Feature image via: Sports Imagery
Kelly Wilson is a name that is now synonymous with Australian women’s basketball.
The Opal, four-time WNBL champion and now NBL1 National Champion is one of the great players to come out of regional Victoria.
The Gippsland junior has spent over 15 years in the community of Bendigo, playing for the WNBL’s Spirit, SEABL’s Braves team and now the NBL1 South’s Braves.
Bendigo has become Wilson’s home, it’s where she’s had her child and made her home. Staying in one place for almost all her professional career has allowed her to continue her success.
“I’d hopefully be classified as a local now,” Wilson joked.
“A lot of my favourite basketball memories have come with the ‘Bendigo’ name across my chest. I say this often, I do have a lot of pride in representing Bendigo, whether that is in a Bendigo Braves uniform or a Bendigo Spirit uniform.
“The community have been so good to me and the teams that I’ve played for so I do have that connection and it is something I take great pride in doing.”
? Triple Double Alert ?
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Watch #NBL1South via https://t.co/NEk1I7kIKG or the NBL1 App ? & ? #PLAY4BCNA pic.twitter.com/Tux0IUkGAG
Wilson’s longevity is now legendary, having the Golden Hands Award named after her, being named to this season’s NBL1 South All-Star Five, leading the entire NBL1 women’s competition in assists and claiming both the NBL1 South Championship and the NBL1 National Championship at the age of 39.
Wilson won her own award this season with an average of 10.7 assists per game, taking the honour in back-to-back seasons.
“If I could sum it up and tell a 16-year-old Kelly Wilson when she was first playing for the Nunawading Spectres in a senior women’s comp that in however many years time there’s going to be an award named after you at this level of competition, I wouldn’t have believed you,” she said.
“When I retire and look back on it, it will be something I will be extremely proud of.”
The community basketball programs have most definitely benefited from Wilson’s success in the senior programs. She has coached within Bendigo for over 10 years and her influence is starting to manifest on the court with her.
“I’m actually at a point now where some of the kids that went through school are currently playing with me at a senior level,” she said.
“It’s a rewarding part of what I do. Initially, it made me feel like ‘wow, I’ve been maybe playing too long now’.”
While retirement may be on the horizon, Wilson says she still hasn’t been able to commit to giving away her love of basketball.
She’s already re-signed for the next WNBL season going into her 21st season in November. And going off this past NBL1 season, she‘s shown no signs of slowing down.
“Honestly, whatever I say I wouldn’t believe me. At the end of every season, I say to my husband, ‘well that was a great season, but I’m done. I’m pretty happy now’, but then here I am sitting here talking to you and playing right now,” Wilson said.
“I told (Braves head coach) Mark (Alabakov) before the start of this season I wasn't playing again, but like here I am. It’s always just so tempting, I think because I can and I’m able to, and I just love playing. I didn’t think I’d play beyond having a child but here I am.
“I genuinely don’t know how much longer I’ll play for. Obviously, it won’t be too much longer but I think hopefully in some way, shape or form I’ll be involved in basketball for a few more years to come.”
