BASKETBALL

WNBL

BY BLAKE METCALF-HOLT

 

TRARALGON’S Jade Melbourne could soon return to the WNBL finals for the first time since 2022.

Even better, she’d be captain of a finals side for the first time in her career as she returns to the court for the Univerisity of Canberra Capitals.

Melbourne required surgery on a finger injury sustained against Perth Lynx on December 23, with the Traralgon star to be re-evaluated in four to six weeks.

At worse, that could see her return just in time for finals action if her side can hold up its run of play.

Despite losing their captain for significant time, the Capitals sit outside of the top four by way of percentage only, and with less than a month remaining in the regular season, they’re right in the thick of it.

Winners of five of their last eight games dating back to the start of December, the Capitals are playing some of their best basketball in the last handful of years.

Despite being one of the more successful WNBL franchises, winning nine championships since entering the top women’s competition in 1986 as the Canberra Capitals, the last two seasons have seen them finish bottom of the ladder in each.

Melbourne arrived at the Capitals as an 18-year-old for the 2020 COVID-stricken season, where her new team was coming off back-to-back flags.

Before her injury, Melbourne was averaging 11 points, six assists (second-best in the league), five rebounds, and nearly two steals per game.

 

AS for fellow Latrobe Valley export, Moe’s Jaz Shelley, her Geelong Venom squad have fallen dramatically.

After decent start, Geelong went on a horror run of nine straight losses, not saluting for the entirety of December.

The Venom finally broke the drought on January 6, defeating Townsville Fire at Townsville Entertainment Centre, 88 to 71, with Shelley scoring 15 points, eight assists, four rebounds, and three steals.

The Moe star has gone up a level in her second season, averaging 13 points, four assists, four rebounds, and currently leads the league in steals with 2.4 per game.

Both Latrobe Valley representatives in the WNBL captain their sides, with Shelley serving as co-captain for Geelong with Alex Sharp.