She is the captain at Perry Lakes Hawks, has played more than 100 NBL1 West games and been among the best bigs in the league since returning from college, but Maddy Dennis just wants team success.
Dennis was always one of the best up and coming players in the state in her teenage years as a regular on teams competing at national championships along with representing Australia on consecutive under-17 teams.
She also made her SBL debut as a 15-year-old at the then Stirling Senators (now Warwick) before transferring to the Eastern Suns in 2014.
Dennis then embarked on her four-year college journey at the University of Dayton where she earned Most Improved Award in her senior year in 2019.
Once that was done, Dennis had a decision to make on where to play her basketball and she joined the Perry Lakes Hawks ahead of the 2020 season that ended up being the West Coast Classic thanks to COVID.
She had an immediate impact instrumental in them reaching the Grand Final and she has never looked back now in the four years since remaining a key piece of the front court at the Hawks and now being captain.
Journey so far in basketball
While in the sense of her NBL1 career Dennis is still in potentially on the first half of that journey having now reached 100 games back a couple of weeks back when the Hawks beat the Joondalup Wolves, it has been a long ride so far in basketball for the 27-year-old.
When you consider that Dennis first played in the league 12 years ago, she spent her teenage years playing a whole heap of basketball including on WA and Australian teams, and then had four years at college, adding now five years in the NBL1 West means she's clocked plenty of hours on court.
Add in the fact that Dennis plays as physically a style of basketball as anybody else on the league, and her body might be feeling those years of banging bodies, but she makes sure she takes care of her mind and body the best she can.
She's doing all of that while juggling a career as a pharmacist as well.
"To be honest, while my mind is feeling fresh, my body feels like it’s been through a lot. Playing at a high level at a young age and then four years away at college definitely adds some years to you," Dennis said.
"While I love basketball and it will always be a priority, my work life as a health professional is also a big focus of mine. With that being said, I have no plans of slowing down, it just takes me a little longer to warm up now…"
Hawks prospects in 2024
Dennis has already played in one Grand Final with the Hawks back in her first season in 2020 and she sees no reason why they can't be genuine contenders now in 2024 with two weeks of the regular season to go ahead of the playoffs.
Perry Lakes is currently sitting in fourth position with two games to go over the remaining two weeks having now won their last two matches, six of the previous seven, and 12 of the last 15 to now be on a 13-5 record.
The Hawks have two big games to finish against fellow playoff bound teams the Perth Redbacks and Cockburn Cougars, and Dennis sees no reason Perry Lakes shouldn’t be aiming for a championship with the added bonus with the Grand Final at RAC Arena.
"Of course, we’re planning to go all the way, making it to the grand final has always been our goal," she said.
"And what an incredible opportunity for our league to play on such a big stage! I think everyone is excited as to where our success as a league is taking us.
"NBL1 West is on the map as a competitive, tough league and it’s fantastic to see it translate to an opportunity like this. Playing at the RAC Arena would be an incredible experience!"
Impressive Hawks team to be part of
The Perry Lakes team that Dennis is part of is a mighty impressive and lethal one too under the guidance of hugely respected and regarded championship winning coach Craig Mansfield.
It has taken time to build a championship contending team under his guidance, but it's now happened with Dennis and one of Mansfield's championship winning stars at Lakeside back in 2018, Ash Isenbarger up front.
Grace Stone has been a revelation coming in as a first-year import while Millie McCarthy and Mia Satie continue to do great things in the back court with Alira Fotu, Jordi Perry, Sam Ashby, Ellie Newman, Eryn Fisher, Jenna Teasdale, Zoe Shanahan, Elizabeth Hutton and Beige Harris playing roles too.
All in all, even without Jayda Clark and Morgan Ballantyne right now, Dennis couldn’t ask for more than the team she is part of.
"It has been such a fantastic season so far with this team! We are really proud of our culture here at Hawks and it absolutely translates to our on court success," Dennis said.
"It’s obviously fun to win, but I think what we enjoy most is our style of play - running the ball, making the extra pass, getting that lockdown defensive stop.
"We’re such a deep, selfless team that truly anyone on our roster has the ability to have a stand out game. The success of the team always comes first."
Battling with bigs around the league
As the starting centre and the main figure in the Perry Lakes front court, Dennis also enjoys the challenges of coming up against the bigs right around the league that she does.
Whether it's the locals like Jessie Edwards, Sam Roscoe, Georgia Pineau, Nes'eya Parker-Williams, Nat Burton, Emma Klasztorny or those imports like Teige Morrell, Daniel Raber, Karly Murphy, Jillian Archer and Melisa Brcaninovic, Dennis is up for any challenge with the bigs she takes on.
"It’s absolutely fantastic to see and play against the talent that we have in our league," she said.
"Every night we know it’s going to be a battle both inside the post and on the perimeter. I always see it as an opportunity to get better and challenge myself."
Joining Hawks in 2020
Going back to the end of 2019 when Dennis was weighing up where she wanted to ply her trade in the league after her college career at Dayton finished, it was hard to go past Perry Lakes on a number of fronts.
They had recently won a championship in 2017 under the coaching of Deanna Black who took on the role after retiring on the back of a glittering professional and state league career around the country.
Given what she had done on the national stage as a teenager and then having four years in college, Dennis was a highly sought after signature but it was the Hawks for a number of reasons that became the clear option for her.
And now in her fifth season with Perry Lakes she has no doubt it was the right decision.
"When I was coming back from college I was looking for a club that prioritises culture, development and a winning mentality," Dennis said.
"Deanna Black was the head coach at Perry Lakes at the time and she was always a player and coach that I looked up to. I loved what she had done with the girls and I jumped at the opportunity to be coached by her.
"I couldn’t have been happier with the last four years both with Doccy and Craig, and I’ll always be so thankful that Doccy took a chance on me!"
Challenging first season
Coming back home and then having to deal with COVID and all the ramifications of that, and even having that initial 2020 SBL season cancelled and then with the West Coast Classic ending up taking place, it wasn’t quite how Dennis saw things starting after college.
However, she was a key part of that Perry Lakes team that made the Grand Final before losing in the end to the Joondalup Wolves and now she sees this year as their best chance at success since.
"My first year back was a little rough, as it was our first year living through the Covid pandemic," she said.
"We actually had a really successful season despite the challenges and made it to the Grand Final of the West Coast Classic. We’re thrilled to be in the top four this year but we’re definitely not done yet."
Thriving under coach Mansfield
Dennis might have initially signed at Perry Lakes to play under 'Doccy' who has now recently become a mother of two and having moved back across the country to Bendigo along with husband Steve Black, she couldn’t be happier to have Craig Mansfield on deck.
She had already played under Mansfield in her developing years and now given his credentials at Swan City Mustangs, Eastern Suns and Lakeside in the league prior to this stint with Perry Lakes, and at all levels, and Dennis couldn’t be happier with how things have panned out.
"I’ve played for Craig in junior state teams and also with Eastern Suns for a few years before going to college," Dennis said.
"Craig is very technical and likes a fast paced game which I think definitely complements many of our players strengths. Craig spends so much time going through film with us, having meetings and small group skill sessions.
"There’s also always been big focus on player development at Perry Lakes and we’ve got so many talented juniors coming through the program this year - Libby Hutton, Alira Fotu, Jordi Perry have been huge for us. I think this has all been really important to our club and a big key to our success this year."
