Call it the calm before the storm.

Steph Reid takes a nap before each game, where she terrorises opposition players as a tenacious on-ball defender. "It doesn't matter if the game's at midday; I'll still get up and go back to sleep," she tells The Pick and Roll.

It's an unusual preparation, perhaps, but her opponents last season must have been wishing she stayed in bed. Townsville Fire point guard Reid enjoyed a breakout year in the WNBL, moving into a starting role, scoring 12 points per game and tallying 4.9 assists per game, good for fourth in the league. She also won the Fire's Most Valuable Player award and placed fifth in voting for the Robyn Maher Defensive Player of the Year.

Basketball Victoria @Basketball_Vic

The debuting Victorians! Amazing to see Bec Cole, @StephR96 and Anneli Maley get their call-ups to the Australian Opals! #GoOpals

This two-way form saw the 25 year old elevated into the Opals squad for the recent three-game friendly series against Japan. She says the call up was an unexpected honour.

"It was amazing. It was something I couldn't believe I had achieved, to be honest. To be wearing the green and gold in Sydney in front of all our fans and to be alongside players I've looked up to my whole career was surreal."

The Pick and Roll

Steph Reid on pre-game naps and achieving her…

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