Image credit: NBA Asia / Eric Teo

Last year, some of the best young basketball talent across Asia-Pacific competed at the inaugural NBA Rising Stars International in Singapore.

This year, the event expanded, with Melbourne, Bangkok, Taipei and Tokyo all hosting qualifying tournaments for the Singapore tournament.

Australian basketball legend Lauren Jackson was on hand to watch the Melbourne leg, which took place at the State Basketball Centre from May 8 to 10. Eight boys’ school teams and five girls’ teams competed.

“Having the NBA brand out here and being exposed to the way that the NBA does things, that’s a really exciting thing, and something the kids won’t ever forget,” Jackson told The Pick and Roll from courtside.

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The Wings picked Azzi Fudd first overall in the 2026 WNBA draft, a year after they selected Paige Bueckers with the same pick. Bueckers has already proven herself at the next level and answered any questions about how her game would translate within the first month. This was so much so that she has been named the player most general manager's would want to start a franchise with, edging out Caitlin Clark and A’ja Wilson who were equal second. Bueckers has a 33% approval rating from GMs for this criteria which is no small feat considering the play, age and popularity of the players in second.

In the same GM survey, Dallas also received 47% of the vote for the question which team made the best overall moves this offseason?, which Smith is at the front of. They’ve hit the ground running, gaining respect amongst their peers before opening night. Dallas might still be rising for one more year but they have all of the right pieces in place. It could already be safe to say they’ve built a sustainable contender to see out the 2020’s. Perhaps, they’ve laid out the blueprint to build a sustainable contender if they retain a core that is already there. That sounds a bit more fair to a team that picked first overall in the past two drafts, which could also be a sign of a championship to come.

In 2001 and 2002, the Seattle Storm drafted Lauren Jackson and Sue Bird and the two won rings together in Seattle. The Storm, again, drafted Jewell Loyd and Breanna Stewart back-to-back, and the two won rings together in Seattle. The Las Vegas Aces, with Kelsey Plum, A’ja Wilson and Jackie Young, are well chronicled with their postseason success and continue to be the strongest team in the WNBA. All three of those players were drafted in connecting years, with Plum technically being selected by the San Antonio Stars before they relocated. The Indiana Fever picked Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston in the two drafts preceding Bueckers and Fudd. While these two franchises are pending championship, the Fever’s championship window is wide open and the Wings could be in close pursuit.

Dallas have rerouted with supreme agility and Alanna Smith will be holding things down in the middle as they continue to build their roster. Her co-anchor for the Australian Opals, Ezi Magbegor, is in a similar situation. Magbegor hasn’t jumped ship, however, as she’s docked in the Storm.

Seattle finally took a pulse check and ended one of the worst experiments in the modern WNBA; what happens if you add Skylar Diggins and Nneka Ogwumike to a team one year into a rebuild after it lost one of the league’s most historic players (Sue Bird) and a 28-year-old MVP (Breanna Stewart). The answer to that question is the same in 2026 as it was before Diggins and Ogwumike signed in Seattle in 2024; bad things happen.

Diggins and Ogwumike are stalwarts of the WNBA, but they joined the Storm when they were each aged 33 and definitely over the hump. They’re still great contributors, but add them both to a team’s starting lineup and the cracks will start to show, and they did, immediately. It was also a peculiar signal from the franchise to its existing roster that they were going to compete, disrupting the development of their prospects.

Now in 2026 they have a new youth cohort, headlined by 6’6 French phenom Dominique Malonga. Fellow 6’6 European Awa Fam was the second overall pick behind Fudd this year and the Spaniard is one of three first round picks in Seattle this season. Flau’jae Johnson and Taina Mair bolster the prospect pool with WNBL26 import Mackenzie Holmes entering her second stanza in the WNBA. Stefanie Dolson and Natisha Heideman are the type of vet signings you want to make to usher a young team forward.

Jordan Horston provides a connective thread to the team pre-Diggins and Ogwumike, as well as Magbegor. Melbourne’s return to the franchise coincides with Katie Lou Samuelson, with the pair playing in Seattle in 2023. After all the dust has settled, they’re in a very good position, much like Smith’s Wings. At 26 and 23, Magbegor and Melbourne are nowhere near the halfway mark of their professional careers. A mass exodus was threatening in Seattle and losing a core piece like Gabby Williams is a mistake they won’t want to be repeating any time soon. Now, they can plan for the now and the future. It seems like it would be fun to be a part of the Storm locker room right now.

Williams has moved to the Golden State Valkyries with recent fan favourite WNBL imports in Veronica Burton, Laeticia Amihere and Kayla Thornton. They might have taken a step back from their debut season last year, but could have a long term vision in mind. They also had homegrown hero Miela Sowah on a training camp contract, waived her and then picked her up as a development player. The fit for her all the way through the organisation and to the fanbase is undeniable. She could turn some heads with her dynamism at the guard position and realistically establish herself within the rotation as the Valkyries become more familiar with her ability to fill holes and fit alongside any lineup.

Townsville Fire teammate Alex Fowler also found herself at the New York Liberty training camp with Perth Lynx duo Anneli Maley and Han Xu. Heading in to the season, only Xu remains from that trio, yet Bec Allen was an early signing to a guaranteed contract in the big apple. New York took an immediate liking to Maley but the Liberty decided against her.

All of the top comments on the Liberty’s Instagram post for their roster heading into season 2026, barring none, make mention of one player missing; Maley. Some fans are missing “Malley,” but we’ll let that slide.

It’s more of the same excellence in New York with their core of Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Sabrina Ionescu. Emma Meesseman departed but there’s an upgrade in Satou Sabally. Steph Talbot moves to the rival Las Vegas Aces and Bec Allen comes in. The team parted ways with Sandy Brondello who moved to a new franchise and rookie head coach Chris DeMarco enters. Sure, these are the sliding doors all sports teams are faced with, but the Liberty take everything in stride.

Allen could be a huge contributor in the postseason for New York. She is a natural fit next to Ionescu, Stewart and Jones and can share the court with Sabally. Aussies are well familiar with her game and her optionality and variability, while also being an elite shooter and defender will enamour her to Liberty fans throughout the season. This could very well be the 2026 WNBA champions.

