NBL1 West Mid-Season Snapshot – Women

Featured images: Bay Files / Eric Paul Goldie

Eight rounds into the 2024 NBL1 West women's season and a whole host of players have put themselves in award calculations with the depth at the Rockingham Flames, and back courts of the Warwick Senators and Cockburn Cougars providing a lot of the standouts.

It's been a fascinating opening eight rounds of the season with the Rockingham Flames remaining undefeated and that's with Robbi Ryan having played just the one game and two-time MVP Alex Sharp now missing the last five games.

The Warwick Senators have had a strong start led by Chloe Forster and Stacey Barr with Marena Whittle now on board while the Joondalup Wolves have been strong too while still working up to full strength.

Jewel Williams, Steph Gorman and Alex Ciabattoni have been especially impressive for the defending champion Cockburn Cougars while Craig Mansfield has the Perry Lakes Hawks firing led by a rejuvenated Ash Isenbarger.

The Lakeside Lightning under Marty Zeller have started well with the Perth Redbacks and Willetton Tigers just inside the top eight, and encouraging signs all from the Mandurah Magic, Goldfields Giants, East Perth Eagles, Eastern Suns and South West Slammers.

MVP

You could make a case quite conceivably for several more players but to narrow it down to three MVP candidates after eight rounds, it's hard to go past Chloe Forster, Teige Morrell and Emma Gandini.

Forster is fresh off her first season as a full roster member of the Perth Lynx in the WNBL. She has turned herself into genuinely one of the best players in the league at the Warwick Senators this season.

The 21-year-old has been in scintillating form averaging 20.6 points, 7.4 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 2.2 steals including a five-game run of 26.4 points, 8.6 boards and 6.4 assists.

Then there is Morrell who has had two standout seasons at the Joondalup Wolves and now is continuing to shine with the Lakeside Lightning playing under her father as coach.

She has put up 24.5 points, 14.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.9 steals with the Lightning on the back of shooting 61.2 per cent from the floor and 42.9 per cent three-point range.

Gandini might not have the numbers as the other two, but what she does can't always be measured in the box score. However, watch her play for any period of time and it's hard to think any other player in the league is having a bigger impact on games.

She became a star at the Willetton Tigers on championship teams, earned a WNBL chance at the Perth Lynx and then played last season in the NBL1 North at the North Gold Coast Seahawks.

The experienced guard returned to the NBL1 West in 2024 but with the Rockingham Flames and has been a huge reason why they are 11-0.

Part of that is told with her 11.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.0 steals and 3.0 assists a game, but that only tells part of the story when you throw in her hounding defence and playmaking abilities too.

Tanya Fisher's thoughts: It’s still early at this stage as many teams are still awaiting/just beginning to incorporate key players but, for me, there are three consistent performers to date – Teige Morrell, Ash Isenbarger & Chloe Forster.

COACH OF THE YEAR

It's hard to go past the teams with the best records as the leading Coach of the Year candidates after the opening eight rounds.

Marcus Wong is in his first season with Rockingham having moved from Joondalup, and having been assistant in the WNBL at Townsville. You can't do more than he has to build this team and have them with an 11-0 record and averaging winning margin of 33.9 points.

Brad Robbins has got things flowing nicely at the 9-2 Warwick Senators and having just added in Marena Whittle, while having the back court of Chloe Forster and Stacey Barr working a treat.

Tyrone Thwaites has his Cockburn Cougars back in the hunt despite having not played a game at full strength. Nor have the Joondalup Wolves under Jesse Pence, who has done well to have them 6-2.

Craig Mansfield must be commended for his work to have Perry Lakes 7-3 despite no Eryn Fisher or Jayda Clark while Marty Zeller has had an immediate impact at Lakeside to have them 5-3.

Tanya Fisher's thoughts: This is always a difficult one for me, I’m less impressed by coaches throwing budget at recruitment than I am with coaches who demonstrate a genuine talent and aptitude for player development and management, but success is success right?

Marcus Wong (Rockingham) is an obvious choice (as top of the ladder often are) but he also didn’t arrive to pick up the coaching reigns until the very start of the season (due to his NBL commitments) so much of the kudos also belongs to Rockingham as a club and his coaching staff although the strength of his influence actually resulted in a mass exodus of talent from Joondalup to Rockingham last year so credit where credit is due.

