Canberra Capitals win the WNBL title !
Grand Final: Canberra Capitals - Bulleen Boomers 61-58
The Canberra Capitals outsmarted the Bulleen Boomers in Grand Final, which was
held today at the AIS Arena. Guard
Michelle Musselwhite (176-G/F-82) top-scored for the winners delivering 13
points. She made 3 of 5 attempts from behind the arc.
Natalie Hurst (163-G-83) and
Marianna Tolo (196-C-89) also had very important role in this final netting
12 points apiece. On the other side, the Boomers got 14 points
Elyse Penaluna (193-C-88), as well as from
Katrina Hibbert (180-G/F-77, college:
LSU).
Sharin Milner (162-G-80, college:
Troy) contributed with 12 points and 7 assists. The Capitals did a nice job
in the second and third period making 6-point lead, 48-42. After five minutes of
the last frame the Caps were up 57-46, thanks to
Michelle Musselwhite's triple. Bulleen battled hard in the remaining five as
captain Desi Glaubitz netted a three and two-time league MVP Hibbert and 20
-year-old Penaluna kept fighting to pull the score back to one point, 59-58 with
1:23 on the clock. Neither team was going to give up and the leagues best
rebounder, Bishop, grabbed her 14th board to give Tolo a chance to put the Caps
out by three points with eleven seconds remaining. Bulleen took their final
timeout to plan their last play and they put the ball in the trusty hands of
Hibbert but her attempt at a three to level the scores rimmed out as, fittingly,
Canberra captain Kellie Abrams grabbed the rebound in the dying seconds and the
arena erupted once more.
After the game celebrating her sixth championship with the Capitals, MVP
Natalie Hurst said the team did what they needed to on the night. 'It was a
collective effort', Hurst said. 'Our big girls made some tough shots, they got
Penaluna in foul trouble and that was a big thing for us. You couldn't ask for
anything more from this bunch of girls.'
In only her second game back from a calf injury Hurst showed no signs of strain
as she made some big plays. 'I had to take those shots and I was glad that a
couple went down in clutch time', Hurst said. 'Anything I can do to help my team
out and get its amazing. (second part of the news is courtesy of the WNBL)
2008-09 ADF WNBL All-Star Five announced!
The Australian Defence
Force Women's National Basketball League (WNBL) is proud to announce the
selection of its All-Star Five for the 2008/09 season.
The All-Star Five is determined by a poll of the head coaches, assistant coaches
and team captains from all ADF WNBL teams at the completion of the regular
season and aims to recognize athletes for their on court achievements.
Coaches and Captains are not permitted to vote for members of their own teams.
After being named the Capitals Most Valuable Player last season Bishop has
continued to be a consistent leader for Canberra and a dominant presence at both
ends of the court.
She was named the Leading Rebounder at the end of the regular season after
topping both the Offensive Rebounds and Total Rebounds categories, averaging
10.7 total rebounds and 3.9 offensive rebounds per game.
She was also in the top five scorers with an average of 17.3 points per game in
the regular season.
The 2005/06 Betty Watson Rookie of the Year tallied a season-high 28 points
twice during the season, first in Round 11 against Bendigo, and again in Round
18 against Perth.
Her season high rebound tally came early, grabbing 16 boards against the Bulleen
Boomers in Round 1.
The 190cm forward was named the Player of the Month for January, after five
strong performances including three double-doubles, and was awarded the Nivea
Player of the Week in Round 15.
Kristi Harrower, Bendigo Spirit
World Champion Harrower was the only player to be named the Nivea Player of the
Week three times during the 2008/09 season.
The Australian point guard made an immediate impact in the Bendigo team upon her
return to the WNBL. Her first Player of the Week nod came in her first game back
after scoring a season-high 34 points and tallying seven rebounds, six assists
and two steals.
Another impressive game came a few weeks later when Harrower tallied a
triple-double against the Perth Lynx in Round 8 scoring 23 points, 11 rebounds
and 10 points for her second Player of the Week award.
Her third nod came in Round 18 when, with the Spirits finals hopes on the line,
she led them to two victories scoring a 21 point, 10 assist double against the
Sydney Uni Flames before tallying 25 points, eight assists and six rebounds
against Dandenong the next night.
Harrower was in the top ten players for six statistical categories; she led the
league in assists averaging 5.9 per game, her 19.3 points per game was the third
best in the league, and was ranked eighth in steals per game, averaging 1.5.
She was also one of the most accurate shooters in the league; fourth best from
3-point range at 41.1 per cent, ranked fourth from the charity stripe at 80.2
per cent and was the only guard to rank among the top ten in field goal
percentage with 49.6 per cent. On eight occasions she shot 100 per cent from the
line.
Harrowers influence on her team was invaluable as she led the Spirit to their
first WNBL finals appearance.
Rohanee Cox, Townsville Fire
Upon her return to the ADF WNBL following her Olympic campaign Cox played with a
lot of confidence this season.
Cox was the Leading Scorer this season with an average of 21.2 points per game
in the regular season, but she is also a threat on the boards, ranked sixth in
the league with 7.9 boards per game and is ranked seventh in steals averaging
1.5.
She was one of the most formidable forwards in the league and was near
unstoppable; in her lowest scoring game of the season she still posted 11 points
and tallied eight rebounds, six assists and two blocks in Round 14 against
Adelaide Lightning.
The 2007/08 All Star Five player posted her season high 31 points in Round 3 but
had her best all-round game in Round 14 against the Perth Lynx with a
double-double of 27 points and 12 rebounds, adding five assists and four steals.
She was named Nivea Player of the Week in Rounds 10 and 12 and was also the
Player of the Month for November and December.
Jennifer Crouse, Townsville Fire
The American import was awarded the title of Most Blocked Shots this season for
the second consecutive year. She averaged 2.5 blocks per game and tallied a
season high seven blocks in a single game in Round 13.
Crouse was a close second to
Abby Bishop for the Leading Rebounder title, averaging 10.6 to Bishops 10.7
boards per game. But the Townsville co-captain did lead the league in defensive
rebounds, averaging seven per game, and was second in offensive rebounds with an
average of 3.7.
Crouse was the first player to win the Nivea Player of the Week award this
season, taking the title in Round 1 after posting 27 points and 17 rebounds, her
seasons best in both categories.
The Townsville co-captain had the fifth highest field goal percentage shooting
at 51.3 per cent for 119 baskets from 232 attempts.
She averaged 13.5 points per game and posted double-doubles in thirteen games to
be a threat at both ends.
Deanna Smith, Perth Lynx
Returning to the ADF WNBL after two years overseas Smith earned her second
All-Star Five honour this season.
Smith was named in the All-Star Five in the 2005/06 season, finishing with
averages of 21.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and three assists. In 2008/09 the
28-year-old averaged 20.8 points per game, the second highest in the league, and
lifted her rebound and assists averages to 6.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists.
She was the star performer for the Perth Lynx in most games, scoring over 20
points on 10 occasions as the best free throw shooter in the league at 89.7 per
cent and third best shooter from 3-point range at 41.4 per cent.
Smith was the first player to post a triple-double this season with a season
high 36 points, and 11 rebounds and 12 assists in Round 2, earning her first
Nivea Player of the Week nod.
She also earned the distinction in Round 13 after another phenomenal all-round
game, just one assist shy of another triple with 32 points, 12 rebounds and nine
assists.
Courtesy of WNBL (www.wnbl.com.au)
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