As for Maley, she was picked up on the waiver wire by the Phoenix Mercury, joining Sami Whitcomb. The Mercury made it to the WNBA Finals last season but the absence of Satou Sabally will be felt. She’s a dynamic player with a skillset that will need to be replaced by the team as a whole. The Mercury bring back Kahleah Copper and Alyssa Thomas who carry an underdog status with them wherever they go. Maley’s grit will fit that well and make her a natural culture piece in the desert.

Whitcomb seems to be getting better. Actually, a lot of Aussies seem to be finding a second wind in their late 30’s which is great for an Opals team that has players in their prime and early 20’s. We’ll chat about that a bit more in Berlin this September.

It’s her second season in Phoenix with the franchise investing a sizeable chunk of their 2027 payroll into her as well. She shot 36% from deep on two makes a night in 2025 after a dismal start to the season by anyone’s standards, let alone one of the greatest shooters of all time. She was a starter in the first 11 games of last season, making 13 total three’s on 53 attempts, a 24.5% hit rate. In a move to the bench, she shone, shooting a 39.5% clip from then on. Like a corny movie, this Australian odd couple is so crazy it just might work, landing the Mercury another Finals berth and shot at a championship.

In the driver’s seat for that conversation is Steph Talbot’s Las Vegas Aces. Talbot enters a franchise that’s perennially the team to beat. She’ll slide right in to a role that head coach Becky Hammon has placed a lot of value in. In the past, Alysha Clark has filled this role as the 6’0 wing that’s required to play the four next to A’ja Wilson when called upon. Talbot has a propensity to get the job done, is a perfect fit for the roster and the way Hammon likes to coach. It might not always look nice on the stat sheet, but Talbot will be someone Hammon can trust and rely on to do the dirty work while Wilson, Jackie Young, Chelsea Gray, Jewell Loyd, Cheyenne Parker-Tyus and NaLyssa Smith provide the offence. Recent WNBL imports Brianna Turner and Kierstan Bell provide depth, further illustrating the talent on this team.

Wilson might not just be putting together a GOAT career, but the GOAT career. At 29, she’s a three-time champion, four-time MVP and three-time DPOY. The fact that her All-WNBA, All-Defensive and All-Star selections don’t even make the top line for her tell you all you need to know. Basketball careers are going into players 40s with some regularity now, meaning we could have another decade of Wilson, who knows what’s going to be added to her resume. With Talbot’s move, hopefully it’s another championship this year.

That’s plenty of time at the top of the mountain, lets move towards a more future looking team who is becoming a bit of an Australian hub to contend with Seattle. The Washington Mystics are finally debuting Georgia Amoore, as well as rookie Ally Wilson. They have Lucy Olsen who was a rotation piece last year and looking like she’ll add more consistency to her game in year two after a championship with the Townsville Fire. That makes up the bulk of their guard contingent with a strong influence from down under. Add in that their head coach is named Sydney Johnson for that extra Aussie flavour.

The Mystics are a wait and see team with a very promising proof of concept. With the top of the league as strong as it is, having the ability to see the field will pay off long term. All three of their top six picks from the 2025 draft are looking like they will be strong starters in a few years time in Amoore, Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron. While they’re on rookie deals, it’s the time to throw money at Shakira Austin.

Now in year five and aged just 25, Austin brings a unique bag of skills and experiences. At 6’5, she moves like a guard even after a few years disrupted by injury. She started her career playing with Washington’s championship core including Elena Delle Donne, Natasha Cloud, Ariel Atkins and 2023 WNBL champion Tianna Hawkins. Austin is still entering her prime, is a connective culture piece for the franchise and has had enough experiences in different scenarios while being a steady figure both on the court as a defensive anchor and in the locker room. As much as she’s just getting started, she also provides the qualities of a vet. The word intersectional gets tossed around a lot these days, Austin is the intersection.

She can match with any guard’s play style, whether that’s in the ilk of Amoore or Wilson. With Melbourne playing in the US capital over the last two years, there seems to be a substantial trend that multiple Aussies and WNBL imports will make up Washington’s core through the rest of the decade, even if that does end up being their draftees in Amoore and Olsen. Wilson could well be a veteran and depth piece on the roster now and in the future, which would work well for all parties. She might also be one and done with the Mystics if they go in a different direction. The takeaway on her season more broadly will likely be that she belongs in the WNBA and she’ll have a gig there for the foreseeable future.

That just leaves the Atlanta Dream’s 2024 draftees in Isobel Borlase and Nyadiew Puoch. Borlase remains with the team that drafted the two, while Puoch was selected by the Portland Fire in the expansion draft and swiftly signed. It’s time to pick a team to start with here so lets go with the Fire. No! The Dream, the Dream.

Atlanta finished the 2025 season with the second best record, tied with Las Vegas at 30-14. They built a team around new additions in the middle with Brionna Jones and Brittney Griner joining in the last offseason. The guards very quickly commandeered the offence and the cards seemed to deal themselves. There were questions to be answered for Atlanta, but while a team’s performance usually dips figuring this out, Atlanta was winning.

This might be the case for a team that has had success atop the standings and with continuity, but the Dream had neither. Heck, they even had a rookie head coach in Karl Smesko. The franchise has now established itself and brought back their core, including WNBL imports Jordin Canada and Naz Hillmon, as well as Izzy. Canada and Borlase make up two of the last three WNBL MVP’s, while Hillmon made the All-WNBL First Team in their off year. Hillmon won Sixth Player of the Year honours in the WNBA last year as she was eligible before eventually making her way into the starting lineup.

Potential Brisbane WNBL team owner Angel Reese bolsters the Aussie connection, having been traded from the Chicago Sky. Reese provides a very interesting wrinkle to the team as she can share the front court with Hillmon or Jones and provide the team with extra possessions on the glass. Her offence won’t be as relied upon in Atlanta and she could have a serious uptick in efficiency. 45.8% from the field last year isn’t a great result from a big who doesn’t shoot threes, but that number could easily jump up 10 percentage points.

The Dream played team ball last year, third in the league for assists at 21.4 with Canada leading the charge dishing out 5.7. This lends itself to Reese and Borlase with the former as a finisher and the latter as a playmaker and finisher. Although Borlase is on a three year deal with Atlanta, and was the MVP of the WNBL last year, her role in the upcoming WNBA season is unknown. She could be a rotation piece, but Smesko might start the season with her getting spot minutes here and there. A back court with Rhyne Howard, Allisha Gray and Canada is excellent, it’s unbelievable.

