Hello Everyone,

I hope everyone enjoyed the second edition of the SBL Slam radio show. So far I’ve really enjoyed doing the radio, but it is like anything the more time you spend practicing it the more comfortable you feel and the better you get at it. It’s been great doing it alongside Matt Cecins so far, he has heaps of experience, knows our State League and sounds great on the air. Also a big thank you to everyone we have interviewed but especially Callum Beard and Ruby Schleicher for our Young Guns segment, both of them must have been a little nervous but spoke fantastically and provided some insight into their basketball experiences and I hope they and their family enjoyed listening.

For anyone who is wondering what the studio looks like by the end of the night see the picture below, that’s right there’s stats, laptops and notes, it may sound like we are flying by the seat of the pants but we prepare a little bit. I promise those paper bags aren’t from the KFC drive thru (although thanks to Chelsea Boyanich for the delivery). Matt Cecins quote of the night “These zinger burgers are a little dry without mayo.”

 

Writing is also something it seems I like to do, so time for blog number two and this week I broke my firm no social media policy and joined Twitter. As I was following people and browsing around it suggested a lot of former players that I used to watch or coached with and against. This got me thinking about all the fantastic players that have been in the league, so with this in mind I’m going to attempt to come up with my WSBL All-Time Starting Five. Now when I say “All-Time” I have to stress two things, one is that the player statistics I could get available from Basketball WA start in 1989 and other than the occasional game I started heavily following the league in 1995. Eeeeeek, I just realised that is 20 years!!!! So if anyone thinks there is a name I have left out or not considered I would be more than happy to hear from you, it might even result in a revised list, I want to give proper consideration to all the great players that have played in our great league over the years.

The first piece of solving this puzzle is defining what a starting 5 is, and I’m going to use what my philosophy is as a coach. I don’t believe in using the definitions of 1,2,3,4 and 5 for players anymore. What is a 2 compared to a 3? Does the 2 have to be a shooter? What if your 1 is inexperienced or out matched does the 2 need to dribble? What is a 4? Am I playing three out two in or an offence where both 4 and 5 need to post? Am I playing four out one in and my 4 needs to be competent around the perimeter? And that’s just offence, it gets way more complicated when you consider opposition structures, player tendencies, traps, zones or defensive match-ups.

So I’m going to define it by role. For me two positions are easy, the point guard and the post or centre. These roles are totally non-negotiable in the game of basketball, if you want to get the ball up the court you need a ball handler and if you want to get the ball in the first place you need someone who can control the keyway and rebound. So if you have a point guard and a post that leaves two empty wings or corners (I’d love to write more about the corners and why coaches should be using them more but that will have to wait for it’s own entry) on the court. Now what you want these to be is your choice, what style you like and the players around it, I don’t care if you would choose a traditional shooter as one wing and a slasher / forward as the other. Maybe you prefer a second ball handler / combo guard and a wing that can post and create mismatches, that’s totally up to you. That leaves one position left, and for me this is the most complicated. Both sides of the floor, the paint and the post is covered so that leaves a fourth perimeter player, a second post player or someone who can do both. So I will call this position Swing / Post, that means it has to be someone who can play inside, either full time or part time, to me you can’t win big games with four players who are perimeter only.

So without further ado this is my All-Time Starting Five.

Point Guard - Tully Bevilaqua – 150 games, 12.3ppg, 4.7ass, 4.6stl, 4.96reb.

I found it very difficult to split this between Tully and Michelle Timms, I already hate my system because if I had decided on just three guards instead of one designated PG they would both be in. Two players who went about the position totally differently, Timmsy scored the ball more and had such a charismatic personality that was good for the game, I was tempted to call it a tie but in the end the extra 100 games gets Tully over the line in my book. This is one of those calls where Tully gets the nod because I saw her play live and so much of Timms’s accomplishments were before the WNBA and media like it is today.

A country WA girl, who went through multiple ACL surgeries as a young player to become a superstar of world basketball and what a privilege that she played 150 games in the WSBL. An incredible defensive player, great hands, quick feet and could play it on and off the ball. Averaged an amazing 4.6 steals per game without over gambling and kept her player on lockdown. Put up good numbers offensively plus rebounded the ball and did most of it with the cruise control on in our league. Her career assist plus steals to turnovers ratio is 3.46. To put that in perspective current WSBL / WNBL PG Shani Amos has a ratio of only 1.9 and for all the amazing boxscores Casey Mihovilovich fills hers is marginally better at 2.2.

