Chasing Excellence: Georgia Amoore knows her best is yet to be

As the Opals chase gold in Paris, this Australian star is embarking on an exciting new challenge at Kentucky. A private camp with WNBA royalty has equipped her to take the next step into stardom.

Photo Credit: Under Armour

March Madness had just ended, but Georgia Amoore was already going back to school.

It was April 2023, and the Australian sensation had just set the college world alight as Virginia Tech’s feisty, flamethrowing three-point threat. Amoore had not only led the Hokies to the tournament’s number one seed, she’d made it look fun. She was the undersized Aussie nailing deep triples to take down powerhouse schools, and smiling while she did it. In the epic drama that had enveloped women’s college basketball, Amoore was suddenly one of the leads, alongside the likes of Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark. By the time the Hokies’ season came to an end in the Final Four – a narrow loss to Reese and eventual champions LSU – Amoore had entrenched herself as one of the leading ladies on the collegiate landscape.

Even so, the defeat was still difficult to stomach. Everyone was rooting for the Hokies, and they’d come within touching distance of the championship. As Amoore’s star had risen, so did her social media following. With an Instagram following of 71,000 and rising, her phone hadn’t stopped blowing up throughout the entire month. When the dust finally settled, and she finally started sifting through the endless notifications, one stood out.

kelseyplum10 started following you.

Amoore’s eyes weren’t deceiving her. This was the Kelsey Plum, the two-time WNBA champion, Olympic gold medallist, and WNBA icon. Why exactly was she following Amoore? Because she’d seen exactly what everyone else had during March Madness: this kid was going to be a star.

Which is how Amoore found herself back at school. Shortly after the follow, Under Armour – Plum’s apparel partner - reached out with the offer of a lifetime: an invite to the first ever Dawg Class, an exclusive, private camp at Florida’s world class IMG Academy for college basketball’s best guards, hosted by Plum herself.

Much like Charlie touring Willy Wonka’s famous chocolate factory, Amoore was one of just nine people on the planet invited into the secret lab of a genius. Unlike Charlie though, Amoore didn’t stumble onto her ticket through sheer luck. Instead, she was handpicked by Plum for her drive, determination, and for lack of a better word, doggedness.

“Kelsey was big on girls having some guidance from the league, because she talked about how much she struggled when she went from college to the league and how hard it was, and just having that person to lean on, which she genuinely is. The camps, we practiced against each other, we see how she lifts, how she performs… She’s big on the mental side, working with a mental coach. Seeing all those resources and what it takes is really eye-opening.”

Plum’s vision was to create a bridge for college basketball’s best young guards to transition into the league, birthed from her own experiences as a rookie. Even as college basketball’s all-time leading scorer (at least at the time), the Aces star had found it difficult to adjust, overwhelmed by the chasm separating college and the WNBA.

“The best part about it was she was genuinely all about us girls, like she was hanging around us, she would eat with us, she’s working out with us, and she’s texting us. Like I have her number, I can really reach out whenever I want or whenever I need anything, so she’s like a genuine resource.”

She’s not the only one, either. Amoore was in rare company during her most recent appearance at Dawg Class, alongside the likes of leaguefits legend Nika Muhl and arguably the WNBA’s most loveable rookie in Kate Martin. It’s created a network for the game’s brightest young talents to lean on each other and build relationships as they prepare to enter the unknown. Even amongst the next wave of WNBA stars, the Aussie had made quite the impression.

“The first year, I got Dawg of the Camp,” she admits sheepishly. “I mean going into that I just wanted to learn absolutely everything from her.”

So what exactly did she learn from Plum at Dawg Class, and how has it put her on track to become one of Australia’s best players?