Te-Hina PaoPao was a reliable shooter in her rookie season and fit into this teams egalitarian offence with 2.4 assists a night, playing all games but one. With her play and development last year, she’s the heir apparent to their three-headed guard monster. As the season progresses Smesko could start to call on Borlase more. Right now, PaoPao is a more proven commodity, but the minutes could be there to take for the young Aussie. That’s something Smesko proved in his rookie year - he’ll go with whatever’s working.

Entering the year, this might look all over the place in the first 10 games, and Borlase might not play, or she might even find herself in the starting lineup for a game or two. The view on her WNBA career isn’t the first 10 games of this season, or even the year more broadly, it’s a lot longer than that. Her play internationally and in the WNBL has shown enough that a WNBA team wants to invest in her long term. The Atlanta Dream are one of the best environments to enter if you’re a player that’s developing.

Puoch’s opportunity is a different side of the same coin. She might not have as much talent at Portland’s practices, but it looks like she’ll be getting her reps in-game. She started both of the Fire’s preseason games yet could move to the bench as their star player in Bridget Carleton has joined the team after finishing her season in Europe. Puoch should be seeing consistent play around the 20 minute mark. As has been the case in her young career, she continues to amass experiences. Aged 21, she’s gone through all of the ups and downs of a professional basketball career, still younger than most players who enter the WNBA.

At some point, Puoch is going to put it all together and make sense of everything. In the meantime, all these notches on her belt are a good thing. Her last two seasons with the Canberra Capitals have shown the start of this journey and the maturation of her game. If this is the launching pad, she could be a future MVP in the WNBL and a starter in the WNBA. She’s accompanied by a long list of former WNBL imports including Carleton, Karlie Samuelson, Haley Jones and Sug Sutton. Portland selected Chloe Bibby in the expansion draft before trading her to Phoenix where she was waived.

Sandy Brondello made a foray outside of the United States to be the inaugural head coach of the Toronto Tempo. They signed Maddy Rocci and Kristy Wallace to training camp contracts, yet both players were waived. The Australian flavour in Canada is somewhat present, not only in the coaching staff but on the court with former WNBL imports Marina Mabrey, Brittney Sykes and Kia Nurse.

Aussie will leave their mark all over this season, and they already have. With the amount of them in the league and on the periphery, there’s every chance players who were cut during training camp find their way on to a roster as teams are faced with injury issues. There are 12 currently in the league, by season’s end that number will likely grow. Nine of the league’s 15 teams, or 60%, are home to Australians. They’re star players, starters, solid rotation pieces, prospects and development players. If you made up a roster of all of the Aussies in the WNBA you’d probably make the playoffs.

The regular season will now run until late September with a break for the World Cup. With the postseason slated for October and Australians scattered throughout the contenders, could we see someone come home with a medal and a ring?

Adam and Lukas discuss WNBL Free Agency so far, and look at the contenders in the upcoming WNBA season.

Unwrapped is presented by C2C Sport. Get 10% exclusive discount on your initial order, use code PICKROLL on the checkout page at c2csport.com.au. Valid for custom orders. Contact sales@c2csport.com or call 02 6581 1558 if you need help.

Before that, though, there was a national title to be won. All 13 teams would have landed in Moreton Bay with championship dreams, and while one squad ultimately stood head and shoulders above the rest, players from right across the country made their mark. With a bumper week of high-level basketball now in the books, we’re looking at just a few of the stars that stood out.

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Title favourites through the first half of last season, United’s offence spluttered once the calendar ticked into December. Over their first 15 games, their offensive rating was six points per 100 possessions better than league-average, before it slipped to five points below league-average efficiency for the remainder of the regular season. Defensively, they still stayed better than league-average during that tough stretch, but there was a meaningful decline compared to early on.

With Chris Goulding turning 38-years-old during NBL27 and coming off just 13.4 points per game, as well as Shea Ili turning 34 in October and struggling with availability, there’s a need for additional shot creation. Whilst there will be another key cog still to sign, acquiring both Waardenburg and Ingles, who bring clear above-average passing for their position, will add more balance and depth to Melbourne’s offence.

Waardenburg signing

Of the free agents who played in the league last season, Waardenburg was the number one most intriguing target for me. There just aren’t many bigs in our league that can pass, dribble, shoot, and defend at a high level like he can, something that has been looked past by some, given his injuries last season.

After an encouraging rookie campaign, Waardenburg’s outside shot deserted him in NBL24, but his improvement on defence during that season was noteworthy and impactful enough to earn an honourable mention in my defensive player of the year rankings. In NBL25, he rediscovered his jump shot (36% on threes, including some impressive shot-type versatility) and showed off more passing than ever (3.4 assists). He has all the makings of a top ten player in the league next season.

Dean Vickerman on signing Waardenburg:

“One of our goals this offseason was to add more size per position and being 6’10 at the four spot certainly does that. He has the ability to shift to five and add shooting to that area which is something that we’ve enjoyed in the past. His athleticism and quickness are both massive strengths, and then he has the ability to go get 20 on any given night. He can be your leading guy when you need it. We’ve had that position as a four-man be a real connector in our offence. We saw it with Finn Delany last year where we can put him in the middle on-ball and just let him create: he can pop, he can roll, he can be a facilitator and decision maker for us”

Waardenburg will either be a significant upgrade in positional size on Finn Delany, or a do-it-all big who can play both front court spots, with the ability to close games at center when more nimbler feet and ball-skills are required.

Ingles’ addition

The addition of Ingles does little to suppress any concern around United’s aging core of Goulding and Ili, but given his quality it’s a signing you can’t pass up. Ingles will turn 39 in October and it remains to be seen whether he will start or play a sixth man role, and where his positional split of minutes will come.

Initial thoughts, albeit with a far from finished roster, might have him in that sixth man role, coming on as that secondary playmaker and using his elite vision and shooting to juice Melbourne’s offence. In total across the past two regular seasons, Ingles has played only 267 minutes in the NBA, so he’ll be keen to get back on the floor regularly in a more friendly NBL schedule. Last season we saw 38-year-old JaVale McGee log 25-minutes per game for comparison.

Both Ingles and Waardenburg can fill multiple roles on offence with their ball-skill and ability to shoot threes both off the catch and bounce. The question surrounds defence where Ingles’ lack of speed will likely see him needing to guard the big rather than wing in a lot of matchups. Athleticism and defence will be a target point in free agency to balance out the Ingles and Goulding pairing.

