 2024.
Tera Reed playing for Melbourne Boomers against Southside Flyers at the State Basketball Centre on 4 November 2023 and being guarded by fellow WNBL debutant Jasmine Dickey
Main roster players that made their WNBL debut in Round 1 – 19 players
Perth Lynx – 6 debutants in Round 1
In Ryan Petrik’s fourth season as Head Coach of the Perth Lynx the club will play a similar fast paced style to the previous three seasons and will attempt more three-pointers than most rival WNBL teams. The biggest change in 2023/24 is that the Lynx have a quick pure point guard, American import Aari McDonald. In 2022/23 the Perth Lynx point guard duties were shared by guards Sami Whitcomb, Robbi Ryan and Tayah Burrows along with centre Lauren Scherf.
McDonald averaged more than 20.5 points per game in all three seasons of college basketball with University of Arizona from 2018/19 to 2020/21 and was a Pac-12 Conference Defensive Player of the Year in each of her last two seasons. McDonald was selected by Atlanta Draft with pick 3 in the 2021 WNBA draft and has played 90 regular season games for the club.
All 12 players that suited up for Perth Lynx’s Round 1 home game against Sydney on Friday night 3 November at the Bendat Basketball Centre played court time including six players making their WNBL debut. Imports McDonald and Canadian Centre Potter both started for Perth in their first WNBL appearance. Stephanie Gorman was substituted into the game in the first quarter. Late in the fourth quarter with Perth in control of the game a trio of Lynx players were substituted into the game to make their WNBL debut, Grace Foster, Ashlee Hannan and Amy Jacobs.
McDonald made a lay up to open her WNBL scoring account with three minutes and 55 seconds left in the first term. In the fourth quarter Sydney challenged Perth, reducing the lead to five points, 61-56 with seven minutes and 40 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. McDonald sparked an 8-0 Lynx run in the next two minutes by making three jump shots and providing an assist for a Potter layup to open up a 13 point lead. In the 85-71 victory against Sydney McDonald scored a game-high 18 points at 50% from the field, made a game-high six assists and had two rebounds, one steal and one blocked shot in 34 minutes and 37 seconds court-time.
In a college career with University of Utah 196 centimetre tall Canadian centre Potter set single season and career school records for blocked shots. Potter was a member of the Canadian team that won a bronze medal at the FIBA Women’s AmeriCup 2023 held in Mexico in July.
Two minutes and 18 seconds into the game Potter made her first WNBL basket with a jump shot. Potter made three of six field goal attempts at an accuracy of 50%, took seven rebounds – ranked second for the game behind Perth captain Anneli Maly with 21, and made two assists playing 21 minutes and 25 seconds.
After Stephanie Gorman finished her college career at University of San Diego in 2021/22 she played in NBL1 South for Bendigo Braves in 2022. Gorman made the leap to move to Perth, a city she had never been to before and joined the Cockburn Cougars for the 2023 NBL1 West season. Gorman excelled at the defensive end of the court and won the Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year Award. Gorman was a member of the Cockburn Cougars team that won the 2023 NBL1 West Championship, defeating Willetton Tigers 68-61 in the Grand Final. Gorman excelled in the Grand Final, doing a great job guarding league MVP Alex Sharp and scored a team-high 19 points to win the NBL1 West Women’s Finals MVP Award.
There is a considerable step-up from NBL1 to WNBL and during Perth Lynx pre-season training Gorman benefitted from being matched up against Amy Atwell and Miela Goodchild who have WNBL experience and have both represented the Australian Gangurrus 3×3 women’s team. Gorman told WNBL Media“It’s been really good and good for my game to spend so much time going against them. Players like that also can identify your weaknesses and then go and attack them so it’s been good for me defensively to be able to stay on top of the ball. I’ve had to think all the time and I can’t take any plays off with them because they’re just so good. Then offensively just by watching them and learning what they do has helped me learn so much quicker by seeing them do it, and then try to replicate it. It’s been so good for my game to learn from them at both ends of the floor.”2
On WNBL debut for Perth against Sydney Gorman scored her first points in the league by making a three-point jump shot with four minutes and 29 seconds to play in the second quarter. Gorman made a game-high three three-pointers from five attempts at an accuracy of 60% and scored 11 points to be one of five Perth players to reach double figures in scoring, took two rebounds and made one assist playing 25 minutes and 31 seconds.
