As much as Amy Jacobs enjoyed her first season helping Willetton Tigers to an NBL1 West Grand Final, something was missing and now to be back playing with twin sister Claire has fixed that as they look to help extend their seasons beyond Friday night.
Growing up and both Amy and Claire had made their home in a basketball sense at the Lakeside Lightning before getting to spend all four years in college together at La Salle University both playing basketball and studying.
Doing it all together was a dream come true for the twin sisters, but a year apart once they graduated was more than enough for Amy who returned home to Perth and played the rest of the 2023 NBL1 West season helping Willetton reaching a third successive Grand Final.
That also led into her joining the Perth Lynx as a development player as part of the team that reached the Grand Final this past WNBL season while Claire spent a further year at college at the University of Nevada.
However, getting back together on the court was the goal for the 23-year-old twins and with Amy settled at Willetton, Claire was on board too at the Tigers and now they are getting ready for Friday night's elimination final together at home to the Joondalup Wolves.
Playing again with twin sister
Having played all her junior basketball alongside Claire, then starting their senior basketball journey with one another at Lakeside and then spending four years together at La Salle University in Philadelphia, Amy couldn’t wait for her sister to come back home.
While sometimes time apart can only make the heart grow fonder, for Amy that one year was more than enough and she couldn’t be happier to be back playing with Claire and to be doing it at Willetton in 2024.
"I have missed playing with Claire so much we have been playing together since we started and the year apart felt like I was missing my other half on the court," Amy said.
"I love that we get to experience this together we play so well together and complement each other's game. It is definitely something I feel privileged and grateful for."
Making a new home at Willetton
Lakeside has always been the basketball home for the Jacobs family as they were growing up, including younger sister Mia who has just finished her first season at Fresno State after spending her freshman year with her sisters at La Salle.
However, when Amy returned from college there was an opportunity to join Willetton and she's never looked back since and couldn’t be happier that Claire was now able to join her.
"Willetton welcomed me with open arms when I came out of college and are doing the same for Claire here we are very lucky for the opportunity they are providing us to get to play together," she said.
Important parts of Tigers team
Not only are the Jacobs sisters getting to play together again in the NBL1 West, they are key components of a Willetton team who finished the regular season in fifth position at 12-8 ahead of Friday night's home elimination final against the Wolfpack.
Amy is in her second season at the Tigers and is doing well putting up 9.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.7 steals a game on the back of spending the WNBL campaign at the Lynx.
Claire has also wasted no time fitting back into the competition and at Willetton with 17.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists a game, but nothing she does surprises her sister.
"Claire is having a great season but that’s to be expected coming out of having an amazing college career I always just say Claire is doing Claire things," Amy said.
"Hitting big shots being a great asset for our team. It also helps when as the point guard I get to be the one to give her the assist majority of the time, my stat line is not complaining."
Another finals campaign
On the back of playing on the Willetton team that made the Grand Final last year and then as part of the Lynx squad that reached the WNBL Grand Final series, and Amy is well accustomed to playing at the business end of the season.
She is looking forward to another finals campaign at the Tigers and is hoping it extends beyond Friday night's elimination final contest against the Wolves at Willetton Basketball Stadium.
"I’m feeling good heading into the game against the Wolves. I think when finals time comes around it just heightens everyone’s adrenaline and it’s a very exciting time of the year," Amy said.
"We are very lucky to have a home court advantage the fans we have come down to support us really are amazing and really hype us up to do well for them and ourselves.
"We are definitely feeling good after stringing a few wins together to end the regular season. We have dealt with a lot of injuries and a lot of pieces coming in and out all season.
"So now that all our pieces are back we definitely have figured out the style of basketball that fits us best which is aggressive defence and running the ball on offence. No better time to be coming into form than finals time."
Things coming together at right time
There was plenty of player turnover in the off-season at the Tigers coming off a third straight Grand Final appearance, and it did take some time for things to settle this season.
Willetton was sitting at 5-7 and fighting for a playoff spot, but then they finished the regular season winning seven of the last eight games with the momentum starting to build.
Jillian Archer and Kaylee Smiler fitting in and having a significant impact was a big part in that along with Melisa Brcaninovic and Amy herself thriving in their second seasons, and with what Claire was doing led by captain Desiree Kelley.
All in all, Amy has been happy with how things have come together at the right time for the Tigers.
"The season has definitely been a rollercoaster but happy to be where we are now and looking to just keep going game by game not thinking too far ahead just locking in on what needs to be done this weekend," Amy said.
"Kaylee was a massive pick up she brings a whole new level of defence that gets the team excited and of course the powerhouse of Claire, Jillian and Mel on offence is definitely something that I think other teams are worried about. I wouldn’t want to play us I’m very happy they are my teammates."
Huge 12 months on personal front
This time last year and Amy was just focusing on completing her first season with Willetton and settling back into life home in Perth having returned after her four years in college.
It's now been a big 12 months with her part of that Grand Final for Willetton, then spending her first season in the WNBL at the Lynx and now about to complete a second season with the Tigers.
That experience with the Lynx is something she will always treasure no matter what happens moving forward.
"I was so grateful for the opportunity the Lynx gave me, I met some of the most amazing people on the Lynx team and coaching staff it was definitely something I will remember for a very long time," Amy said.
"The experience of making the grand final was so surreal to be suited up on the bench was something that I can't even put into words. I just felt very lucky for everything I learned and the memories I made over the year."
