Aussie duo Jade Melbourne and Georgia Amoore are taking America’s capital by storm
Jade Melbourne has settled into pro ball, Georgia Amoore has conquered college, and they’ve reunited in America’s capital. Code Sports checked in on Amoore’s ACL status, taking on the political state, and wind it back to the mischief caused at the AIS.
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There’s a new Aussie duo roaming America’s capital.
Country Victorians Jade Melbourne and Georgia Amoore have together had national team success as juniors, have repped their state team and are Australia’s future back-court stars.
Now, they’ve reunited at the WNBA, and are rubbing off their Aussie ways to their Washington Mystics teammates.
Melbourne, in her third WNBA season, is feeling more confident in her game than ever before. The Traralgon native keeps a pure focus on the game, with a more of a traditional approach to her career.
Not one to engage with the entertainment side of the business, you won’t see her glamming up for her tunnel fit arrivals at games.
Her infectious bubbly energy however, separates her and lifts the group, especially in thrilling real time game situations, like when Dallas Wings’ number one pick Paige Bueckers tied the game with a clutch three pointer to send their game to overtime, Melbourne was breaking the tension and dancing around to the game tunes.
Or post-game, it’s Melbourne running around with head coach Sydney Johnson’s kids on the practice court.
Amoore, she’s the modern player entering the league.
Part of the NCAA Final Four with WNBA stars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, Amoore’s college stat line has her right up in the same realm.
Five years within the collegiate system, she’s the new age product, coming through in an era of NIL (name, image and likeness) deals and social media and marketing impact, which she says is “incredible” for rising athletes, with “everyone trying to get involved.”
That personal brand led to the opportunity to be styled by NBA star Russell Westbrook at the WNBA draft.
Vastly different personalities and approaches, Amoore’s transition to the WNBA was made that much easier alongside a fellow Aussie.
“She brings the good energy, she brings the good vibes,” Amoore, 24, told Code Sports in Washington DC.
“She’s so willing to help, it was good to bounce ideas back and forth off each other.
“Watching her play now, I’m so proud of her, I’m always going to remind her to shoot it or to be more aggressive, because she is, she’s a superstar.
“You couldn’t ask for anything else.”
Code Sports caught up with the duo at the Mystics’ home court Care First Arena, after their overtime win over the Wings.
GEORGIA’S UP AND DOWN ADRENALINE RUSH
The Ballarat native became Australia’s best WNBA selection when the Mystics called out her name with pick six at this year’s draft, since Liz Cambage was taken with pick two in 2011.
“You don’t really realise how big it is, you’re working so hard and you come to the draft and you’re nervous to get picked regardless,” Amoore said.
“So when I heard my name pretty early, it eased my anxiety for the rest of the night.
“Looking at the Aussies who have been drafted high, the names that come to mind are the Lauren Jacksons and then I’m in that position, it’s crazy.
“And in no way or means am I comparing myself to Lauren Jackson because she’s a legend, but it just goes to show, being in the States and to be drafted at six, it’s a huge honour.”
But after experiencing the draft adrenaline rush, a heartbreaking rupture to her ACL at a training session on the eve of her rookie season pressed pause on her WNBA career.
Six weeks on from surgery and reflecting on the moment her season ended, Amoore initially thought she had managed to escape the ACL diagnosis.
“The adrenaline was pumping, I knew I had hurt myself but I had walked off the court so I thought maybe it wasn’t an ACL,” Amoore reflected.
“I was in a bit of denial and delusion.”
Despite the disappointment, the season on the sidelines is not cramping her style, the young Mystic has been quick to turn the experience into a positive one, taking a proactive approach to stay active and involved, from inside the coaching ranks.
“When I got the news, it was devastating at first but then it turned to what do I do? How am I going to navigate this? How am I going to get better and turn this into a positive?” she said.
“I spent the whole night coming up with ways to be positive.”
On game day, you’ll spot her with a clipboard in hand and speaking with coaches at the warm ups, immersing herself into “the nitty gritty of it, it’s something I find so fascinating.”
“It’s been fun to sit on the sidelines, learn from the coaches, watch them and how they coach.
“I miss basketball but it’s one of those things where it makes you want to come back better and enjoy the process, so it’s going along well.”
FROM ONE CAPITAL TO ANOTHER
She’s the face of the UC Capitals (Canberra) in the WNBL and now calls DC home, as Melbourne says “everyone must think I love politics, I go from capital to capital.”
So what’s life like for a 22-year-old Traralgon born basketballer in the American capital?
With quite literally a first hand view of America’s current political climate - from her apartment building rooftop where she watched the protests take over the CBD on President Trump’s birthday weekend in June - Melbourne keeps across the changing landscape but as an Aussie, doesn’t ask too many questions.
“I stay up to date but I don’t get involved because it’s not my place,” Melbourne said.
She remains alert to anything that could potentially unfold, but says the club provides timely updates to all the players and staff to ensure complete safety.
“It’s a really cool city to live in but also obviously everything that America goes through happens in Washington,” Melbourne said.
“I always feel safe, I have great support from people at the club, they always give us warning signs if there’s an event going on or the potential for something to maybe go a little crazy in the city.
“You stay on top of things and if anything gets a little too crazy, I’m only a flight away from home.”
TEENAGE MELBOURNE, GIDDEY & DANIELS CAUSING MISCHIEF
Picture this.
Jade Melbourne, Josh Giddey, Dyson Daniels, Isabel Borlase, Johnny Furphy (the list could go on) all bunked up at the AIS (Australian Institute of Sport) before they were household names, running a muck in the back of class.
Not taking school too seriously, each with a quiet confidence they were going to make it to the elite game.
“It’s so funny because a lot of us were in math class together, health class together, trying to tick a box if we were going to go to college,” Melbourne shared.
“A few of us too, we didn’t really care because we knew we didn’t need to get the grades.
“We were probably the annoying people at the back, the ‘we know we were going to go pro’ kind of kids, probably a little ahead of themselves at the time, but it all worked out for a few of us.”
From sneaking out to parties in Canberra on the eve of Melbourne’s 18th birthday and getting found out, which she says “killed the vibe”, to hover boards putting holes in the walls, this was the next generation of Australian Opals and Boomers riding the wave together as teenagers, dreaming of what could be.
Now, Furphy has played in an NBA finals series, Giddey and Daniels are on the verge of new NBA mega deals and Borlase and Nyadiew Puouch are on their way to the WNBA.
And Melbourne is pumped to be part of a class that used to find some trouble, all finding their way to the top, together.
“In the pods, all of us got up to some mischief at the AIS, there were noise complaints all the time,” she laughed.
“But you get to follow them, you feel like you’ve grown up watching their journey as well.
“Seeing so many people be successful is cool, now, more than ever, there’s so many of us coming over here and doing well.
“It’s cool to support one another and be by each other’s side.
“I know Nards (Nyadiew Puoch) is asking me questions about what it’s like at training camp, I was talking to Swainy (Shaneice Swain) about it too.
“To be able to lean on people that you grew up in close proximity to is really special.”
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