Allen happy with how Eagles are starting to click

It might not be where she grew up thinking she'd be playing basketball with her family involved too, but Sarah Allen couldn’t be happier with the home she's found at the East Perth Eagles and the way things are starting to click.

Basketball has always been in the Allen family blood and Sarah's father Craig has been a well-respected coach at all levels including coaching state teams and honing his craft at Willetton.

That's where both Sarah and her sister Bec started their playing careers too, but life took the three of them to the Perth Redbacks and now the trio have all settled at the Eagles and couldn’t be happier.

That has dad Craig as the head coach now in his second season with East Perth while Bec is assistant coach while both help out with some of the physio work given it's their professions.

Then it's Sarah the one out there on the court and now this Saturday on the road to the South West Slammers she will reach her 100th game in the NBL1 West.

NEW DP SARAH ALLEN PINCHING HERSELF OVER OPPORTUNITY

It's a career that started at the Willetton Tigers in her development years before then spending three seasons at the Redbacks, one with the Magic and now it's a home she's found since the start of 2023 at the Eagles.

Allen is also fresh off being a development player this past WNBL season at the Perth Lynx as part of the squad that reached the Grand Final, and now is a key member of this East Perth team of 2024.

It's a team now building some momentum too having won the past two games, and four of the past seven to still be in the playoff hunt.

That included a remarkable double overtime win last Friday night over Joondalup  and then a win in Mandurah on Saturday where Allen had a season-best 17 points to go with five assists and three rebounds.

While Allen reaches her 100th game in the league this Saturday against the Slammers, she's more worried about the team and is pleased to see things coming together now and with the positivity around those two wins last weekend against the Wolves and Magic.

"Yeah it definitely is a good feeling, we are starting to get things clicking together which it a very good sign and as a squad we all want the best for each other on and off court so we’ve been having that conversation of how we can do that and play as a team," Allen said.

"We were always confident of things coming together, we’ve got so many good players. I think it was more about figuring out how everyone plays as we are such a new group this year and it always takes a bit of time to understand how different people play."

Of the four wins the Eagles now have for this season, that includes two each against Joondalup and Mandurah and they have all been dramatic in their own way.

The first one was at home to the Magic after six straight losses to open the season and the Eagles broke the game open in the overtime period to win by 15 points.

The second win was then a remarkable come from behind win on the road to the Wolfpack where Allen hit some huge shots late in the piece to help make it happen.

Then this past weekend, the Eagles ended up beating the Wolves at Morley Sport and Recreation Centre in an incredible double overtime marathon affair before backing up less than 24 hours for the win in Mandurah over the Magic.

What that says is that the Eagles team of 2024 sure have an eye for the dramatic. Allen and her teammates took plenty especially from that double overtime affair with the Wolfpack.

"It was our second overtime game this season, apparently we like a close game," she said.

"But no it was awesome to be a part of and it tests our composure as well and we did well to eventually get the win out of it."

What made that first win over the Wolves up at HBF Arena memorable was not just that Allen came up huge in that fourth quarter run with three massive three-pointers, it was what happened to her along the way.

Allen had a tooth go through her lip which required stitches to close the cut, but you would have never known it.

After that happened she came back out to knock down perhaps her biggest shot of the season to help set up the big win on the road against a team that is seen as one of the championship fancies.

"That game was a lot of fun to play, and it shows how good we can play when we are on our game," Allen said.

"I would say I would’ve enjoyed it more without splitting my lip open but it was nothing a few stitches couldn’t fix. Apparently I just needed a good hit to shoot without thinking ahah."

Now that Allen is coming near the end of her second season with the Eagles, she's feeling right at home at the club and couldn’t be happier to continue to be sharing her basketball journey with her dad and sister.

"Yeah it been a great opportunity and environment for me to focus on my game and keep trying to improve it to the best of my ability," she said.

"Having dad and Bec there is very cool, we’ve all grown up with basketball so to still be involved in it with my family is awesome."

Looking back on the NBL1 off-season and Allen was thrown an unexpected bonus when signing on as a development player with the Lynx and getting to make her WNBL debut, and even get on the floor and score some points.

Initially she was just happy to be part of the squad as a training player, but to then sign a contract and officially come on board is something she'll treasure forever whether her Lynx opportunities continue or not.

"Yeah it honestly was an awesome experience just to be able to be a part of something that big and to see what I need to work on," Allen said.

"Being able to work out with some of the top player in the country is something I’ll always treasure. I would absolutely love to get the opportunity again and hopefully leads to bigger and better things for my game."

Away from basketball and Allen is studying as well and is currently hard at work preparing for exams while also getting ready for a big game for the Eagles this weekend on the road to the Slammers.

"It’s going pretty good I’m study accounting and finance, hopefully looking towards the finance sector but at the moment just taking it one semester at a time," she said.