Senators Coach, Brad Robbins is doing well but it’s been the improvement of Chloe Forster (who has obviously been putting in the hours off court) and now the inclusion of Marena Whittle into an already strong team that will carry them through to the finals.

Craig Mansfield is my top pick at present. He’s lost three key players at the very start of the season (Clarke, Fisher and now Ballantyne) and is still sitting 7-3. Ash Isenbarger is having a great season but he also has some not well-known juniors that have really stepped up as needed in his team (Beige Harris, Jenna Teasdale). He has a strong core of players who mesh well and I feel his team adapts to changes on the court better than most.   

BEST DEFENSIVE PLAYER

Emma Gandini made this award her own with the Willetton Tigers and it would be hard pressed to go past her again as the leading candidate for the award in 2024.

Gandini has returned to the NBL1 West competition in 2024 but with the Rockingham Flames and while her all-round game is shining, her defence remains elite to be hounding the opposition guards around the league.

She is forming quite the potent defensive duo in the backcourt at Rockingham with Sophie Doran. She has also come across from Willetton and would be another leading candidate for the award.

Also in the mix would be last year's winner Steph Gorman at the Cockburn Cougars highlighted by her defensive performance in a win over the Warwick Senators on her Perth Lynx WNBL teammate Chloe Forster.

Tanya Fisher's thoughts: Emma Gandini – instrumental and impressive this year – no-one else is standing out so much in this category

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER

This is another category that can be difficult to judge and can depend on your perspective, but Harriet Ford, Tiana Wilson-Palmer, Shenae Hartree, Zaya Black and Chloe Forster have all significantly improved.

Ford averaging just 8.5 minutes in the championship last season at Cockburn but that has gone up to 14 minutes so far in 2024 with the young big producing 5.7 points and 5.8 rebounds.

Wilson-Palmer has joined Mandurah from Rockingham this season, and picked up the point guard role to be delivering 6.6 points and 2.7 assists for career-high numbers.

Hartree is also having a career best season with the Redbacks with her numbers up to 12.5 points and 8.8 rebounds after 9.4 and 6.9 a season ago.

Black has returned to the South West Slammers this season after being part of Cockburn's championship. Her numbers are up to 9.7 points and 5.2 rebounds a game with 32 minutes after 2.3 points in 10 minutes at the Cougars.

Forster has gone from being a key member of the Senators to now being a genuine MVP candidate with her 20.6 points, 7.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists a game up from 13.6, 5.6 and 4.3 a year ago.

Tanya Fisher's thoughts: For me this year it’s Chloe Forster. She has clearly been working on her speed and power and her performance to date is reflective of this. Her improvement for me is not just development within the game but a clear step up physically which will be exciting to see at the WNBL level for her later this year as well.

Special mention here in this category to Mary Goulding (East Perth recruit from NZ) because last year it wasn’t clear if she would live, let alone recover from a horrific brain injury incurred in a car crash. Although not yet up to her previous season’s statistics, the fact that she is out on court at all, chasing her previous form, commands a special mention!

BEST YOUNG PLAYER

The Best Young Player award has the criteria of being awarded to a player aged 24 or under by the end of the season and can't be awarded to a player to have won previously.

That rules out Jewel Williams, Nes'eya Parker-Williams and Chloe Forster from this season's award with Brooke Malone, Shenae Hartree, Claire Jacobs, Caitie Jones, Jade Gowland and Kyana Weir some of the leading candidates so far.

Claire Jacobs is back from college and joined Willetton this season to be delivering 17.1 points and 4.8 rebounds including 29 points last week against Joondalup.

So far Jones has only played three games this season, but if she keeps going then she could take out this award having put up 23.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists with Lakeside.

Her Lightning teammate Gowland is also providing a strong presence off the bench with 10.3 points and 6.3 rebounds in her seven appearances.

The two young guns shining at the Redbacks are Hartree and Malone. They are now becoming crucial parts of the team with Hartree putting up 12.5 points and 8.8 rebounds, and Malone 14.8 points and 6.6 boards.

Weir will soon begin her college life at the University of Nebraska Omaha but the 18-year-old is starring at Warwick with 6.4 points and 2.2 rebounds.

Tanya Fisher's thoughts: This category is the most difficult as younger players (by the very definition) tend to show promise but not always consistency, there can be notable differences in performance based on the team that they are playing.