Her accomplishments include 2006 World Championships gold medal, 2008 Beijing Olympics silver medal, a WNBA career spanning 14 seasons (1998 to 2010) with five franchises that includes a 2004 championship with the Seattle Storm, and 6 years of WNBL including two championships with the Capitals.

But if you really want to know about Tully look on Wikipedia, her WNBA profile or check out these highlights from her final WNBL season with the West Coast Waves at 38 years of age.

https://youtu.be/xcfl-4z_-MQ

Honourable Mentions – Michelle Timms, Megan Crane, Tanya Kelly, Kim Malajczuk (Morcom), Narelle Henry, Jenny Bedford, Jenny Marsh, Deanne Ranford, Sam Richards.

Wing – Gina Stevens – 97 games, 21ppg, 2.1ass, 6.1reb, 2.8stl.

When Gina had it rolling she was absolutely unstoppable, and her offensive game was somewhat similar to Kobe Bryant. She could shoot the three and go to the basket, but looked most comfortable stopping on a dime and hitting the pull up jumper. In 2002 she averaged a casual 31.3ppg in a Senators uniform and I remember her going for more than 60 one night and setting a new league single game scoring record (if anyone can email me and confirm this it would be appreciated).

As well as her incredible shooting skills she was a phenomenal athlete, with broad shoulders and explosive quickness. Sadly for her and basketball she struggled through parts of her career with illness and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Despite this she represented Australia as both a junior and with the Opals, and played 204 WNBL games between 1992 and 2004. In 1996, she won the WNBL leading scorer with 21.3ppg and was selected to the WNBL All-Star Five twice.

Wing – Rohanee Cox – 80 games, 18.2ppg, 52%fg, 8.9reb, 2.8ass, 3.1stl.

Probably the best athlete ever to play in our league, came down to Willetton as a young girl from Broome and could already dunk a tennis ball, which was remarkable for that time. Very quickly after that she ended up at the Australian Institute of Sport. Rohanee is still currently playing in the WNBL, last season for the Sydney Flames, but has also played for the Perth Lynx / West Coast Waves and the Townsville Fire. She represented Australia 53 times as a junior player and was also a member of the 2008 Opals team that won Silver in the Beijing Olympics.

Rohanee has played parts of five different seasons between 1998 and 2007 all with the Willetton Tigers. She is essentially un-guardable at WSBL level, being six feet tall and an explosive athlete she is can score in transition both with and without the ball. This was especially dangerous due to her quick hands and great rebounding that often led to her fast breaking by dribble. She would shoot the open three, penetrate and if you put a smaller guard on her could cut and post from the weak side. Her career field goal percentage of 52% is crazy for a perimeter player and she only took 13 shots per game for her 18.2 points.

Honourable Mentions – Suzanne Williams, Robin Maher, Lisa Maclean, Marianna Vlahov, Casey Mihovilovich, Tegan Walker, Melissa Marsh, Brooke Ryan, Deanna Smith, Sami Whitcomb, Carly Wilson.

Swing / Post – Melissa Sinfield – 189 games, 15.2ppg, 8.7reb, 4.8ass, 3.7stl.

If you used one word to describe Melissa McClure’s career in the WSBL it would be “winning” and she was renowned for training just as hard as she played.

Melissa was the best passer I’ve ever seen at any position in the WSBL, the stats back this up with her average of 4.8 assists per game which is extraordinary at her position. In our league she had the ability to influence both ends of the court with her play, also her demanding attitude pushed her teammates to perform and often bent the officiating in her teams favour. She could do everything defensively, defend posts, perimeter players, switch in any screening situations and was never lost in off the ball rotations. Offensively she was solid from the mid-range, screen and roll or slip, made post moves inside, and one or two dribble attacks to the basket that players her size lacked the mobility to defend.

Melissa also had a great WNBL career for the Perth Breakers and Perth Lynx that concluded with her number being retired and hung on the wall.   She was consistent and effective at WNBL and I feel could have had a significant international career and represented the Opals at major championships if she was more comfortable on the perimeter stretching opposition defences.

Honourable Mentions – Natasha Bargeus, Fiona Robinson, Elizabeth Cooke, Kaye Tucker, Brooke Hiddlestone, Fleur McIntyre, Megan Clarke.

Post – Jenny Crouse – 46 games, 20.9ppg, 57%fg, 16.1reb, 3.8blk.

