League MVP’s, champions, Grand Final heroes and current players added a strong Cygnett WNBL flavour to this week’s Foot Locker Australian School Championships.
Southside Flyers rookie Manuela Puoch was on the Gold Coast representing reigning Championship Division winners Rowville Secondary College.
It’s been a big year for Puoch who turned 18 in October, won the Foot Locker Under-20 title with Vic Metro, completed her VCE, made her WNBL debut and is now chasing back-to-back ASC titles.
“I’m so happy to be here. I reckon it’s the sun,” Puoch said of the carnival-like atmosphere.
“We have some business to attend to. Rowville, we always have a goal and we always go hard but we won’t underestimate any other team
“It was really important to me to play, I feel like I had unfinished business here so I wasn’t going to let the girls down and I did whatever I could to be here.”
Puoch is flying the family flag at Southside, after older sister Nyadiew, a member of last season’s WNBL championship, moved to the UC Capitals for #WNBL25.
“I’m loving WNBL. It’s been an amazing experience so far and I have my ups and downs sometimes but as a rookie I think that’s all part of it.
“You get pushed every day and I love it. I’m learning every day and the girls are amazing.”
Sydney Flame Bonnie Deas was unable to suit up for Rowville due to a quad injury she suffered at WNBL practice a fortnight ago but flew into Queensland to support her team.
“I’m here for 24 hours, I wanted to come and support the girls. Rowville has been a big part of my journey, so I wanted to be here,” she explained.
“It’s really good having two ‘Ville’ girls in the WNBL. Manny and I didn’t get to play each other when Flames played Flyers but hopefully next time we’ll get to.”
Puoch’s Flyers teammate Paige Burrows is also in QLD representing Rowville Secondary College but in a coaching capacity.
The 19-year-old is assistant coach of Rowville’s Under-15 Women’s Division 1 team.
Adelaide Lightning’s Jess Simons was also at Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre as team manager and scorer for South Australia’s Cabra Dominican College.
There was a plethora of former WNBL stars and Olympians on the sidelines with six Olympic Games appearances between five top female coaches.
Los Angeles 1984 Olympian Kathy Foster, who was crowned WNBL MVP in 1985, 1986 and 1989, coached Tasmania’s Guilford Young College for a second-straight year.
Triple WNBL champion and Rachael Sporn Medallist Micaela Cocks is assistant coach of the Rowville Under-17 Division 1 women’s team.
Cocks, who represented New Zealand at the 2008 Olympics, had her famous No.32 jersey retired by the Fire last month.
Dual Olympic Medallist (1996, 2004) Allison Tranquilli, who was named both WNBL MVP and Rookie of the Year in 1993, was busy on the sidelines in head and assistant coaching roles with Templestowe College.
While 2004-05 Dandenong Rangers championship player Emma McDonald, who also represented Logan and Bulleen during her WNBL career, assistant coached John Paul College.
McDonald, an Olympian in Beijing, made history with the Opals in 2006 when Australia won the country’s first senior gold medal at the FIBA World Cup.
