Ready to fire: Lucy Cochrane is set to make an impact in the WNBL

After emerging as an elite rim protector at the University of Portland, the Victorian native is poised for her WNBL debut with Townsville Fire

Photo credit: University of Portland Athletics

It’s just weeks until Lucy Cochrane takes her first steps into professional basketball, and the 24-year-old is buzzing with anticipation.

“I'm just excited to be playing at such a high level,” the 198cm forward/centre tells The Pick and Roll. “There are a lot of amazing players at Townsville, so I'm really excited to learn from them.”

Joining the Fire is the latest step in a basketball journey that began when Cochrane first took up the sport at her local club, Sandringham, at eight years old. While she initially played netball as well, basketball soon won out. “I just enjoyed basketball more, so I ended up going down that path,” she explains. “I was always pretty tall for a kid, so I kept playing and loved it.”

From there, she became a representative player for Victoria Metro, emerging as a big-time shot blocker who could crash the offensive boards, shoot from the mid-range and show nice touch as a passer from the low post and the elbows.

At 14, Cochrane became the youngest ever development player at the Melbourne Boomers. She also became a fixture in national junior teams, becoming the youngest member of the U17 World Championship-winning Sapphires team alongside Ezi Magbegor, Jaz Shelley and Monique Conti.

After a productive season for NBL1 team Ballarat, during which she was named Defensive Player of the Year, Cochrane headed to the US to play college basketball, initially at Oregon and then with the University of Portland Pilots.

“It was really difficult at the start,” Cochrane recalls of her early days in college. “It’s such a big change. I almost think the time leading up to it was the hardest part, knowing that you have to move so far away from your family and what you're used to.

“But then, you're so busy, and train so much. When you get to know your teammates, it gets easier. I loved it.”

The Pilots had strong ties to Australia, with players including Cochrane’s current Fire teammate Alex Fowler as well as Maddi Condron, Keeley Frawley, Haylee Andrews, Emily Sewell, Emma Strelein and Dyani Ananiev all part of the program.

Cochrane says having some familiar faces around made the transition to Portland easier.

“It's nice having girls in the same position as you, being away from their family, especially at times like Christmas when you don't have time to go home. You can hang out with them and they understand the position you're in.”

At Portland, Cochrane majored in communication studies and says finding time for study alongside basketball was sometimes tough but ultimately rewarding. “The University had amazing facilities, and the teachers helped you balance [sport and study),” she explains. “Some days, after a big training session, the last thing you wanted to do was be in school. But in the end, it was definitely worth it. And having your teammates in your class and getting through it together was always fun.”

During her time as a Pilot, Cochrane says she got better at playing under physicality. She also believes that the high level of competition across the West Coast Conference helped her develop consistency in her game.

“The kind of pressure you’re put under, and having to train a lot, it was a big load, but it helped me grow in so many aspects of my life, as a player and a teammate, and just as a person.”

Pilots head coach Michael Meek ran a zone-heavy defence at Portland and challenged Cochrane to own the space around the rim and contest as many shots as possible. “It was something I was always good at,” Cochrane says of shot-blocking. “But [Meek] challenged me to improve year on year.”

In her final season with the University of Portland, Cochrane helped her team to a second successive NCAA tournament appearance and was nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year.

She also cemented her position as an elite rim protector, using her length and timing to finish second in the nation for blocks, behind only Los Angeles Sparks star Cameron Brink. One particularly memorable rejection came in the conference semi-final against Santa Clara when Cochrane sealed the win for Portland with a block in the dying seconds.

In the upcoming WNBL season, Cochrane projects as a player whose ability to block and change opposition shots will make her an impactful interior defender from day one.

Fire coach Shannon Seebohm has become a great development coach and will undoubtedly look to refine Cochrane’s offensive skill set, building on her ability to score second-chance points and roll hard to the rim.

Cochrane had previously thrived under Seebohm in the Sapphires program, and says him being in charge of the team was a major reason she decided to join Townsville.

“I just loved having him as a coach; he’s so smart,” she says. “I always loved his style of play and just the type of person he is. When he contacted me, I was super excited to have him as a coach again. I think there are still a lot of things I can develop on, and I spoke a bit to Shannon about that.”

Having grown up in Victoria and spent time at Canberra’s Centre of Excellence, Cochrane looks forward to getting to know her new home in North Queensland. “I've heard it's very hot, so that'll be a good change from Melbourne,” she laughs.

Mostly though, she’s just excited about getting the next chapter started.

“It’s a pretty young group, and it’s always fun to be around that kind of environment, but at the same time, there are a lot of experienced players. As a team, our expectations are to go out there and win every game possible and I think it’s going to be a great group to be around.”