Vickerman’s departure

Vickerman’s departure is a mighty loss, bringing an end to an incredible run that saw him play a major role in turning an underachieving club into a perennial contender. Melbourne’s culture and standards are undeniable. From my piece on the team in NBL24:

“The challenge for me to the group is, regardless of who’s playing for us, can you keep the identity of the club. Can these guys who’ve been with us for a short period of time play defence the way we want to and just live our trademark”

Vickerman has been a defensive taskmaster, getting accountability on that end year in and year out. Melbourne have rated above-average defensively in all nine seasons of his tenure, giving them a tremendously high floor and building block to success.

Simon Mitchell summed up Vickerman’s strengths when interviewed for that same piece:

“He’s built a culture of what’s expected — This is what we do, and the kids coming in, you just see tremendous growth, and it’s quick. They want court time and they’re not going to get it unless they provide [defensive effort]. I think it’s talent identification, but there’s also an element of, you’re not going to get to play unless you’re digging in at that end”

Trevor Gleeson was reportedly keeping a close eye on any potential opening in Adelaide, but with that position not available, he is now being mooted for the United job. This would be a dream pivot for Melbourne, with Gleeson one of the only local coaches who you would draw as much confidence from given his resume.

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Gleeson’s flex offence, his desire for his players to cut, screen, and crash the offensive glass, as well as focus on the defensive details brings with it high standards, and would surely thrust the team straight back into the title mix.

(Photo credit: Damian Clark)

Basketball has always found its way to Abi Curtin. Having grown up playing, her joy for the game has never come into question, as she tells The Pick and Roll.

“When I was a kid, I wasn't particularly good. I loved it, I played rep, but I wasn't like a superstar as a kid, but I really, really enjoyed the sport.”

She was faced with an adversity that isn’t for the faint of heart. “I broke my femur, so I didn’t play a lot of under 16 or under 18. So I feel like I missed also that space of development. I didn’t even consider coming back at that point because you haven’t played basketball for almost three years at a competitive level. But I got really lucky, someone brought me into an NBL1 team and I realised how much I loved it.”

A broken femur at such an early age could discourage a budding athlete off the path, but it continued to forge it for Curtin.

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Olympic Bronze Medalist Nick Kay joins the show to discuss his time in Japan, his ability to influence a game in multiple ways, and his aspirations for more Boomers medals.

Unwrapped is presented by C2C Sport. Get 10% exclusive discount on your initial order, use code PICKROLL on the checkout page at c2csport.com.au. Valid for custom orders. Contact sales@c2csport.com or call 02 6581 1558 if you need help.

It’s an exciting time, especially considering the lucrative leap the league recently took. The new collective bargaining agreement is a transformational move for the sport, with minimum salaries jumping from USD$66,000 to USD$270,000.

However, being selected in the WNBA Draft does not guarantee a roster spot or a contract. Draft data from the last decade actually paints an incredibly cutthroat picture, with more than a third of selections never actually seeing a WNBA floor.

In the 10 iterations prior to the 2026 draft, a total of 362 players were picked. That’s 36 per year aside from 2025, which featured 38 selections. Of those players, a remarkable 125 have never featured in a WNBA regular season game. That is 34.5%, which averages out to 12.5 players per draft or simply put, a whole round!

The startling numbers continue with 40.3% of draft picks (146) having played five games or less, and 155 (42.8%) selections featuring in 10 or fewer games. To simplify the brutality of that data, on average two out of every five players selected won’t ever truly establish themselves in the world’s best competition.

Naturally there will be questions and doubts over the validity and circumstances behind these numbers. In collecting the data, my first assumption would be that earlier in the 10 year span, the numbers would be far improved as time would allow players to develop and come to the league as better players at a later age. Especially considering the draft and stash element we often see.

That wasn’t the case. The three oldest draft classes all had at least a third of their players never take the WNBA floor.

There has also been suggestions in other leagues and sports around the world that the ‘Covid Drafts’ were heavily impacted by the inability to scout or see players actually play, thus they aren’t a great representation of the incoming class. That logic would imply that we should see a spike in the numbers across 2020, 2021, and potentially 2022. However, that was not the case, with that three-year stretch being the second best in regards to fewest non-playing selections.

As for how our Australians fare, well the numbers align closely with the averages. Across the decade, 10 locals have been selected, and even discounting Georgia Amoore, who missed the entirety of last season due to injury but was likely to feature on court, three have never played, and four have played 10 games or less. Of course these numbers could drop moving forward, with draft and stash players like Izzy Borlase on track to make their WNBA debut this season.

The hope is that with the expansion of the league these overall numbers improve, with more young players getting opportunity as the spread of talent is greater. Last year the Golden State Valkyries joined the competition and according to the metrics we’ve used it was the best draft in three years.

A further two franchises are set to debut this season and the league will grow by another three teams in the following three years. It hopefully means not just more Aussies drafted in the WNBA, but more of them establishing themselves in the league.

Photo credit: Supplied/ James O’Donohue Photography

Chantel Horvat’s career has taken her from Geelong to Canberra to California to a WNBL championship and representing the Opals, with stops in Poland, Spain and Turkey along the way.

Through it all, she’s learned to expect the unexpected.

Horvat recently made the move to the Sydney Comets in NBL1 East this season and made an immediate impact with a 37-point, 13-rebound debut against Lauren Nicholson’s Sutherland Sharks. Showcasing a polished mid-range game and an athleticism that allowed her to seemingly get to the rim at will, she stamped herself as one of the elite players in the conference.

But with just one game under her belt for the team, the unexpected happened: a finger injury so horrific her bone “popped out of the skin”.

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Fresh off a new WNBA contract and a selection in the WNBA draft respectively, Nyadiew and Manuela Puoch join the show to discuss their huge month, along with successful agent Sammy Wloszczowski; who, along with the Puoch sisters has brokered several significant WNBA deals. We chat about Alanna Smith, Jade Melbourne, and more.

Unwrapped is presented by C2C Sport. Get 10% exclusive discount on your initial order, use code PICKROLL on the checkout page at c2csport.com.au. Valid for custom orders. Contact sales@c2csport.com or call 02 6581 1558 if you need help.

Photo credit: FIBA

There’s a distinct difference between a nomad and a journeyman, and that’s a fairly important distinction when it comes to Steph Reid.

The journeyman tag is often given to a talented athlete, with a stable professional career, but one who rarely stays in one place for long. Reliable, but replaceable. And in many ways, expendable.