During the 2023 NBL1 East season Ashlee Hannan played 23 games for the Albury Wodonga Bandits and averaged 13.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocked shots per game. Forward, Hannan has family history with the Perth Lynx. Ashlee’s mother Fiona Hannan (nee Robinson) had a 10 season WNBL career including five seasons for the Perth Lynx (then known as the Perth Breakers) and was a member of the Australian Opals bronze medal winning team at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.
The day before Perth Lynx travelled to Brisbane for the River City Rebound WNBL 2023/24 pre-season tournament Hannan injured her ankle and as a result missed all three games at the tournament which was held from October 12 to 15. Hannan recovered in time to suit up for Perth’s Indigenous Round home game against the Flames.
With Perth leading Sydney 82-65 with a minute and 37 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter main roster player Hannan and development player duo Foster and Jacob were all substituted into the game for the Lynx. Foster and Jacobs made the progression from NBL1 to WNBL together, having been teammates for Willetton Tigers playing in the NBL1 West in 2023. Hannan took two defensive rebounds in less than 2 minutes on court against Sydney. Hannan missed her only field goal attempt and Foster and Jacobs each didn’t attempt a field goal.
Southside Flyers – 2 debutants in Round 1
Two Southside Flyers guards, American import Jasmine Dickey and 19 year-old Australian Dallas Loughridge made their WNBL debut in the club’s Round 1 home game against cross-town rival Melbourne Boomers at the State Basketball Centre on Saturday 4 November.
Dickey started for Southside, didn’t score and took one rebound in 12 minutes and 52 seconds court-time. The WNBL is the third league Dickey has played in during the past six months, having also played for the Dallas Wings in the WNBA and for Mainland Pouakai during the 2023 Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa season in New Zealand. Dickey played 10 games for Mainland Pouakai and averaged 24.0 points (ranked 2nd in the league), 8.0 rebounds (7th) and 1.8 steals (4th) per game.
Jasmine Dickey playing for Southside Flyers against Melbourne Boomers at the State Basketball Centre on 4 November 2023
At the 2021 FIBA Women’s Under 19 World Cup held in Hungary Loughridge was a member of the Australian Gems silver medal winning team alongside current Southside Flyers teammate Nyadiew Puoch. Loughridge played all seven games at the tournament and ranked fifth for the Gems in scoring. For the 2022/23 WNBL season Loughridge signed with the Southside Flyers as one of 10 main roster players. In a Southside Flyers practice game against Bendigo Spirit on 22 October Loughridge injured her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) which forced her to miss the entire season.
Dallas Loughridge playing for the Southside Flyers in a practice game against New Zealand at the State Basketball Centre on 15 October 2022
She Hoops followed Loughridge’s journey in her recovery after suffering the ACL injury. In Episode 3 – Back From the Brink published on 28 July Loughridge was interviewed by Megan Hustwaite and commented on where she was at in the rehabilitation process, saying “Now I am back doing controlled contact and next week I start one on one which is super exciting. I have been in the gym getting strong so I can lower that risk and be ready for contact. I think I am now on the home stretch and hopefully this will now start to speed up. I just can’t wait to be back playing so this is another step that brings me closer to that.”
Hustwaite asked “Pretty amazing to be hitting PB’s regardless of what they are among a rehabilitation for an ACL. How does it make you feel when you achieve something like that?” Loughridge responded ”Rehab is a lot of hard work and just to look back and reflect on how far I have came so far, yes I still have a while to go, being able to hit some PB’s and small goals throughout my way is just a little reminder that my hard work is kind of paying off and I will return to playing. I definitely do have ups and downs, you are always going to have good and bad days but definitely getting more and more better days as my rehab is going along.”
Loughridge’s progress in her rehabilitation continued in the following months and 51 weeks after suffering her ACL injury Dallas made her basketball return in Southside’s pre-season game against Bendigo Spirit in Ballarat on 14 October 2023.
