Jackson back to make impact in WNBL

Lauren Jackson is expected to make an immediate impact when she returns to the Price Attack Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) next month, topping predictions from WNBL coaching staff on who will take the Most Valuable Player award for the season.

The head coaches of the eight WNBL teams have made their predictions for the season, which tips off Friday night (September 30), giving the Canberra Capitals the best chance of taking the title for the fourth time.

All eight coaches were asked a variety of questions about the forthcoming season, including being asked to list the order of finish for all eight teams.

With the help of Jackson, Canberra polled 60 points from a possible maximum of 64. Teams were awarded eight points for every first-place vote they received, seven for every second-place vote, six for every third-place, and so on. Canberra’s inside game looks hard to beat this season, with the 195cm Jackson backed up by Jenny Whittle (197cm) and Tracey Beatty (202cm).

After back-to-back Championships, the Dandenong Rangers finished second in polling with 51 points and the Sydney Uni Flames are expected to miss their first grand final in six years, finishing third with 47 points. The Bulleen Melbourne Boomers polled fourth with 43 points, to crack the finals playoffs for the second year running.

Coaches were also asked to nominate their picks for the team who had performed best in the off-season recruiting stakes, the first-year player who would have the most impact on the league, the All-WNBL First Team and the team most likely to improve.

Results in these categories were as follows:

Most Valuable Player
Lauren Jackson (6) polled highest for the likely MVP come February, and Trish Fallon, Erin Phillips and Belinda Snell picked up one vote (Snell was rated to tie with Jackson by one coach).

All-Star Five
Eleven players received votes as likely members of the WNBL All-Star Five, with Lauren Jackson making every coaches top-five list. Belinda Snell and Katrina Hibbert polled seven votes each, with Jacinta Hamilton making five lists. After bursting into the All-Star 5 for the first time in 2005, Erin Phillips’ name was counted four times, and Tully Bevilaqua, Laura Summerton and Carly Wilson all had two votes each.

Best off-season recruiting
Looking to the future, Dandenong’s Gary Fox got votes from his peers for recruiting key AIS graduates Kathleen Macleod and Jenna O’Hea, as well as grabbing Shelley Hammonds from Perth. Five coaches gave Fox the nod, with other votes going to Canberra (2) and Sydney Uni (1).

First year impact player
AIS guard Rebecca Schatz (QLD) is touted as the first-year player to watch throughout the season. New AIS head coach, Dean Kinsman, has singled her out as a threat, while others have picked Ellie Manou (AIS), Jasmine Finnegin (Perth) and Adelaide import, Tami Willey.

Season's biggest improver
After missing the playoffs for the first time in five years last season, Canberra is tipped to be the biggest improver this year. With Lauren Jackson returning the team, a good support structure built around her, and super coach Carrie Graf returning, the Caps look likely to go from fifth to first. Four picked the Caps to race up the charts, with three taking Perth and one vote each for Townsville and Adelaide (one tied vote).

The WNBL tips off this Friday (September 30) with Adelaide hosting Townsville from 7:30pm at Wayville and Bulleen Melbourne taking on Sydney Uni in a preliminary final rematch at the Veneto Club.

ABC TV kicks off their coverage of the WNBL this Saturday with Bulleen and Sydney’s rematch being telecast from 3pm in all states bar NSW and QLD*. A replay will be broadcast nationally on ABC2 at 11am on Sunday. National coverage will resume on Saturday afternoon, 8 October with Dandenong hosting Adelaide.

The WNBL Game of the Week will be broadcast nationally on ABC TV every Saturday afternoon and ABC2 every Sunday morning throughout the 2005/06 season.

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