Alternatively, a nomad is someone who willingly moves, embraces change, and seeks out new challenges. It’s an apt title for Reid, both as a player and a person, and someone who is definitely not expendable.

The last time I spoke to the star guard, she was schooling grown men at Venice Beach, spending solo days at Disneyworld, and making a name for herself in the world of European basketball.

Since then?

“The list is long,” she laughs, reflecting on her time abroad. “Slovakia, Italy, London, Paris, Greece... every major city in Poland, Portugal, and China.”

It sounds like a Contiki tour, but Reid’s latest trip was a tour de force. Sure, some sightseeing was sprinkled in, but her constant movement across the globe has been part of a deliberate and intentional master plan. She’s in the pursuit of reaching one singular goal. This is how the intrepid point guard’s journey all over the planet has her poised to finally reach the one place she’s always wanted to get to.

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Over his three years at the University of Florida, the Perth-born big man has gone from a relative unknown to a genuine NBA prospect. In that time, he’s had a college career that most could only dream of – countless big games in front of huge crowds, a pair of All-SEC selections, and last year’s national championship that was sealed with his desperate dive to grab a loose ball and close out the title game.

In that moment, he was at the centre of the basketball universe, with the chance to instantly cash in. Projected as a late-first-round pick in the NBA draft, he entered his name, worked out for a handful of teams, but ultimately returned to Florida to chase back-to-back titles. He and the Gators fell short of that goal in last month’s NCAA tournament, and he again found himself in the same situation, with the NBA calling and a spot in the league within reach.

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Dyson Daniels was a regular starter all season for the Atlanta Hawks, but stepped up to deliver an outstanding all-around performance, while Tyrese Proctor and Lachlan Olbrich posted numbers well beyond their standing as second unit players. Games like this are often a sign of greater things to come, as we’ve seen with Aussie players in the past; Patty Mills for instance dropped his NBA career high of 34 points for a shorthanded San Antonio Spurs team at the tail end of the 2011-12 season.

Dyson Daniels (Atlanta Hawks)

Dyson Daniels is well known for his all-around contributions to the Hawks, averaging 11.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game. He also posts 2.0 steals per game - a number which perhaps undersells his overall impact as a perimeter defender. With numbers like that, Daniels is a frequent triple-double threat, but only achieved this feat once in the 2025-26 season, at least before the final game that is. Atlanta blew out Cleveland by a 124-102 score line on their home court in the season closer, to cap off an encouraging season for the developing team, while Daniels posted his second triple-double of the year - 13 points, ten rebounds and 12 assists.

Daniels also unsurprisingly had a team-high +/- of +36, with his contributions on both ends playing a large role in Atlanta’s win. Although he missed his only three-point attempt, the Aussie was effective in the paint, going 6/10 from the field overall. He showed excellent chemistry with C.J. McCollum and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, setting up his shooters for a combined five three-point makes in the first half alone. Daniels was also tenacious on the glass, with five of his ten rebounds corralled on the offensive end. Atlanta’s blowout win over a top four Eastern Conference team like Cleveland would have provided a massive confidence boost, especially heading into the first round of the NBA playoffs.

Daniels proved in this game that he excels as a primary ball handler, and can impact winning at both ends of the court. The 23 year old was a key cog in Atlanta’s perimeter defensive unit, which held Cleveland to 7/27 shooting from beyond the arc. Expect to see plenty of Daniels in the Hawks’ first round series against New York, where they will go in as underdogs. But don’t be fooled - the Hawks have hit top form in the back end of the season, going 28-15 since they controversially traded star guard Trae Young.

Tyrese Proctor (Cleveland Cavaliers)

On the losing end against Daniels’ Hawks was fellow Aussie Tyrese Proctor, who recorded 15 points and four assists in an admirable performance. But unlike Atlanta, Cleveland had one more game remaining, where Proctor was thrown into the fire for 35 minutes of playing time. Proctor’s previous season high for minutes played was just 27, so it was clear that Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson wanted to see what he was made of.

The 19 year old rose to the occasion in a 130-117 win over Washington, which was close for the first three quarters before Cleveland pulled away late. He dropped 22 points on 9/16 shooting from the field, including 4/8 from three-point range, living up to his reputation of being a fearless shooter. After shooting under 35% from downtown up until that game, this barrage of points would have given Proctor a confidence boost heading into year two. He also threatened a triple-double, adding 11 rebounds and eight assists to his stat line, albeit at the cost of seven turnovers.

Proctor doesn’t have the same knack for picking up offensive rebounds that made Daniels a coveted player, but showed that he can put his 6’4 frame to use on the defensive boards. His eight assists also happened to be a team high, in a sign that Proctor has potential as a primary ball handler. The Cavaliers are currently one of the strongest teams in the East, and finished on a 52-30 record, so Proctor has his work cut out to try and earn a larger role. However, with aging guards like James Harden and Dennis Schröder on their roster, Atkinson will be looking to Proctor as a young player who can cement his role in the rotation moving forward.

Lachlan Olbrich (Chicago Bulls)

Speaking of triple-doubles, Lachlan Olbrich achieved the feat in just his second start for Chicago, which also turned out to be their final game of the season. Playing against a Mavericks frontcourt missing superstar Anthony Davis, Olbrich had his way inside, scoring ten points on 4/7 shooting while corralling fifteen rebounds. Of those fifteen, he pulled down seven rebounds (nearly half) on the offensive glass, proving to be a real hustle player for the Bulls.

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of Olbrich’s stat line was that he dropped 10 assists, while conceding only one turnover. Even in the modern era of playmaking big men, which has been underpinned by the likes of Nikola Jokic and Domantas Sabonis, it’s rare to see a power forward or centre hit double-digit assists. Olbrich proved himself to be very mobile for a big man, setting plenty of screens and regularly picking up the ball near the perimeter, while also collecting plenty of touches inside. He is adept at finding both cutters and shooters, often showing confidence in throwing a bullet pass or a nifty hand off.

Olbrich hasn’t shown much of his developing jump shot this season, but that will be an area of key interest moving forward. At 6’8 he would be considered undersized relative to NBA centers, and maybe even in comparison to most power forwards. The outside shot will be his ticket to a long career in the NBA, but after posting a 2/19 clip from downtown this season, there’s plenty of work ahead.