For Southside’s opening game of the 2023/24 WNBL season against Melbourne Boomers Loughridge was suited up and ready to make her WNBL debut. With seven minutes and 55 seconds remaining in the second quarter on Saturday night against Melbourne Loughridge made her WNBL debut for Southside, being substituted into the game alongside close friend and fellow 19 year old Puoch. In limited game-time of five minutes and 27 seconds court-time, all in the second quarter Loughridge didn’t score. Having felt so ready for the 2022/23 WNBL season but than not being able to play due to her ACL injury it was great that Loughridge was able to make her debut in the league in Southside’s opening game of the 2023/24 season.
Dallas Loughridge playing for Southside Flyers against Melbourne Boomers at the State Basketball Centre on 4 November 2023
Sydney Flames – 3 debutants in Round 1
The Sydney Flames had three WNBL debutants in their Round 1 road game against Perth, American imports Paige Bradley and Didi Richards as well as development player Abigail Curtain. Bradley and Richards each started for Sydney and played just over 23 minutes court-time. Curtain was substituted into the game late in the fourth quarter.
Guard Bradley has played a lot of basketball in the Southern hemisphere in 2023, having played her second consecutive NBL1 South season with the Hobart Chargers followed by playing the 2023 Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa season in New Zealand. Playing for Southern Hoiho in the 2023 Tauihi Bradley led the league for total assists and was selected in the Tauihi All-Star 5.
Playing for Sydney in her WNBL debut against Perth Bradley made a lay up to register her first points in the league three minutes and 44 seconds into the second quarter. Bradley scored four points, took four rebounds and made three assists in 23 minutes and 7 seconds court-time.
New York Liberty selected Richards with pick 17 at the 2021 WNBA Draft. Playing 31 games in her debut WNBA season Richards impressed to be selected on the 2021 WNBA All-Rookie Team. Hamstring injuries restricted DiDi to 14 regular season games in 2022 and days before the start of the 2023 WNBA regular season Richards was waived by New York.
Forward Richards brought the ball up the court for Sydney and made a jump shot just outside the key near the free throw line two minutes and 29 seconds into the first term to register the Flames first points of the 2023/24 Cygnett WNBL season. 77 seconds later Richards scored the Flames second basket of the season with a driving lay up. In the loss to Perth Richards scored eight points, took four rebounds and made an equal team-high two steals in 23 minutes and 13 seconds court-time.
In 2021 and 2022 Curtin played in NBL1 South for Kilsyth Cobras. Curtin joined Newcastle Falcons for the NBL1 East season and played 23 games, averaging 13.6 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.
With one minutes and 37 seconds left in the fourth quarter of Sydney’s Round 1 WNBL road game against Perth development player Curtain was substituted in and played the remainder of the game. In limited game time Curtain didn’t have a field goal attempt.
Townsville Fire – 3 debutants in Round 1
Three Townsville Fire players, point guard duo Saffron Shiels and Jessica McDowell-White along with Canadian forward Cassandra Brown made their WNBL debuts off the bench in a Round 1 road victory against Bendigo Spirit on Saturday 4 November.
Brown was substituted into the game with four minutes and 33 seconds to play in the first quarter, replacing Zitina Aokuso, it is second season in a row that the frontcourt duo are teammates, having played in NBL1 South for Mount Gambier in 2023. Brown averaged more than 18.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game for the Pioneers in the 2022 and 2023 NBL1 South seasons. With 56 seconds left in the third quarter against Bendigo Brown stole the ball off Esra McGoldrick and capitalised 14 seconds later by making a three-pointer to open her WNBL scoring account. Brown made her only field goal attempt, scored three points, took two rebounds and made two steals in 15 minutes and 49 seconds court-time on WNBL debut for Townsville.
At 17 years of age point guard Shiels is the youngest player on a main roster for the 2023/24 Cygnett WNBL season. Playing for the Australian Sapphires at the FIBA Women’s Under 17 Oceania Championship 2023 Shiels earnt selection in the tournament’s All-Star Five. Shiels made her Australian Opals debut during a five game tour of China in late August and early September against the Chinese national women’s team. Shiels was one of four Townville players that represented the Opals on the tour along with Aokuso, Kunek and Reid.
