BASKETBALL

WNBL

By BLAKE METCALF-HOLT

 

LATROBE Valley exports will be on full display this WNBL season with Moe’s Jaz Shelley and Traralgon’s Jade Melbourne flying the local flag.

Shelley is preparing for her first year in the WNBL.

Shelley signed with new franchise Geelong United as their first official player for their inaugural season just two weeks after she was unexpectedly cut from WNBA side Phoenix Mercury following being drafted as the 29th overall pick less than a month prior.

“I played here about five years ago just before I went to college, and now one of my first years back in Australia being able to play for Geelong in a WNBL season is pretty incredible,” she said in a club media release.

In 2019, Shelley posted averages of 10.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game as a 19-year-old for Geelong’s NBL1 women’s side before embarking on her five-year stint in the US.

Initially, Shelley played two seasons at the University of Oregon before transferring to Nebraska (in which she spent her last two years as a senior) establishing herself as a starting guard with averages of 13.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game in three seasons with the Cornhuskers.

After declaring for the WNBA Draft, Shelley returned home to play for the Ballarat Miners in the NBL1 South for the months before her WNBL commitments ramped up.

The Miners made it to the Preliminary Final, with Shelley averaging 12.6 points (45/36/88 shooting splits), 5.8 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.8 steals in 12 games, with her best performance coming in June when she dropped 22 points including four three-pointers and grabbed six rebounds against the Ringwood Hawks.

Geelong United play on the opening night of the WNBL season, home at Geelong Arena against the Townsville Fire tonight (Wednesday, October 30).

Geelong’s investors took over the WNBL license from former club Melbourne Boomers this offseason and subsequently rebranded and moved the franchise south-west.

ENTERING her fifth season with the University of Canberra Capitals, Traralgon’s Jade Melbourne has all signs pointing up for the 2024/25 WNBL season.

The Olympic bronze medalist began her professional basketball career with the Capitals in 2021 managing 30 appearances across two seasons with averages of 8.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game, which included playing finals in her debut year.

Finishing her third season in Canberra breaking-out with averages of 13.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game, the Traralgon junior star readied for the big time and came through, drafted into the WNBA as a third round pick to the Seattle Storm.

Although sparingly playing with limited opportunity to showcase her ability during her first year in the top-tier of women’s basketball, Melbourne continued to improve in the Australian competition, running amuck to splits of 16.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 7.6 assists per game.

Traded to begin her second year in the WNBA across to Washington, Melbourne backed up her previous Capitals season seeing regular contribution as more minutes began to show.

In 37 games, she averaged 5.4 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 0.6 steals per game as the Mystics narrowly missed out on a playoff appearance.

Undeniably improving in every season as she has gotten deeper and deeper into her basketball life, expect another top year on the court from Melbourne in the nation’s capital (ironically she does so in both her homeland and in the states).

UC Capitals play their first game this Sunday afternoon, (November 3) against the Sydney Flames at Qudos Bank Arena.