Townsville Fireplace coach Shannon Seebohm has expressed his pleasure in serving to ship the North Queensland franchise their fourth WNBL championship following their 2-Zero grand-final sequence sweep over Southside Flyers.
Seebohm took the pinnacle teaching function at Townsville in 2020 and made a direct affect, guiding the Fireplace to a grand ultimate berth whereas successful the league’s Coach of the Yr award for the second time.
However a 17-point loss to Southside within the title decider on Wednesday meant the Fireplace must wait earlier than including one other trophy to go alongside the three nationwide league championships claimed between 2015 and 2018 in the course of the period of membership stalwart and six-time league MVP Suzy Batkovic.
After lacking the finals within the 2021/22 marketing campaign, Townsville’s reconstructed roster got here to life by successful their final 12 video games of the common season earlier than sweeping Perth Lynx and Southside within the finals.
“We’re so proud to have lastly bought over the road. It has been a few years, a little bit of a grind. I can not be happier for the staff to have lastly finished it,” Seebohm stated following Townsville’s 82-69 victory in recreation two at Melbourne’s State Basketball Centre.
Seebohm introduced in loads of worldwide expertise in the course of the low season by including WNBA champion Tianna Hawkins, fellow American Mikaela Ruef and Nice Britain nationwide staff member Karlie Samuelson to a Townsville squad boasting Australian guards Lauren Nicholson and Steph Reid.
After an inconsistent begin to the season, Townsville got here alive as soon as their star-studded line-up constructed some continuity and the late-season addition of Opals guard Shyla Heal helped bolster their bench scoring.
A scorching end to the common season resulted in honors for Hawkins (All-WNBL First Crew), Nicholson (All-WNBL Second Crew) and Reid (Golden Palms) on the league’s awards night time, whereas Seebohm claimed his third Coach of the Yr gong .
However now the 34-year-old coach can add a nationwide league title to his listing of accomplishments after the minor premiers’ profitable post-season run.
After scoring 20 factors in Townsville’s record-setting 31-point house victory in recreation one of many sequence, Hawkins sat for many of the first half of recreation two attributable to foul bother however got here up huge within the fourth quarter to assist the Fireplace overcome a five-point deficit and safe grand ultimate MVP honors.
An emotional Hawkins devoted the victory to her seven-year-old son who returned house to America in December.
“I can not wait to get house and see him however that is for him,” the 32-year-old heart as she collected her MVP award.
“It hasn’t been straightforward however (Townsville) made it straightforward each single day so thanks and I can not wait to get house.”