Midway through the third quarter of the Round 1 2023/24 WNBL game against Bendigo Shiels entered the game with four minutes and 46 seconds left in the term, replacing Courtney Woods. After being fouled with two minutes and seven seconds to play in the third quarter Shiels made both free throws to score her first points in the WNBL. In the first minute of the fourth quarter Shiels made a steal and a lay-up to make her first field goal in the league. Shiels scored four points and made one steal in six minutes and 58 seconds court time.
Playing for Southern Districts Spartans in NBL1 North in 2023 McDowell-White averaged 6.9 assists per game to rank fifth in the conference among players that played at least five games.
With six seconds remaining in the opening quarter of Townsville’s Round 1 road game against Bendigo McDowell-White was substituted into the game replacing fellow point guard Steph Reid. One minute and 36 seconds into the second quarter McDowell-White provided an assist for a Mikaela Ruef three-pointer. On debut McDowell-White didn’t score, made four assists and took one rebound in nine minutes and 18 seconds court-time to rank equal second for Townsville in assists with Whitcomb, behind Reid with five assists.
UC Capitals – 2 debutants in Round 1
The UC Capitals had two debutants, Japan import forward Monica Okoye and 18 year old guard Jayda Clark in their Round 1 home game against Adelaide Lightning on Sunday 5 November at the National Convention Centre. Okoye started for the Caps and Clark commenced the game on the bench. Okoye became the first Japanese player to play in the WNBL.
Okoye was a member of Japan’s silver medal winning teams at the 2020 Olympic Games held in Tokyo and the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup 2023 held in Sydney. Okoye excelled at Asia Cup 2023 to average 10.6 points (ranked equal 2nd for Japan), 4.4 rebounds (equal 2nd) and 2.0 three-pointers made (2nd) per game.
One minute and 11 seconds into the first quarter against Adelaide Okoye made her first field goal attempt, a three-pointer to score the UC Capitals first points of the 2023/24 WNBL season. With six minutes and 16 seconds left in the opening term Okoye made a driving lay up to score five of the Caps first six points of the game. Okoye scored five points, took two rebounds and one steal in 21 minutes and 11 seconds court-time.
UC Capitals guard Clark is the second youngest player on a main roster for the 2023/24 Cygnett WNBL season, having had her 18th birthday in July. At the FIBA Under 16 Women’s Asian Championship 2022 held in Jordan Clark and fellow Round 1 WNBL debutant Saffron Shiels were teammates on the gold medal winning Australian Sapphires team. At the tournament Clark ranked equal second for the Sapphires in points per game with Shiels, second for assists and minutes per game and equal second for steals.
With three minutes and 58 seconds remaining in the first quarter of the UC Capitals home game against Adelaide Clark was substituted into the game, replacing co-captain Alex Sharp. Less than two minutes later Clark scored her first WNBL points, making a pull-up jump shot with two minutes and two seconds to play in the term. Clark scored four points and made two assists for the UC Capitals playing 12 minutes and 45 seconds.
Players that scored their first WNBL points on debut in Round 1 – 15 players
Player WNBL team Points on debut
Taylor Mole Adelaide Lightning 8
Mehryn Kraker* Bendigo Spirit 16
Esra McGoldrick Bendigo Spirit 2
Jordin Canada* Melbourne Boomers 6
Naz Hillmon* Melbourne Boomers 14
Tera Reed Melbourne Boomers 10
Stephanie Gorman Perth Lynx 11
Aari McDonald* Perth Lynx 18
Emily Potter* Perth Lynx 6
Paige Bradley* Sydney Flames 4
Didi Richards* Sydney Flames 8
Cassandra Brown* JCU Townsville Fire 3
Saffron Shiels JCU Townsville Fire 4
Jayda Clark UC Capitals 4
Monica Okoye* UC Capitals 5
Player not on debut that scored their first WNBL points in Round 1
Player WNBL team
Isabelle Bourne Adelaide Lightning
Whilst 15 players scored their first points in the WNBL during Indigenous Round in Round 1 of the 2023/24 Cygnett WNBL season Adelaide Lightning forward Isabelle Bourne had a much longer wait to open her scoring account in the league. Bourne played two games for the UC Capitals as a teenager, playing one game in 2016/17 and one game in 2018/19. Bourne was scoreless in both games playing limited minutes, having a total of 4.6 minutes court-time across the two games.
