Natalie Chou might be just 28 games into her career in the NBL1 West but she's already established as a genuine star and the Perth Redbacks gun feels so home down under she would love to keep coming back.
Chou was a big time player in a big time school to finish her college career at UCLA, and now two seasons into her NBL1 West career and she's become one of the more dangerous, lethal and exciting guards in the league with the world the oyster for the 26-year-old out of Plano, Texas.
Chou's impact on the Redbacks can be shown by how well the team has been performing since she has joined the group.
She did play some minutes first up against Perry Lakes, but the first game she played a big role was a win against her old team the Eastern Suns. Now across the other 11 matches she's played in 2024, the Redbacks have won eight of them.
Chou has had a big say in that not only averaging 20.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists a game, but having had dominant performances including two 33-point outbursts in the past three matches.
Her combination with Perth Lynx WNBL captain and Australian Gangers 3x3 representative Anneli Maley has been spectacular as well and instrumental in the Redbacks reaching the playoffs.
Chou also helped the Eastern Suns reach the finals last year but she was unable to play against the Cockburn Cougars once they got there, and sometimes you only really understand a player's importance when you see what their absence does.
Now Chou is having a significant impact at the Redbacks and while also feeling like Perth is like a second home, and she couldn’t be happier with how things are going two years into her journey down under.
Enjoying first season with Redbacks
Once Chou's first season in the NBL1 West finished in 2023 she knew she wanted to come back and she couldn’t be happier with how things are panning out at the Redbacks both on a personal and team front.
"It’s been a fun season so far. There have been its ups and downs but so does every season. I’m lucky to go through the adversity with such a solid group of girls," Chou said.
"It’s so rewarding to see our hard work paying off, some of these girls started preseason months before I arrived. There’s more growth and steps we still need to take but it’s nice to look back on where we’ve come from and be proud of all we have accomplished so far."
Last two games of regular season
All of a sudden there are just two games left in the regular season for the Redbacks starting this Saturday against the Lakeside Lightning and then the following Saturday against the Perry Lakes Hawks.
The Redbacks sit in seventh spot at 10-8 coming into the last three rounds of the season, but winning those two games against teams above them would give them a hope of finishing higher and Chou is looking forward to the challenges ahead.
"We are looking forward to finishing out the regular season strong. Both Lightning and Hawks are great teams that’ll get us ready for the intensity and elevated level of play finals will bring," Chou said.
"As an athlete, these are the kind of games that are most exciting, because of the challenges they both will bring. I can’t wait to play against the top teams and players and see how we as a team stack up against them."
Calling Anneli Maley a teammate
You will be hard pressed to find anyone that calls Anneli Maley a teammate who doesn’t speak the world of her and that is whether it's this Australian 3x3 team she'll part of at the Paris Olympics, at the Perth Lynx in the WNBL or indeed at the Redbacks now in the NBL1 West.
The combination that Chou has already developed on the court with Maley is obvious and even though they have only played 10 games together, they have formed quite the dynamic and unstoppable duo.
However, it's about more than just that relationship developed on the court, and it's the connection off the court Chou has built with Maley that makes things come together so much easier when they are out there playing.
"Maley makes the game easier for everyone around her. Her willingness to do the uncommon and 1 percenters is one of the many things that make her so elite. You always know what to expect from her day in and out and as a teammate the consistency she has is inspiring," Chou said.
"She also makes the game so fun. She calls you up when you can do better. Theres's freedom to make mistakes, I mean, every time I shoot, I know there’s a relentless rebounder there in the case I miss. As a shooter, that makes me so confident.
"I’ve learned so much from her both on and off of the court. It’s been so great being her teammate. Her ability to rebound, push the ball with pace, get to the basket or make the read to find teammates is unmatched. All I have to do is be ready to catch and shoot. It’s been so fun playing with her."
Embracing playing NBL1 West, living in Perth
Chou wasn’t quite sure what to expect when she landed to join the Eastern Suns for her first NBL1 experience last year, but what she quickly realised that there was a lot to like about it.
Playing for coach Tim Rendulic was part of that she was more than happy to play under him again once he took on the Redbacks job, but bigger than that, it was a league she knew she wanted to be part of and a place she wanted to spend more time living in.
"I often call Perth my second home. I’ve made lifelong friendships with the people here. I would love to play here longer," Chou said.
"I started my NBL1 West career playing for the Kalamunda Eastern Suns. I’m so thankful and honoured to the have represented the Suns last year.
"Throughout the season, I was able to build many meaningful connections. I would say that’s a big reason why I came back. Perth has become my second home and I’m lucky to be back."
Open to worldwide opportunities
Right now Chou's full focus is on making this as success of a season as possible with the Redbacks starting with the last two weeks of the regular season, then the playoffs and should things go outstandingly well, maybe even the National Finals.
Beyond that, Chou isn’t sure yet where her next stop would be but there's no doubt she wouldn’t be out of place in the WNBL should a team offer her an opportunity, but she's already enjoyed her time playing in Germany and Sweden the last couple of years too.
"I would jump at the opportunity to play in the WNBL. I’ve been watching the league for a while and am huge fans of some of the players and teams," Chou said.
"It’s been a dream of mine to travel the world and I’m blessed to use basketball as the vehicle for me to do so," Chou said.
"I’ve been able to travel and live in some incredible places, meet amazing people and experience all the world has to offer in such a unique way.
"Playing overseas has brought on its own set of challenges but the positives outweigh the negatives so far. Germany and Sweden are both beautiful countries. I can’t wait to check off more places."
Amazing college experience at UCLA
You don't get many bigger programs to be involved in than UCLA where Chou spend the last three years of her college career after starting at Baylor for the first two years.
She ended up being a key player on such a strong and deep team as well going on to lead the team in steals in her senior year and starting a team-high 30 games while joining the 1000-point club along the way.
Everything about the experience of attending UCLA and living in Los Angeles having grown up in Texas and starting her college life at Baylor is something she'll forever cherish.
"I absolutely loved my time at UCLA. I started my collegiate career at Baylor University. After two years in Waco, I decided to transfer out and headed for LA," Chou said.
"One of the best decisions I’ve ever made. The basketball program at UCLA is top notch and has made me into the person I am today. I can’t say enough about the coaches and support staff.
"Coach Cori has created a culture of excellence that is loved out every day, in everything that they do. I grew so much both on and off the court thanks to the encouragement and guidance from her and her staff."
Away from basketball
Some players juggle basketball with everything else they have going on in their life and then you have players who live and breathe basketball, and can't imagine being involved in anything else, and Chou fits into the latter category.
She has every reason to think she is still just in the formative years of her professional career aged only 26 and understandably her playing days have her full attention right now, but beyond that she would hope to stay involved in basketball.
Chou is certainly well credentials after her studies at UCLA and combining that with the experience she continues to gain as a professional basketballer all over the world means she would love basketball to be involved in her post playing career.
"I have my undergraduate degree in Sociology and two Graduate degrees in Education and another in Health Sciences from UCLA," Chou said.
"I’ve always seen myself connected to the game of basketball so definitely something connected to this world. I’m excited where the next season of life will bring when I am done playing."
