2017–18 WNBL season

Sports season

2017–18 WNBL season

League| Women's National Basketball League
Sport| Basketball
Duration| 5 October 2017 – 21 January 2018
Number of teams| 8
TV partner(s)| Fox Sports
Regular season
Top seed| Perth Lynx
Season MVP| Suzy Batkovic (TSV)
Top scorer| Liz Cambage (MEL)
Finals
Champions| Townsville Fire
Runners-up| Melbourne Boomers
Finals MVP| Suzy Batkovic (TSV)
WNBL seasons

← 2016–17

2018–19 →

The 2017–18 WNBL season was the 38th season of the competition since its establishment in 1981.[1] The regular season began on 5 October 2017, with the Melbourne Boomers visiting the Dandenong Rangers. The Sydney Uni Flames were the defending champions but were defeated in the semi-finals by Townsville. The Townsville Fire took home their third WNBL championship after defeating Melbourne, 2–0.[2]

This season sees the return to television, with Fox Sports broadcasting the WNBL for the first time since 2015. Spalding once again provided equipment including the official game ball, whilst iAthletic took over supplying team apparel.

## Player movement

[edit]

Main article: List of 2017–18 WNBL season signings

## Standings

[edit]

#  | WNBL Championship ladder

|

Team  |  W  |  L  |  PCT  |  GP
1  | Perth Lynx | 15 | 6 | 71.4 | 21
2  | Sydney Uni Flames | 14 | 7 | 66.6 | 21
3  | Townsville Fire | 14 | 7 | 66.6 | 21
4  | Melbourne Boomers | 12 | 9 | 57.1 | 21
|  |  |  |  |
5  | Adelaide Lightning | 11 | 10 | 52.3 | 21
6  | Canberra Capitals | 7 | 14 | 33.3 | 21
7  | Dandenong Rangers | 7 | 14 | 33.3 | 21
8  | Bendigo Spirit | 4 | 17 | 19.1 | 21

## Finals

[edit]

Main article: 2018 WNBL Finals

| Semifinals | | | Grand Final |

|
|
|
|
|

|  |  |  | | |  |  |  |
| 1 |  Perth Lynx | 0 | |
| 4 |  Melbourne Boomers | 2 |
| | 4 |  Melbourne Boomers | 1 |
|  |
| | | 3 |  Townsville Fire | 2 |
| 3 |  Townsville Fire | 2 |

| 2 |  Sydney Uni Flames | 0 |

## Statistics

[edit]

### Individual statistic leaders

[edit]

Category  | Player  | Statistic

|
|

Points per game | Liz Cambage (MEL) | 23.7 PPG
Rebounds per game | Liz Cambage (MEL) | 10.4 RPG
Assists per game | Natalie Hurst (CAN) | 6.7 APG
Steals per game | Sami Whitcomb (PER) | 2.5 SPG
Blocks per game | Jennifer Hamson (SYD) | 2.6 BPG

### Individual game highs

[edit]

Category  | Player  | Statistic

|
|

Points | Liz Cambage (MEL) | 44
Rebounds | Liz Cambage (MEL) | 23
Assists | Natalie Hurst (CAN) | 14
Steals | Natalie Novosel (ADL) | 8
Blocks | Jennifer Hamson (SYD) | 7

## Awards

[edit]

### Player of the Week

[edit]

Round #  | Player  | Ref.

|
|

Round 1 | Cayla George (TSV)  | [3]
Round 2 | Abby Bishop (ADL)  | [4]
Round 3 | Liz Cambage (MEL) | [5]
Round 4 | Suzy Batkovic (TSV)  | [6]
Round 5 | Liz Cambage (MEL) (2)  | [7]
Round 6 | Liz Cambage (MEL) (3)  | [8]
Round 7 | Courtney Williams (PER)  | [9]
Round 8 | Belinda Snell (SYD)  | [10]
Round 9 | Liz Cambage (MEL) (4)  | [11]
Round 10 | Sami Whitcomb (PER)  | [12]
Round 11 | Courtney Williams (PER) (2)  | [13]
Round 12 | Asia Taylor (SYD)  | [14]
Round 13 | Jennifer Hamson (SYD)  | [15]