Although only just back from a stint in Europe, my pick (prediction) for this season is Caitie Jones. Her return has moved Lakeside into a contender position and her consistent performance in her opening matches has been impressive.

BEST SIXTH WOMAN

Leading candidates as Best Sixth Woman could be Bri Bailey, Shani Amos, Jess Jakens, Jade Gowland and Claire Jacobs after the opening eight rounds.

Bailey is playing her first season at the East Perth Eagles and providing a good spark with 8.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists a game.

It's such a deep team at Rockingham so they could have any number of strong candidates for this award, but leading the charge right now could be former captains of their old clubs, 281-game guard Amos and 263-game forward Jakens.

Gowland is a star on the rise at the Lakeside Lightning and is providing good punch off the bench with 10.3 points and 6.3 rebounds in her seven appearances.

Claire Jacobs has joined her twin sister at the Tigers and could end up starting too many games, but right now she's a leading candidate with her 17.1 points and 4.8 boards.

Tanya Fisher's thoughts: I have a whole list for this category but it’s difficult as key injuries & late inclusion/unavailability of imports has the starting fives changing drastically.

My top picks would be Jess Jakens, Opal Mader, Mikayla Pirini & Claire Jacobs but all of these sixth players have rotated into the starting five of their teams so far this year.

ALL FIRST TEAM

When looking at the candidates for the All-First Team right now and if we break it down to the front court and the back court, in terms of the bigs it would be Melisa Brcaninovic, Teige Morrell, Emma Klasztorny, Ash Isenbarger, Georgia Pineau and Nes'eya Parker-Williams as the leading candidates.

Brcaninovic arrived nice and early this season for Willetton and is averaging 21.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists over her eight appearances including a 39-point, 14-rebound effort against the Suns.

Morrell is settling in nicely at the Lakeside Lightning continuing where she left off at the Wolves currently averaging 24.5 points, 14.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists.

Klasztorny has come back home to the Mandurah Magic this season to continue her now 264-game career and has been tremendous with 16.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists a game.

Isenbarger is having a significant impact at Perry Lakes this season too in the eight of 10 games played where she's averaging 20.8 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists. That included 37 points, 13 rebounds and five assists against the Redbacks.

Pineau has had an immediate impact at the unbeaten Rockingham Flames and stepped up even more so in the recent absence of two-time MVP Alex Sharp.

She's putting up 18.1 points and 7.9 rebounds a game but it's up to 24 points and 11 rebounds over the past four matches.

Her teammate Parker-Williams is also thriving on the move to Rockingham delivering 13.4 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists a game.

Sarah Toeaina is another to put her hand up with 18.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists in her first season at the Wolfpack.

Then if you are looking at the back court candidates and Steph Gorman, Jewel Williams, Alex Ciabattoni, Emma Gandini, Stacey Barr and Chloe Forster are leading the way.

On the back of winning last year's Grand Final MVP and then having a strong WNBL season at the Perth Lynx, Gorman has been strong for the Cougars so far producing 17.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists.

Her Lynx teammate Ciabattoni has joined her at the Cougars in 2024, and while playing just eight of 11 games, she's producing 19.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists.

Another member of that Cockburn back court, Williams, has played every game this season and gone up another gear with 18.1 points, 4.0 assists and 3.5 boards.

Forster was teammate to Ciabattoni and Gorman at the Lynx this season, and has gone up to the next level at the Warwick Senators in 2024 with 20.6 points, 7.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists.

Her Senators teammate Barr has been right up to her usual high standards too with 20.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.2 assists.

Then there is former Willetton championship winner Gandini who is back in the league but with Rockingham and doing everything for the Flames. She is averaging 11.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.0 steals and 3.0 assists.

Looking into the crystal ball and once there's a larger sample size from Robbi Ryan at the Flames and Caitie Jones with the Lightning, and they could be in the mix too.

Tanya Fisher's thoughts: I’ve gone with a 12 woman squad on this one…. Chloe Forster, Jewel Williams, Robbi Ryan, Emma Gandini, Stacey Barr, Alex Ciabattoni, Alex Sharp, Nes'eya Parker-Williams, Georgia Pineau, Teige Morrell, Ash Isenbarger, Melisa Brcaninovic