Gliders and Gangurrus join Opals in Home Series

In a unique event, Australia’s senior basketball teams will all take part in a series next week at Melbourne’s John Cain Arena.

JUNE 28, 2024.

When the Aussie Gliders wheelchair basketball team takes to John Cain Arena in Melbourne on Tuesday afternoon, not only will they have the chance to play in front of home fans, but they’ll be in the same tournament as the Australian Opals and 3X3 Gangurrus, who are both using the BALLIN’ series to prepare for the Paris Olympics. It’s a rare opportunity for fans to see all three senior teams at the same event.

The Gliders team has a new look to it in 2024, with several of the team’s most successful players of recent years moving on. That has provided the opportunity to blood some new players alongside some experienced ones. One from that newer generation is Western Australia’s Ebony Stevenson, who is just 14 years old. After representing the national under 25 side at the age of 13, Ebony made her senior Gliders debut earlier this year.

Ebony will play alongside established stars such as three time Paralympian Shelley Matheson, as well as senior players Georgia Munro-Cook and Hannah Dodd, when the Gliders take on Japan. Georgia told HER WAY that the oportunity to be part of an event like the BALLIN’ series is something she’s looking forward to;

“It’s the first time we’ll be playing with able-bodied teams, so I think that’ll be really exciting to get the whole of basketball together, and we’ll give it our best go against Japan.”

Hannah Dodd, who has experienced the integration of para and able-bodied athletes before as part of the Commonwealth Games in 2022 when she helped Australia’s Wheelchair 3X3 win the silver medal, is also looking forward to the coming together of the different squads, which also includes the men’s Boomers and Rollers;

“We’re really looking forward to being able to interact with the Opals and the Boomers, and we don’t get to see the Rollers all that often either because we’re in different programs. I’m really looking forward to it.”

The Gangurrus 3X3 team, who will make history in Paris as the first Australian women’s team to make an Olympics, also have a rare opportunity to show off their brand of basketball to home crowds, having become accustomed to playing tournaments around the world. The core four of Anneli Maley, Lauren Mansfield, Marena Whittle and Ally Wilson will be joined by Emma Clarke and Chloe Bibby for the event.

As the name suggests, 3X3 involves three players for each team on a half sized court, using a slightly different ball to traditional basketball. Regulation shots count for one point, with shots taken from behind the arc worth two.

Speaking to the ‘HER WAY: HER STORY’ podcast recently as part of the ‘Prep For Paris’ series, Marena Whittle explained what crowds can expect when they watch 3X3 Basketball compared to the traditional version of the game.

“It’s a different format, so now it’s creating this world where players who didn’t necessarily get the call up for five on five, like myself, can find their niche in the 3X3 world. It suits different player styles, so that’s where I am confident, because it’s more physical, more fast-paced, you can play a bit more. It’s pretty fun.”

For Anneli Maley and Chloe Bibby, the event will be a mini-reunion with the Opals, as they both played for the national senior team at last year’s Asian Cup in Sydney, where the Aussies won bronze. Tess Madgen, Maddy Rocci, Amy Atwell, Lauren Nicholson, Alice Kunek and Darcee Garbin remain from that team, and they’ll be joined by some other exciting names at either end of their international careers such as 43yr old Lauren Jackson and 19yr old Izzy Borlase.

Taking on the reigning Asian Cup champions China, the event will be a perfect preparation for the Olympics as the Australian selectors use the series to make final squad decisions for Paris. With the likes of WNBA stars Ezi Magbegor, Bec Allen and Sami Whitcomb watching on from the US, spots on the final roster will be as precious as the gold medals the team will be playing for in the French capital.

Tickets for the BALLIN’ series, which runs from Tuesday 2nd until Friday 5th July, are still available through Ticketek.

Images: Georgia Munro-Cook in action in the WNWBL recently, and HER WAY chats to Anneli Maley playing for the Opals at last year’s Asian Cup. Credits: HER WAY