Sapphires tour squad announced!

Tuesday 06 May 2003

The Sapphires tour squad to Japan has been announced. Time to dissect the team a bit...

Point Guards: Kelly Wilson, Jessica Mahony

Kelly Wilson is sort a "late" addition to the team (she wasn't on the original Sapphires training squad) but is a very worthy one. She won the WNBL rookie of the year award and impressed many with her quickness around the court, her athleticism and her tenacity. Her main weakness is the lack of a consistent perimeter shot and her free throw shooting can be erratic. Still, Wilson is potentially the next great Australian point guard.

Jessica Mahony is of the same mould as Wilson - smallish (Mahony is 5'7", Wilson is 5'6"); quick; slashing point guard with an erratic perimeter shot. Mahony does have a bit more experience than Wilson (has played in the WNBL for a couple of seasons more) but Wilson was more impressive on a weaker team. Wilson will probably earn the start but Mahony should see significant minutes. They will form a solid point guard tandem.

2 guards/wings/forwards: Carly Wilson, Jessica Foley, Michelle Musslewhite, Briana Hennessy, Shelley Hammonds, Laura Summerton, Monique Bowley

You can probably lump all these positions together because there are a few players who can play multiple positions here - Wilson, Hennessy, Musslewhite and Foley are 2/3s with Foley having some point skills as well. Hammonds and Summerton are 3/4s.

Who's going to start? My guess is probably Wilson at the 2, Hammonds at the 3 and Summerton at the 4. All three are versatile, strong, athletic players who can play on both ends of the court and can play inside and out. Wilson is probably the best out of the three from the perimeter while Hammonds has developed a nice perimeter game to complement her inside game. Summerton is probably more comfortable from 15 feet in. The bench is solid as well with Foley probably being first player off the bench. She has apparently developed quite well in the United States and it is possible she may even start at the 2. She is the best shooter on the whole team. Musslewhite is pure offense off the bench though her D may prevent her from seeing more minutes. Hennessy is a solid backup who can shoot, pass and defend. Bowley is a rangy forward who I can't see getting much minutes.

Post: Hollie Grima, Gabrielle Richards, Emma Randall

Grima is secure as the starting centre. She has developed nicely over the last 12 months with her experience with the Opals and being the main offensive option for the AIS. Grima has to expand her repertoire in the post but she is already a solid presence in the middle. Richards may win backup minutes over Randall because she has size and good finishing skills. Randall is a bit more mobile though and it's possible she or even Grima will see some time at the 4.

A few final thoughts

With most of the frontline on this team (Hammonds, Summerton, Grima) possessing solid passing skills and mid-range jumpers, it is very possible that Mark Wright will go with a motion offense. Personally I'm not a big fan of motion O but it could work very well for this team as there's no obvious go-to player (lots of options) and there are some very versatile players in this lineup (Hammonds and Wilson especially).

I think this team could give the United States team a very good game. Overall basketball talent has been steadily rising in the last couple of years and the players are much stronger and more athletic than they were five years ago. Grima and Summerton are already Opals and showed flashes of future brilliance against various senior national teams in 2002. I think the rising star of this team though is Shelley Hammonds who is making the tough 4 to 3 transition. She developed a solid perimeter game in the last offseason and is now incorporating a dribble drive to her game and her defense is constantly improving. At 6'2" she presents a matchup problem for other teams and will no doubt find her way onto the Opals soon.

The teams to chase in Croatia though might not be the Americans but might be the Russians and the other Eastern European nations instead (the Czech Republic won the Junior World Champs two years ago).

Is this the final team for Croatia? It is probably close to it but there might be one or two changes. Jenni Screen is recovering from a knee reconstruction and if healthy, she would have been a lock for this team but it is reported that she is unlikely to be ready in time. Jacinta Hamilton is another possibility and I am not sure why she's not on this tour team (still playing overseas? wants a break?). Her post play especially her defense would be most welcome and she has international experience. Other players on the squad but who have missed out include Katie Davis, Alison Downie, Sam Richards and Tania Heritage.