Sabres will swap blue strips for pink uniforms to honour mum of teammate Soriah Moon who died from breast cancer

A Premier League basketball club is rallying around a teammate who lost her mum to breast cancer last year.

Sturt’s (L-R) Kayla Mathews, Lucy Allen, Soriah Moon, Scarlett Blethyn and Kylee Smith. The Sabres Premier League women’s team will ditch their blue uniforms to for pink strips while junior teams will don pink shoe laces to raise money and awareness for breast cancer, in honour of Soriah's mother. Picture: AAP/Keryn Stevens)

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Soriah Moon’s world was turned upside down on September 9, 2018.

That was when the Sturt basketballer’s mum, Hermina, died after developing breast cancer. She was 60.

“Mum was in quite a lot of pain and had so many side-effects from the treatment but she was just so strong throughout it all,” Moon, of Flagstaff Hill, says.

“I took a lot of time off uni to care for my mum.

“So a lot of the time it was just me and her going to appointments and everything.

“We just spoke about everything and anything.

Sturt Sabres players Kayla Mathews, Lucy Allen, Soriah Moon, Scarlett Blethyn and Kylee Smith are preparing to help raise money for the national breast cancer foundation. Picture: AAP/Keryn Stevens

“It sounds really clichéd, but she really did become like a best friend to me.”

Lining up with Sturt’s Premier League team has helped Moon deal with her mother’s death – and players are set to further rally around her next month during the club’s pink round.

The Sabres’ men’s and women’s side will swap their blue strips for pink uniforms when they host Woodville on Saturday, July 13, to raise funds and awareness for breast cancer.

Sturt’s junior teams will also be encouraged to buy and wear pink shoelaces for games between July 17-20. All funds raised will go to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

“Everything felt so empty after she passed away but coming back to basketball and seeing all my teammates, who have been very supportive, helped,” Moon says.

Sturt Sabres’ Soriah Moon and Tom Goodall ahead of the club’s breast cancer fundraiser last year. Picture: AA[/Dean Martin

“I think the fact Sturt is going beyond just basketball and engaging with the community is great.”

The Sabres will sell raffle tickets and pink doughnuts at the match to help raise money.

“When I look at all the junior players, I think they’ve got mums who could possibly have breast cancer and it makes me quite sad they might go through the same loss I’ve been through,” Moon says.

“If it’s detected early you’ve got more treatment options and a better survival rate.”

Sturt’s women are presently second with a 12-5 record, while the men are 10th.

The women’s match against Woodville tips off at Pasadena on July 13 at 6.30pm.