In my view far and away the most dominant centre to play in our league and easily the best player I have ever coached. Was an amazing defensive player who could completely control the keyway and had a sixth sense at both ends of the floor for rebounding. Scored consistently every night and never needed a single structure designed for her or grizzled about touches, who was shooting, the referees or what her coach was doing (thank goodness because I was young and stupid). Played for Lakeside Lightning in 2002 with what was mostly a group of juniors and led them to a grand final appearance.

After her first season in the league she was picked up for WNBL by the Perth Lynx and won their MVP and defensive player of the year award. Continued her WNBL career for the Townsville Fire between 2005/06 and 2008/09 and led the league in field goal percentage multiple times and was league top four in both rebounding and blocked shots every season she played.

Her accomplishments outside of Australia include playing in the WNBA, Greece, Germany, winning two NCAA Division II National titles with the University of North Dakota and being the WCBA Player of the Year both these seasons.

Honourable Mentions – Shelly Boston, Christine Boyd, Kate Simkovic, Emma Cannon, Mary-Anne Briggs, Tanya Fisher, Jenny Whittle.

For me that is the cream, that is the starting five I would pick from the history of our league if I wanted to win a game of basketball. But I thought who would coach this team and would they be happy with my starting five? So I appointed and consulted none other than the six time championship winning Coach from the Perry Lakes Lady Hawks, Rick Morcom. It was great to compare notes, talk about the positions we saw players in, compare players between generations and just reflect on days gone by. Of course we didn’t talk about the 2002 grand final where he beat me by a casual 27 points, and I had a thought to try and talk him into assisting me with my WABL team but he assured me he isn’t missing basketball so I didn’t bother. However, since he would be the real coach, I did manage to get a starting line-up out of him:

Point Guard - Michelle Timms – 31 games, 23.9ppg, 5.8ass, 3.9stl, 7.9reb, 2.3to

Wing - Gina Stevens - 97 games, 21ppg, 2.1ass, 6.1reb, 2.8stl.

Wing - Fiona Robinson – 85 games, 24.3ppg, 11.2reb, 2.4ass.

Post / Swing - Natasha Bargeus – 147 games, 17.6ppg, 8.1reb, 3.7ass.

Post - Jenny Whittle – 12 games, 19.3ppg, 12.5reb, 4.25ass, 5.6blk

So we only agree on one player, Gina Stevens. Imagine this contest though, I’m keeping Gina because I drafted first and he can have either of his back-up choices of Marianna Vlahov or Deanna Smith and we can play. We can only dream but the match-ups would be incredible Timms v Bevilaqua, Vlahov v Stevens, Robinson v Cox, McClure v Bargeus, Crouse v Whittle, that game would be worth any price of admission!

Finally I want to think again about so many of the incredible players that made up my Honourable Mentions, and while I was tempted to grab some statistics and write a little bit about each I didn’t want to bore everyone or lose my real job. I did however have some fun putting together other line-ups that feature many of these players (and yes I’m aware I bent my positional rules a little bit in forming some of these).

Team	Point Guard	Wing	Wing	Post / Swing	Post
West Australian	Tully Bevilaqua	Marianna Vlahov	Rohanee Cox	Fiona Robinson	Natasha Bargeus
Indigenous	Narelle Henry	Jenny Bedford	Cheryl Kickett-Tucker	Julie Michael	Rohanee Cox
Import	Sami Whitcomb	Ali Schwagmeyer	Kari Pickens	Emma Cannon	Jenny Crouse
Ironwoman	Tanya Kelly	Suzanne Williams	Tegan Walker	Brooke Hiddlestone	Shelly Boston
100 Games +	Tully Bevilaqua	Marianna Vlahov	Lisa Maclean	Melissa Sinfield	Natasha Bargeus
Razzle Dazzle	Michelle Timms	Narelle Henry	Sam Richards	Rohanee Cox	Emma Cannon
Three Point	Michelle Timms	Narelle Henry	Marianna Vlahov	Deanna Smith	Shelly Boston
Last Decade	Tanya Kelly	Deanna Smith	Sami Whitcomb	Melissa McClure	Emma Cannon

 

Well that’s it from me this week, hope you enjoyed the read and spend some time putting together your own line-ups. Be sure to get out to some games,there’s another round of action this weekend just as entertaining as the last.

CM

craigmansfield@me.com

Follow me on Twitter @CMansfield34

SBL Slam’: Airing Monday Evenings 9-10 pm on 98five Sonshine FM

http://www.98five.com/shows/other-shows/sblslam/