Raising the Barr: Stacey ready for NBL1 West

Written by Julia Montesano

 Stacey Barr has had quite the sporting journey. 

Not only has she played college basketball, WNBL and SBL, but she has also taken to the footy field for the Fremantle Dockers in the inaugural AFLW season.

Now, Barr is set to take on the new NBL1 West competition with the Warwick Senators, a prospect she is looking forward to.

“I’m pretty excited for the NBL1 West season,” Barr says.

“Having a proper season and getting to experience it all will be awesome.

“Now that we’re playing in the NBL1 West, I think there will be more hype around the basketball we’re playing, and it’ll be a really fun season.”

It was college where Barr broke out onto the basketball scene, winning two conference championships with the University of Idaho and also receiving some personal accolades herself.

Upon return to Australia, Barr was quickly snapped up by the Perth Lynx in the WNBL.

Despite the dominance of the United States in world basketball, Barr says the standard of basketball down under is just as high.

“Getting that experience to play in the WNBL was an honour,” she says.

“There were a lot of international players playing in that league when I was there.

“Playing alongside legends like Sami Whitcombe and Tessa Lavey was a big step-up.”

Even though Barr is pursuing a P.E teaching career outside of basketball, she says if another WNBL opportunity came knocking, she wouldn’t say no.

As far as her basketball origins go, Barr simply started playing because her older sister did.

After bouncing the ball in the backyard as a Werribee junior, Barr is now one of the players to watch in the upcoming NBL1 West season.

She is one of many talented players on the Senators’ NBL1 women’s roster, joining Mackenzie Clinch Hoycard, Tayla Hepburn, Jayda Clark, Nicole Jorre de St Jorre, Chloe Forster, Alyssa Duncan, Caitie Jones, Abby Maynard, Charlotte Blackburn, Kyana Weir and Sophie Suverjin for the 2021 season.

Barr and the Senators begin their campaign against the South West Slammers on Saturday 17 April at the Eaton Recreation Centre.