### Team of the Week

[edit]

Round #  | Team

|

Round 1[16] | Natalie Hurst (CAN)  | Belinda Snell (SYD)  | Natalie Novosel (ADL)  | Jordan Hooper (CAN)  | Cayla George (TSV)
Round 2[17] | Nicole Seekamp (ADL)  | Nadeen Payne (BEN)  | Abby Bishop (ADL)  | Suzy Batkovic (TSV)  | Liz Cambage (MEL)
Round 3[18] | Katie-Rae Ebzery (SYD)  | Colleen Planeta (ADL)  | Sara Blicavs (DAN)  | Carley Mijović (DAN)  | Liz Cambage (MEL) (2)
Round 4[19] | Natalie Novosel (ADL) (2) | Sami Whitcomb (PER)  | Asia Taylor (SYD)  | Abby Bishop (ADL) (2) | Suzy Batkovic (TSV) (2)
Round 5[20] | Rachel Banham (BEN)  | Alice Kunek (PER)  | Asia Taylor (SYD) (2) | Jennifer Hamson (SYD)  | Liz Cambage (MEL) (3)
Round 6[21] | Courtney Williams (PER)  | Katie-Rae Ebzery (SYD) (2) | Jenna O'Hea (MEL)  | Kayla Pedersen (DAN)  | Liz Cambage (MEL) (4)
Round 7  | Courtney Williams (PER) (2) | Tessa Lavey (DAN)  | Micaela Cocks (TSV)  | Asia Taylor (SYD) (3) | Suzy Batkovic (TSV) (3)
Round 8  | Courtney Williams (PER) (3) | Sami Whitcomb (PER) (2) | Belinda Snell (SYD) (2) | Asia Taylor (SYD) (4) | Betnijah Laney (BEN)
Round 9  | Courtney Williams (PER) (4) | Sami Whitcomb (PER) (3) | Carley Mijović (DAN) (2) | Suzy Batkovic (TSV) (4) | Liz Cambage (MEL) (5)
Round 10  | Courtney Williams (PER) (5) | Sami Whitcomb (PER) (4) | Belinda Snell (SYD) (3) | Suzy Batkovic (TSV) (5) | Liz Cambage (MEL) (6)
Round 11  | Courtney Williams (PER) (6) | Sami Whitcomb (PER) (5) | Jennifer Hamson (SYD) (2) | Suzy Batkovic (TSV) (6) | Liz Cambage (MEL) (7)
Round 12  | Courtney Williams (PER) (7) | Katie-Rae Ebzery (SYD) (3) | Asia Taylor (SYD) (5) | Abby Bishop (ADL) (3) | Darcee Garbin (TSV)
Round 13  | Nicole Seekamp (ADL) (2) | Brittany Smart (MEL)  | Asia Taylor (SYD) (6) | Jordan Hooper (CAN) (2) | Jennifer Hamson (SYD) (3)

### Postseason Awards

[edit]

Award  | Winner  | Position  | Team

|
|
|

Most Valuable Player | Suzy Batkovic | Center  | Townsville Fire
Grand Final MVP | Suzy Batkovic | Center  | Townsville Fire
Rookie of the Year | Eziyoda Magbegor | Forward  | Canberra Capitals
Defensive Player of the Year | Kayla Pedersen | Forward  | Dandenong Rangers
Top Shooter Award | Liz Cambage | Center  | Melbourne Boomers
Coach of the Year | Andy Stewart | Coach  | Perth Lynx
All-Star Five | Courtney Williams | Guard  | Perth Lynx
Sami Whitcomb | Guard  | Perth Lynx
Asia Taylor | Forward  | Sydney Uni Flames
Suzy Batkovic | Center  | Townsville Fire
Liz Cambage | Center  | Melbourne Boomers