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Nonetheless, Olbrich has proven he belongs in the NBA as a versatile big man, whose strengths lie in rebounding and passing.

Adam and Lukas run through a huge two weeks in the WNBA for our Aussie athletes - with record deals being signed and several opportunities earned.

Unwrapped is presented by C2C Sport. Get 10% exclusive discount on your initial order, use code PICKROLL on the checkout page at c2csport.com.au. Valid for custom orders. Contact sales@c2csport.com or call 02 6581 1558 if you need help.

It was a mixed 2025/26 campaign for our Aussies, with moments of brilliance, and others some would rather forget.

From Josh Giddey to Alex Toohey, this is how the season panned out for all of our contingent and what the future looks like moving forward.

Josh Giddey (Chicago)

…

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Photo credit: supplied - Ballarat Miners/Kirstin Pluck Gameday Sports Photography

Ray Borner is one of Ballarat’s favourite sons. Born in the city in 1962, he became one of the most decorated bigs of his era, representing the Boomers at four Olympic Games and four FIBA World Championships, winning an NBL Most Valuable Player award (1985) and playing a st…

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Photo credit: UK Athletics

Amelia Hassett has been on an adventure as a collegiate athlete.

Having moved away from Australia to join Eastern Florida State College in the NJCAAW (Junior College / JuCo), the now 22-year-old has five March Madness caps with the Kentucky Wildcats. Hassett hasn’t taken the most conventional path, but she now departs Kentucky with the single season record for three-pointers made, with 99, beating out the likes of Georgia Amoore (78) and Rhyne Howard (84).

While her next move is unknown, she has become a valuable contributor with a sought after skillset as a stretch forward. She recently spoke with The Pick and Roll, starting at the end, with March Madness.

“It’s really cool. Obviously it is March Madness, not everyone gets to play in it, so it’s an amazing experience to do that. And then the atmosphere is just next level. Every team you’re going to play, it’s going to be everyone fighting for their lives in a sense. So I think it’s just a cool opportunity. And to play five games, that’s really cool.”

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Adam welcomes Sydney Kings Co-Owner Matt Denholm back to the show to discuss the Kings’ NBL Championship run, including free agency, Brian Goorjian navigating a tough start, the first season for assistant coach Andrew Bogut, and the signing of Torrey Craig.

Unwrapped is presented by C2C Sport. Get 10% exclusive discount on your initial order, use code PICKROLL on the checkout page at c2csport.com.au. Valid for custom orders. Contact sales@c2csport.com or call 02 6581 1558 if you need help.

Credit: Sydney Kings

In life’s more painful moments, silence can be deafening.

But it can be more than that too. Silence can be all-consuming, unbearable, and entirely overwhelming. The only thing worse?

Noise.

Specifically, the kind of noise that infiltrates the silence. Echoes of pure ecstasy humming through shared walls. Unbridled euphoria that instantly amplifies as a door cracks open, and lingers in the air after it closes. The all too familiar sound of two hands connecting for a high-five. The popping of champagne corks, escaping bottles that will never actually be consumed. The unmistakeable chorus of hoarse voices coming together, all out of key: We are the champions…

As the 36ers sat in the visiting locker room of Qudos Bank Arena, those were the sounds that cut into the silence. The brutal, painful, heartbreaking sounds of coming this close to winning a championship.

For the Kings, that noise was their rite of passage. The reward for clinching the greatest championship in NBL history: forcing overtime after an inspired fourth quarter comeback, at home, in front of a record crowd, before taking the throne as the league’s literal kings.

While the NBL broadcast masterfully captured every moment on court, there is still plenty you didn’t see on the coverage. This is what happened when the cameras stopped rolling, inside the stadium’s inner sanctum.

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The Kings came into the decider as winners of 13 consecutive games. Statistically, they had become one of the most dominant sides in NBL history. As the series reached a 2-2 stalemate, their wins were dominant shows of strength, and their losses came by a combined three points. They were heavy favourites to close out the title at home, and for good reason.

It was a very different feeling in Adelaide, where an impressive season always felt on the brink of disaster. They sat atop the ladder for 11 rounds of the regular season, but were overrun late by the Kings to lose home court advantage through the finals. They were 4-7 over their last 11 games heading into the postseason, with their coach constantly in the headlines and reportedly on the hot seat throughout.

In the end, all of that mattered for nothing. For all of their contrasting form, the drama on the court and in the headlines, the battle between Kendric Davis and Bryce Cotton, the raucous crowds in both cities and the equally passionate players on either side, the two teams couldn’t be separated through four games. Everything came down to game five, with 40 minutes of basketball – plus, as it played out, five minutes of overtime – to decide the championship.

The Sydney Kings were the favourites, with the chance to claim the title on their turf. There were two teams on the court, but it felt like all of the pressure sat on their shoulders. One game from their destiny, or one game from disaster.

Where high-pressure games often crawl out of the gate, things felt a little more frenetic from the opening tip at Qudos Bank Arena. There was tension, for sure, but it came through in the helter skelter of quick shots and relentless effort from both sides. “This is a white hot start by both of these teams – no signs of nerves,” seven-time MVP Andrew Gaze said on the broadcast as they traded blows in the opening minutes.

Against a Kings side that was usually methodical in their approach, the fast pace allowed Adelaide to land some early punches and find their footing. They needed a steadier, and as it has been for so much of this generation of Sydney success, the calming presence was Xavier Cooks.

Playing in his fourth championship series, the occasion was never going to get the better of the Kings captain. He was aggressive from the outset, using his speed to attack Isaac Humphries off the dribble for his first bucket and scoring six points in the opening term, along with a pair of offensive rebounds that led to scores. As always, though, it was about more than just the numbers – in the madhouse that was Qudos Bank Arena packed with 18,589 rabid fans, he brought stability by doing the little things that contribute to winning. By game’s end, he’d done it all classic Xavier Cooks fashion – 19 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block, and most importantly, a win for his team.

Flash back to the early rounds of NBL26, and none of that would have seemed likely. On October 26, a home loss to Tasmania dropped Sydney’s record to 2-5; Cooks scored just five points in that game, and it was his turnover that led to Nick Marshall’s buzzer-beating game-winner. “That Tasmania game, especially for me personally, was probably the lowest I’d felt in a long time on the court… that was a big wakeup call for me,” Cooks said back in December.

