Porter entrenched in Cockburn community

Image credit: Madeleine Clark | @madeleineclarkmedia

Ruby Porter is the lone fresh face for the Cockburn Cougars in 2025 but she's wasted no time integrating herself fully into the community that she wants to reward the Cougar Family with an NBL1 West championship.

After playing in their first two ever women's Grand Finals the past two years including winning a maiden championship in 2023, there was no need for the Cougars to look to make mass changes even with Tyrone Thwaites departing as coach with Russell Hann stepping up.

Sarah Mortensen returned having starred in that 2023 championship while the rest of the core from 2024 was back including Daniel Raber, Steph Gorman, Jewel Williams, Jessie Edwards, Amelia Corasaniti and Regan Turnour-McCarthy.

Really the only personnel decision to make was how to replace Alex Ciabattoni and from the second Porter first spoke with Hann about the potential of joining Cockburn, she not only wanted to play for the Cougars but be part of the Cougar Family.

The 23-year-old South Australian has gone on to have a tremendous season with the Cougars producing 13.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.9 steals a game to be a key reason why Cockburn are undefeated heading into the Grand Final.

The Cougars will take on the Warwick Senators on Saturday at RAC Arena and Porter is just trying to enjoy the whole occasion this week.

"It's pretty special and this is my first time being over here in the West, and with Cockburn," Porter told The Hoop Hour on 91.3 SportFM.

"I think a few of the players have been in this position before so obviously they know how to somewhat the week, but I think it's just living in the moment and embracing everything that comes with it. Just enjoying the moment is a pretty important theme for the week."

Joining a stable playing group

The key factor in the Cougars now having reached three consecutive NBL1 West Grand Finals is the fact that they have kept so many pieces of their core group together over that period.

Even with a change in coach coming into 2025 with Hann replacing Thwaites, Gorman, Williams, Edwards, Corasaniti and Scafidi will all be playing their third Grand Final, and Mortensen, Raber and Turnour-McCarty in a second out of the three.

Given the majority of team is back on board after last year's heartbreaking Grand Final loss at RAC Arena to the Rockingham Flames, joining a team so stable and welcoming has helped Porter settle right in.

"At first I guess it was very nerve racking coming into a team that's been pretty successful especially under the last two years under Ty, and then having Russ as a major piece of that," Porter said.

"At the same time I think it calmed the nerves a little bit just with the fact I know these girls are professional, they want to get the job done and they strive for greatness. I think that's a massive piece of helping me settle in quite well into Perth."

Playing on the big stage

Porter did spent time with her hometown Adelaide Lightning in the WNBL as a teenager before attending the University of Nebraska which unfortunately was during Covid denying her the chance to play in front of some big crowds.

Since then, she had another WNBL season at the Bendigo Spirit and had three years in the NBL1 North with the Darwin Salties but never before has she played in anything like she will on Saturday.

Understandably Porter is excited for the occasion of the NBL1 West Grand Final at RAC Arena and to play on the big stage in front of such a big crowd.

"It is pretty exciting and unfortunately over at college that was during Covid so I didn’t get to experience the full Nebraska experience I guess you could call it so this weekend is pretty special," Porter said.

"I've never been a part of NBL1 West before so it's a first timer for me and in the last minute of the game on Saturday night, I was sitting next to Sarah Mortensen and said that this is pretty cool that we're in the Grand Final.

"This is a pretty special time and we will take our own time to really just sit back and enjoy the week rather than getting super anxious about things. I like to just settle my shoulders back and let the week come to me.

"It's a pretty special time for Cockburn itself and I can imagine our fans are going to be pretty hyped probably even more than us."

No complacency from a 22-0 team

While from the outside Porter can understand why it looks like it's been a perfect season for the Cougars in 2025 considering they have won all 22 games including the two finals by scoring an averaging of 98.0 points and with an average winning margin of 31.6 points.

However, Porter does feel they've been challenged throughout the year and have had challenges to overcome. She sees no way they take anything for granted against the Senators in the Grand Final on Saturday.

"We're treating this like it's game one of the season again and completely ignoring the past," Porter said.

"Obviously we cherish and acknowledge where we've come throughout the season and it does look like a perfect season because 22-0 is pretty perfect, but we have had our fair share of challenges that have come through.

"That's what has built us and I think Saturday night is going to be a very tough game. Warwick are a very aligned team with so many pieces of the puzzle that we have to try and match up to.

"But I think at the end of the day if we can live in the moment and just go out there and give it a crack and not be complacent, hopefully we can get over the line. We know it's going to be a dog fight and Cockburn are pretty up for it."

Cockburn community just as important

When Porter was looking for a new NBL1 home for 2025 when the Salties ceased to exist after her three seasons there, while she clearly wanted to go to a good team on the floor, off the court was every bit as important.

Porter wanted to join a club where she could fully throw herself into the whole community where she could coach some juniors and integrate herself into the entire organisation.

She liked the way that opportunity sounded with Cockburn and the reality has even surpassed that. That's why you only have to look into the stands on a game night at Wally Hagan Stadium to see just how popular she is especially with the youngsters she coaches.

"It's honestly been an absolute joy to play here in Cockburn and a massive piece of my recruitment was going somewhere that culture and community are two big pillars," Porter said.

"When it's written all over our locker room before I even got here that kinda shows the priority of those pieces of the puzzles at Cockburn.

"I love coaching and I love giving back, and there's way more to basketball than just what you put out on the back whatever night you play.

"I can see that in the community and I see little No. 10 jerseys running around at our games, and I see the posters with different creative Ruby's on them. It's so special here and I adore Cockburn, and in particular just the community that they have here, and have built.

"It doesn’t just come naturally, a lot of work has gone into building it and it just shows the kind of people that are involved in the program, and the values that they hold. It makes my life a lot easier to settle in."