The Perth Redbacks have signed Kayonna Lee, Derek Igbenoba and Matt Giorgi for the 2022 Coles Express NBL1 West season.
It’s hard trying to find big man minutes in a team that has a fully-firing Louis Timms and Zac Gattorna in the line-up, but Igbenoba still found a way to play some meaningful minutes off the bench as an inside big for Perth last season.
He suited up for 19 games and averaged 2.5 points and 1.7 rebounds per game as the Redbacks went all the way through to a preliminary final.
He was also named Most Improved Player in Perth's D-League team.
Lee was at the University of Central Missouri and pre-COVID was slated to come to Australia to play in Mackay.
Instead, her career took a detour to the Eurobasket League playing for Irish team Phoenix BR.
But she's now in sunny Perth and loving life.
NBL1 Head Coach Michelle Fletcher is thrilled to have Lee on board.
"Securing Kay was massive for building a defensive presence in our backcourt and she will certainly bolster our team's efficiency in a variety of ways," Fletcher said.
"Kay has already shown us her hard-working mentality.
"She is a great quality person to have in the group and we're looking forward to giving her the opportunities to show her talents on both ends of the court in the NBL1 West season."
Giorgi was a worthy backup to captain Joel Wagner last season averaging 2 points, 0.5 assists and one rebound per game in limited minutes.
At the same time, he was a key player in Perth's D-League team, winning the ‘Most Consistent’ award for the season.