Through those first seven games of the season, he was averaging just 10.6 points and shooting an abysmal 26% from the free throw line. Those yips drew plenty of outside criticism amidst the team’s struggles, but then, the average punter has always struggled to fully understand Cooks’ brilliance. It was no different this season, and no coincidence that as he found his feet, so too did the Kings.

In his four full, non-injury-plagued seasons with the team, they’ve never ranked outside the top three in defensive rating; this year, their league-best defence helped to power their success, led by his versatility and willingness to always do the dirty work. Add in his unique offensive skill set as a connector and high-level play finisher, and he’s the key that unlocks so much of what they do on both ends. More than anything, he’s the heart and soul of a club that, before his arrival, had lacked heart and soul since returning to the league.

That was never clearer than in the dogfight of the championship series, where he stood up time and time again in the biggest moments. Across the five games, he averaged 16 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.8 blocks and one steal per game, finishing third in voting for the Larry Sengstock Medal as series MVP. That effort in his third title run, alongside a Sengstock Medal of his own and a regular season MVP, cemented his place as a modern great of the league; still, he would take no credit for himself. “Every moment of this game, someone had to come in and make a play… everybody played a role in this championship,” he told the postgame presser.

Through the first four games of the series, Sydney’s MO was clear – throw everything at Bryce Cotton and try to slow him down. They did that better than anyone during the regular season, and in their first two grand final wins, they held him to 10 and 15 points. That made the early exchanges of game five all the more ominous, as the six-time MVP got loose and poured in 11 points in the first quarter.

Across the season, the Kings threw multiple bodies at him at every opportunity, with their rotating cast of long, athletic wings all taking their turn. “It’s like a baseball pitcher and you’ve got different pitches, we’ve got different guys that have different strengths,” Goorjian said of their matchups on Cotton.

When it came to the championship series, one man had more success than anyone in slowing him down, and it was no coincidence that, as Cotton got hot early in game five, Matthew Dellavedova was sitting on the bench. The 35-year-old veteran earned equal parts praise and criticism for his efforts guarding Cotton across the first four games – praise for his impact in keeping Cotton quiet, and criticism for the physical nature of his defence. Regardless, he’d been huge for the Kings, and it was strange to see him play the opening minute and a half with Bryce scoreless, then spend the next six minutes on the bench as he got hot.

By the time he checked back in, there was no cooling Bryce down on his way to 35 points. That didn’t stop Dellavedova from giving him one hell of a working over, slowly wearing him down with that trademark physicality. By overtime, it had clearly taken its toll; while Dellavedova had fouled out late in regulation, his presence was felt as Cotton ran out of legs and Sydney stormed home. In between, Dellavedova made some huge plays himself – a charge drawn in the middle of a key second-quarter run, back-to-back triples in the third when Adelaide left him open and dared him to shoot, and by the final buzzer, a crucial 11 points and three assists with no turnovers.

Like Cooks, Dellavedova was no stranger to the occasion, playing in his third NBL championship series; unlike his captain, he was yet to win one, losing in each of the last two seasons with Melbourne United. After back-to-back game five heartbreaks, this year’s triumph was a welcome change. “Relief, I think, is the word. It’s been a long road,” he told ESPN’s Olgun Uluc postgame.

Realistically, he had nothing to prove this season – after all, he’s an NBA champion, a four-time Olympian and bronze medallist, and indisputably one of Australia’s greatest ever players. Still, that status brought high expectations when he landed in Sydney, expectations that his on-court play didn’t always meet. His shooting came under the microscope early in the season, and he was shifted from the starting lineup to the bench and back again as the Kings looked for their winning recipe.

There was little doubt that he would find his role eventually, but even if he didn’t, he would have still brought immense value to the team. On a squad led by a young point guard still learning on the fly, and with developing talent in key roles, he was the perfect mentor. “To have guys on your team who young men can look at, identify with, and understand that’s the benchmark, he’s the benchmark,” Kings co-owner Luc Longley told ESPN.

Game five was a slugfest, with both teams throwing haymakers but neither able to land the knockout blow. The stars stood tall for either side, but they alone weren’t enough to keep their teams in it. That suited the Kings just fine – their depth had been a calling card all season long, and in the biggest game of their lives, their role players stepped up once again.

It started with Tim Soares, who tends to fly under the radar but was front and centre in the opening minutes. The Brazilian big man scored seven of his team’s first 11 points, opening their account with a layup from a slick Kendric Davis feed, making a tidy post hook over Isaac Humphries, and draining a three to give them an early lead. Fast forward to the end of regulation, and it was Soares that made the play to save Sydney’s season, fighting for an offensive rebound in the dying seconds and putting it back up and in to send the game to overtime.

While his impact is often understated, it now can’t be ignored that Soares is a winner through and through – two seasons in Sydney, two championships. “He’s multi-purpose, he can shoot the ball, he can make decisions off the bounce, he’s good around the basket, he’s just a very very good basketball player,” Goorjian said of his centre after game one. “Zero maintenance, just comes every day, does his job, great teammate.”

Then there was Jaylin Galloway, who poured in 16 points in the game and made some huge shots in crucial moments – a three on the quarter time buzzer to grab back some momentum, another in the fourth quarter after they fell behind by seven, and an and-one finish to ice the game in overtime. That capped off a remarkable championship series for the 23-year-old, averaging 15.2 points per game and knocking down 18 triples despite a shoulder injury that will require offseason surgery.

His fellow young wing Makuach Maluach was quieter in the series and played just 12 minutes in game five, but he too seized his moment when it arrived. After playing less than ten minutes in regulation, foul trouble saw him check in with less than three minutes left in overtime and a six point lead in hand. His second possession on the floor, he stole the ball from Cotton to set up a Kendric Davis bucket; on the next defensive play, he swatted a Bryce jump shot, leading to Galloway’s and-one. Game over, just like that.

Torrey Craig was another that didn’t star in game five, but he was crucial to Sydney’s success and those shining moments for his teammates. After arriving mid-season as an injury replacement, he slotted straight in with minimal fuss and instantly made the Kings better. On the court, they didn’t lose a game with him until the grand final series; off the court, he was using his 450-plus games of NBA experience to nurture the team’s young stars. “I tried to take guys like JG and ‘Uach under my wing and give them that confidence, but also competitiveness,” Craig said after game one. “Just giving them as much knowledge as I can about what I’ve learned and how it can help them grow into the players that they’re becoming.”