From 2019/20 to 2022/23 Bourne played four seasons of college basketball in the USA for University of Nebraska. Bourne was co-captain of Nebraska in her last three seasons and averaged 12.6 points and 6.7 rebounds per game in her senior 2022/23 season.
Bourne returned to Australia in 2023 and made an impact playing in NBL1 East for Canberra Nationals coached by Adelaide Lightning Head Coach Nat Hurst. in 11 games for Canberra Bourne averaged 19.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game to earn selection in the 2023 Women’s NBL1 East All-Star Five.
At the 2023/24 WNBL River City Rebound pre-season tournament in Brisbane forward Bourne excelled to average 26.0 points and 11.0 rebounds per game to lead Adelaide in both categories whilst having an accuracy of 45.5% for three-pointers.
After playing limited minutes in her two WNBL games as a teenager Bourne was an Adelaide Lightning starter in the opening game of the 2023/24 season on 1 November at home against the Melbourne Boomers at Adelaide Arena. On the same possession that she took an offensive rebound Bourne made a ley up to score her first points in the WNBL with four minutes and 10 seconds to play in the second quarter. Against the Boomers Boune scored eight points, took six rebounds and made one steal playing 26 minutes and 52 seconds court-time.
In the fourth game of her WNBL career Bourne played a critical role in Adelaide Lightning having an 82-79 road victory against the UC Capitals on Sunday 5 November at the National Convention Centre. Bourne shot the ball adeptly to make eight of 13 field goal attempts at an accuracy of 61.5% and was even more effective from the perimeter, making four of six three-pointers at 66.7% to score an equal team-high 20 points along with Isobel Bourne. Adelaide looked to be in control of the game, leading the Caps by 11 points, 59-70 at three quarter time. The Caps worked their way back into the game in the fourth quarter and when Caps co-captain Alex Sharp made a two point fade away jump shot with one minute and 15 seconds left in the fourth quarter the scores were locked together at 79 points apiece. On the next possession Bourne made a banked three-pointer with 52 seconds left to give Adelaide a three point. Neither team scored for the remainder of the game and the Lightning held on for a thrilling three point victory.
Article and photographs by Dean Andrews
References
1 https://wnbl.basketball/bendigo/news/captain-kelsey-spirit-name-leadership-group/
2 https://wnbl.basketball/perth/news/dream-move-west-continues-for-gorman/
Milestones and Misses
Milestones and Misses publishes articles to celebrate the achievements of sportspeople. In sport as with life in general it is common that milestones are only achieved after overcoming adversity. Whilst the articles on the Milestones and Misses website celebrate sportspeople achieving milestones they also cover the misses along the journey such as a player having minimal game-time or spending a prolonged period on the sidelines due to injury.
A link to Milestones and Misses homepage and WNBL category is below:
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The Milestones and Misses website was set up in December 2015. From June 2021 onwards articles have been published on the following 17 players that are on a main roster of a team for the 2023/24 Cygnett WNBL season:
Shaneice Swain
Steph Reid
Ally Wilson
Sara Blicavs
Carley Ernst
Kiera Rowe
Sami Whitcomb
Abbey Wehrung
Kristy Wallace
Anneli Maley
Jade Melbourne
Maddison Rocci
Cayla George
Kelly Wilson
Steph Talbot
Bec Cole
Aimie Rocci
From June 2021 onwards articles have also been published by Milestones and Misses on the following 10 past and present players that have played in the WNBL prior to the 2023/24 season:
Tianna Hawkins
Mia Murray
Jenna O’Hea
Chelsea Brook
Penny Taylor
Rachel Jarry
Lindsay Allen
Abby Bishop
Tessa Lavey
Ezi Magbegor
Milestones and misses 