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Opinion
The WNBL season tips off on Wednesday in a hub in north Queensland. Matches will be played in Cairns, Mackay and Townsville.
Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 there will be no imports in the hub.
All 60 games will be broadcast on either Foxtel, Kayo or the ABC. Fox Sports will broadcast live four games per week (7pm EDT Thursday, 5pm EDT Saturday, 1pm EDT Sunday and 3pm EDT Sunday) on Foxtel and Kayo.
The ABC will broadcast the 5pm EDT Saturday game and 3pm EDT Sunday games. All matches will be streamed on Kayo.
Click here to see the rest of Scott Rea’s series.
Melbourne Boomers
Last season: third
Two things come to mind when I think of the 2020 Melbourne Boomers squad – stability and New Zealand Tall Ferns.
Boomers have a whole host of players returning from their roster last season including co-captains Maddie Garrick and Cayla George, Ezi Magbegor, Kalani Purcell, Toni Farnworth, Penina Davidson, Stella Beck and Rachel Brewster. With Boomers coach Guy Molloy coaching the Tall Ferns it is not a surprise there are a number of Tall Ferns in the team.
Two members of last year’s team, imports Lindsay Allen and Sophie Cunningham will not return due to the pandemic.
Garrick played for the Opals at the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup and is also a member of the Australian 3×3 team. Before joining the Boomers, Garrick previously played in the WNBL with the AIS and Bendigo Spirit. Garrick was a member of the Spirit team that won two WNBL championships.
Garrick has been with the Boomers for a number of years and has always found herself at home behind the three-point line. Playing 3×3 has helped her develop and given her the confidence to drive to the basket. Garrick recently had ankle surgery but is on track to make round one.
Cayla George is coming into her 15th WNBL season and her third with the Boomers. As well as this significant WNBL experience, George has also played with Phoenix Mercury and Dallas Wings and in France and Hungary. George’s combination with Ezi Magbegor inside the paint will be crucial for the Boomers.
Don’t expect all of George’s work to occur in the key though as she hit a crucial three pointer late in the 2018 World Cup semi-final versus Spain to help the Opals qualify for the final.
Magbegor has been a crucial ingredient to help the Boomers make the semi-finals the last two years. Magbegor won the MVP at the FIBA Under 17 World Championships and has represented the Opals at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, 2018 World Cup and 2019 Asia Cup. Magbegor won a title with the Seattle Storm recently in her first season in the WNBA. Playing and training with stars like Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart will only have benefited Magbegor.
Tall Ferns Purcell, Farnworth, Davidson and Beck return. Purcell is an energiser bunny, she does all the one-percenters. Purcell is the perfect teammate, she hits the boards, chases loose balls and annoys the opposition when they have the ball, getting her hands in the passing lane.
Farnworth has over 250 games of experience in the WNBL. Not only has Farnworth played with the Tall Ferns but has also played for the New Zealand 3×3 team. Farnworth will bring composure from the bench.
Davidson, will round out the Boomers front court with George, Magbegor and Purcell. Davidson, a University of California graduate, will be more important for the Boomers in this condensed season, with more minutes to help manage the time that George, Magbegor and Purcell play.
Stella Beck returns for her second season with the Boomers. She will receive plenty of game time in the guard rotation. Beck stepped up last season to help fill the void when Lindsay Allen was injured.
Even one of the Boomers’ external recruits Tess Madgen is returning to the Boomers from the Townsville Fire after last playing with the Boomers in 2016. In between playing with the Boomers and the Fire, Madgen spent time with the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA and in Poland. Opal Madgen’s experience will help fill the hole left by Lindsay Allen.
Another Tall Fern to sign with the Boomers this season is Ashleigh Karaitiana. Karaitiana has previously played for the Sydney Uni Flames and Bendigo Spirit. Karaitiana averaged 5.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists for the Tall Ferns at the 2019 FIBA Women’s Asia Cup. Karaitiana is another mother playing in the WNBL with 17-month old daughter Kalea joining the Boomers in the hub.
Rachel Brewster has signed for her second season at the Boomers. Brewster previously attended Utah State University and played for Nunawading in NBL1.
The Boomers have also signed former Dandenong Ranger and another NBL1 Nunawading Spectre Rachel Antoniadou. Izzy Wright (nee Chilcott), who previously played in the WNBL with Logan Thunder (Carol from the Basket Case podcast will be happy with this #LoganWatch) and Perth Lynx also joins the Boomers from the Spectres.
Prediction
The core group have played a lot of basketball together for the Boomers and also a smaller group with the Tall Ferns. The addition of Madgen and Beck’s experience last season filling in for an injured Allen will help fill the gap left by Allen and the continuing development of Magbegor will see the Boomers contending again this season.
Predicted finish: second
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