Maybe most impressive is that the Kings were able to build such meaningful depth even with injuries to key players. When Keli Leupepe went down ahead of the season, Galloway, Maluach and Kouat Noi stepped up in small-ball lineups, with Soares becoming doubly important. Bul Kuol was a defensive leader, and his season-ending injury could have derailed their season; instead, they were able to bring in Craig as the piece that pushed them over the top. Tyler Robertson was a solid rotational piece before his injury in late February, and they were able to adjust and adapt late in the season.

“Selfishly, you want to be a part of something like this your whole life, so it’s a lot of fun,” Soares said in the midst of the series. “Being able to step up and be a part of the big games, the big moments, is a privilege.”

It was the play that could have broken Sydney’s back and sent the title to Adelaide. With two and a half minutes left in game five, Cotton caught the ball, faked, sidestepped, and rose up from three. The shot went down, the foul was called, and a miraculous four-point play pushed Adelaide’s lead out to six.

Timeout, Sydney. With their season on the line, what was the message in that huddle? “Just try to dig in, get some stops, and get the ball to KD,” Dellavedova shared with ESPN postgame.

Ultimately, Sydney’s fate sat with Kendric Davis. His teammates had stepped up in their moments, sure, but with Cotton on yet another all-time heater, they needed consistent brilliance from their star guard. “In game fives, it’s not about the role players, they’ve done their job all series to get us here,” Davis told ESPN after the game. “I had to be who I said I am.”

He had already been incredible throughout the game, flirting with a double-double in the first half and methodically picking apart the Sixers defence. From that point on, though, he went to another level; he scored seven points in those last two and a half minutes to help Sydney storm back, then poured in another seven in overtime to seal the title.

There were moments where he looked human, just as there were moments that even an all-time great in Cotton struggled. Most glaring for Davis was game two of the series, where Sydney fell victim to a vintage Cotton game-winner; Davis shot 6-15 from the field in the game, then got right in Cotton’s face as he celebrated. It was another moment that could have caused him and his team to unravel; instead, he responded with a historic performance in game three, dropping 34 points, 15 assists and zero turnovers in a crucial win.

That felt like the perfect encapsulation of Davis, a young star with visible flaws and raw emotions, but who learned to find balance and grew into his role as a leader. It was also a full-circle moment for the player that took so much of the blame for Adelaide’s implosion last season, with his character and behaviour called into question and pointed to as the root cause. “I couldn’t even click on Instagram at the beginning of the year, you just see all the hateful things… you never want to be determined off one bad relationship, and that’s what it felt like,” he shared after game five, in his first press conference of the season.

In Sydney, he found a perfect match, a club that was willing to look past those rumours and put him in position to succeed. With a wealth of basketball knowledge and veteran leadership, both on and off the court, they helped him to grow from a talent into a superstar. “I had some maturing to do when I got here. Goorj, Luc, Bogues, Delly, X, Brucey, they took me under their wing, and I think I then became a man,” Davis said on the broadcast.

None of them would have been enough, though, if he hadn’t been willing to put in the work himself. The reputation he gained in Adelaide, fairly or unfairly, could have defined his time in the NBL and, based on his own reflections, the rest of his basketball career. Instead, he found a better situation and fought tooth and nail to turn things around. In turn, his teammates put their trust in him to lead them to the promised land. “It’s pretty easy to do when you see the work he puts in every single day, and he is a legit workhorse, always working on his game,” Dellavedova said of that trust.

By the final buzzer of game five, Davis had already written himself into NBL folklore with an incredible grand final series, averaging 27.2 points and 10.4 assists and willing his team to victory; minutes later, it became official as he was presented the Larry Sengstock Medal. As he stood on stage, silverware in one hand and his son’s hand in the other, he put it better than anyone else could. “It’s my time now.”

There are few more joyful scenes than the moments after winning a championship. As the floor fills with people, first the players, then the coach, then friends, families, and more, the positive energy is infectious. In that setting, full of pure, unfiltered emotions, there was one name that every single King was giving plenty of love to.

From the MVP, Kendric Davis: “Goorj, he gave me an opportunity, when everybody tried to bash my name, he said I believe in you son, I’mma make you a better man.”

From the rising star, Makuach Maluach: “He believed in me, and he said if you come back, you’re going to get the reward you want.”

And from the captain, Xavier Cooks: “It means so much – I wanted this one so bad, I wanted this for Goorj.”

Like Dellavedova, Brian Goorjian had nothing to prove this season. He was already a six-time champion, a seven-time NBL Coach of the Year, and led the Boomers to an Olympic medal. After four decades working the sidelines both here and abroad, he could have already retired as a legend of the sport.

And yet, it somehow felt like he did have to prove himself. After ending his Boomers tenure with disappointing results at the 2023 World Cup and the 2024 Olympics, and then struggling to make last season’s Kings click, there were plenty of questions around his ability as a coach, and his fit in the modern game. Those questions were clearly unfounded, but they didn’t go unnoticed inside Sydney’s four walls. “I’ve seen his name get dragged through the mud after the last two years… I wanted it for him, man,” Cooks said.

With so many accolades and at 72 years old, he could have easily thrown in the towel, walked away altogether or lost some of his fire. When the Kings stumbled out of the gates this season and the criticism kept on coming, plenty of coaches would have lost their cool. And yet, even back in October, after that disastrous loss to Tasmania that left him shaking his head and struggling for words, Goorjian was steadfast in his belief. “I’ve said this all along, I love the team.”

After watching these Kings emerge from the dark tunnel and into the light, it’s now easy to see why players love playing for Goorjian. Amidst the struggles of both the Kings and the Boomers, his positive messaging might have read like bluster and a refusal to address the issues; now, it’s clear that it’s deeper than that, stemming from a relentless belief in his players and a willingness to put himself in the firing line rather than thrown them to the wolves.

It seems safe to say that, regardless of what happens from now, Goorjian is safe from any more public potshots. He’s contracted with the Kings through to the end of next season, and he plans to see out that contract; beyond that is a mystery, but he’s earned whatever comes next. “I think I’ve put that to rest, and I can play my career out here now trying to get this next one with the bank’s money,” he said after game five.

There was little doubt already, but a seventh title removes any questions around Goorjian’s standing as Australia’s greatest ever coach. 17 years after his last championship, and 34 years on from his first, this one feels like an even more incredible note in the history books.

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As Sydney reigns supreme over the NBL once again, it only feels right to have Goorjian back in his throne as the King of Kings.