Feature image via: Tanya Hawkins Photography
Albury-Wodonga Bandits have had a record-breaking season, becoming the first team in NBL1 East history to go undefeated during the regular season.
With a team featuring Australia’s greatest in Lauren Jackson (who played in 13 of the 20 wins), American stars in Mikayla Pivec and Unique Thompson as well as WNBL rising star Ash Hannan – the team was outstanding from start to finish.
Related: Bandits verging on history
They now join elite company as the fifth team to go undefeated in the regular season. Sitting alongside North’s 2021 women's Southern District Spartans, the 2022 women's Logan Thunder, Central’s women's Sturt Sabres and the South’s women's Bendigo Braves from last season.
While it’s impressive to go undefeated, only one of those teams ended up as the Conference Champions, let alone National Champions – with the Braves going 28-0 within the calendar year.
While Bendigo’s 33-game win streak was ended by the Sandringham Sabres in late April, a new team emerged on the border as “the team to beat”.
In his first season as head coach, Sam McDonald steered the ship to a perfect record, despite an often rotating cast of talent. While he knew he had to create a winning product after Matt Paps’ historic coaching tenure, he never expected a 20-0 record.
“It's been a privilege and honour to be able to represent the club I have been involved with for the full 40 years of our existence,” he told NBL Media.
“From watching games, setting up stands, serving drinks, playing for the Men's team and now coaching, it's been a great journey. Taking on the head coaching job has been made a lot easier thanks to the high-calibre players who trusted me and the vision I had for our season.
“Having said that, going undefeated in the regular season wasn't expected but something we believed we could achieve as a whole group.”
For McDonald, his record is not about the team, but for the home fans who have been craving a home final for nearly a decade.
“Our goal at the start of the year was to finish in the top two and lock in a home final,” he said.
“It's been nine years since our basketball community has hosted finals basketball, and we have never had a home final for the Women's program. It's a great reward for the squad but also for our loyal fans and sponsors.”
Contrasting his team to the previous four who had gone undefeated, McDonald said the Bendigo Braves are truly the “gold standard” when it comes to NBL1.
“We're very lucky to join those teams… but Bendigo is the gold standard after what they achieved last year,” he said.
“Being able to emulate their success would be fantastic… We may have been undefeated but the East is wide open. It's going to be tough, but we have prepared ourselves well and look forward to the challenge.”
Despite their success, the team was constructed to be adaptable to Jackson’s national team availability, being able to maintain a perfect streak despite her league-high points per game impact.
As Jackson’s fifth Olympics loom, McDonald has prepared this team to make a deep run with or without Albury’s finest export.
“We put this squad together knowing full well that Lauren was going to be a bonus in any game that she was able to play,” he said.
“We've been led tremendously by our captain, Molly Rice throughout the season. Mikayla Pivec has been phenomenal averaging a triple-double for the season and having Unique picking up from where she left off in 2022, has solidified our forward depth alongside Ash Hannan.
“Awatea Leach and Liz Murphy have been great spark plugs for us and it's great to have Emma Mahady back after missing most of the year with her Achilles and a significant eye injury.
“We're super excited for Lauren and the Opals in Paris and will be doing everything we can to give her one last opportunity to pull on a Bandits uniform this season.”
The Bandits will host Nicole Munger and the Newcastle Falcons on Saturday, streaming from 5:30pm AEST live and free via Kayo Freebies.