## Team captains and coaches

[edit]

Main article: List of 2017–18 WNBL team rosters

Team  | Captain  | Coach

|
|

Adelaide Lightning | Abby Bishop | Chris Lucas
Bendigo Spirit | Kelsey Griffin | Simon Pritchard
Canberra Capitals | Natalie Hurst | Paul Goriss
Dandenong Rangers | Stephanie Blicavs | Larissa Anderson
Melbourne Boomers | Jenna O'Hea | Guy Molloy
Perth Lynx | Antonia Farnworth / Sami Whitcomb (co)  | Andy Stewart
Sydney Uni Flames | Belinda Snell | Cheryl Chambers
Townsville Fire | Suzy Batkovic | Claudia Brassard

## References

[edit]

1. ^ WNBL official website
2. ^ "Suzy Batkovic stars as Townsville Fire defeats Melbourne Boomers to win 2018 WNBL Championship". foxsports.com.au.
3. ^ "ROUND 1 PLAYER OF THE WEEK- CAYLA GEORGE". wnbl.com.au. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
4. ^ "ROUND 2 PLAYER OF THE WEEK- ABBY BISHOP". wnbl.com.au.
5. ^ "ROUND 3 PLAYER OF THE WEEK- LIZ CAMBAGE". wnbl.com.au.
6. ^ "ROUND 4 PLAYER OF THE WEEK- SUZY BATKOVIC". wnbl.com.au.
7. ^ "ROUND 5 PLAYER OF THE WEEK- LIZ CAMBAGE". wnbl.com.au.
8. ^ "ROUND 6 PLAYER OF THE WEEK- LIZ CAMBAGE". wnbl.com.au.
9. ^ "ROUND 7 PLAYER OF THE WEEK- COURTNEY WILLIAMS". wnbl.com.au.
10. ^ "ROUND 8 PLAYER OF THE WEEK: BELINDA SNELL". wnbl.com.au.
11. ^ "ROUND 9 PLAYER OF THE WEEK- LIZ CAMBAGE". wnbl.com.au.
12. ^ "ROUND 10 PLAYER OF THE WEEK- SAMI WHITCOMB". wnbl.com.au.
13. ^ "ROUND 11 PLAYER OF THE WEEK- COURTNEY WILLIAMS". wnbl.com.au.
14. ^ "ROUND 12 PLAYER OF THE WEEK- ASIA TAYLOR". wnbl.com.au.
15. ^ "ROUND 13 PLAYER OF THE WEEK- JENNIFER HAMSON". wnbl.com.au.
16. ^ "ROUND 1 TEAM OF THE WEEK". wnbl.com.au. Retrieved 10 October 2017.
17. ^ "BATKOVIC NAMED IN THE TEAM OF THE WEEK". wnbl.com.au.
18. ^ "ROUND 3 TEAM OF THE WEEK". wnbl.com.au.
19. ^ "ROUND 4 TEAM OF THE WEEK". wnbl.com.au.
20. ^ "ALICE KUNEK NAMED TO WNBL TEAM OF THE WEEK". wnbl.com.au.
21. ^ "ROUND 6 TEAM OF THE WEEK". wnbl.com.au.

## External links

[edit]

* WNBL official website

* v
* t
* e

2017–18 WNBL season by team

* Finals
* Signings

Teams|

* Adelaide Lightning
* Bendigo Spirit
* Canberra Capitals
* Dandenong Rangers
* Melbourne Boomers
* Perth Lynx
* Sydney Uni Flames
* Townsville Fire

* ← 2016–17
* WNBL season
* 2018–19 →

* v
* t
* e

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*[ W ]: Games won
*[ L ]: Games lost
*[ PCT ]: Winning percentage
*[ GP ]: Games played
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template