WNBL: Geelong Venom lose to Sydney Flames 97-94 in overtime in round 7, sign Georgia Woolley as replacement player
Geelong Venom has worked to shore up its roster after its latest injury blow, signing a well-credential college guard days after the side succumbed to its second overtime loss in six days.
Geelong Venom has worked quickly to lock in Georgia Woolley as its injury-replacement player.
The WNBL franchise has signed the Queensland guard for the remainder of the 2025/26 season after losing fellow guard Gemma Potter to an ACL injury in their overtime loss to Adelaide Lightning last week.
Fresh off a strong college career, the 182cm Woolley adds depth and versatility the Venom’s perimeter rotation, with the 23-year-old averaging 13.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists in her final season at Syracuse before declaring for the 2025 WNBA draft.
She previously played one season at Buffalo – where she was named MAC Freshman of the Year – before transferring to Syracuse and becoming a consistent scoring threat in the ACC.
Since returning to Australia, Woolley has lined up in the NBL1 South with Ballarat Miners.
The Venom – 3-6 after back-to-back overtime losses – next play reigning champions Bendigo Spirit at Ballarat’s Selkirk Stadium on December 5, with their next home game scheduled for December 7 against UC Capitals.
‘Undisciplined’: Geelong let second OT thriller slip
Geelong Venom coach Chris Lucas says his team’s second-straight overtime defeat “needs to sting”, declaring a lack of discipline down the stretch cost them another game.
But the experienced mentor lamented luck had not been on their side – whether it was the unlikely Sydney Flames triple to force Wednesday’s game into overtime to the Venom’s ongoing injury troubles – as he lamented: “I’m not sure how much more I can deal with.”
The word adversity is no stranger to the sport vernacular, though the Venom were hit with even more last round when beloved guard Gemma Potter went down with an ACL injury in their overtime loss to Adelaide, just as it seemed the franchise were coming out the other side by getting some star pieces back between Shyla Heal and Alissa Pili, though the latter remains sidelined.
A road clash against the Flames was a true 50-50 contest, with the Venom started strongly to take an early lead which they held for most of the game.
But it was a contested three-point dagger from Flames’ Unique Thompson which sent the game into overtime, where the home side swung the momentum in the final minutes to eke out the 97-94 win.
Lucas believed his side – now 3-6 – had been playing good basketball in recent weeks, but demanded more discipline from his players down the stretch as panic appeared to creep in.
“We’ve lost five games by seven points or less now, and we’re creating some pretty good games of women’s basketball but we’re on the tail end of it,” Lucas said.
“We were just, the last 15 minutes of play, so undisciplined, in particular from our senior players, which they’re aware of.
“I’m pretty disappointed because I thought we fought all game, we had control.
“Turn over from the baseline, missed block outs, one-off foul shots cost us the game.
“That’s sport sometimes – Unique Thompson hasn’t hit a three all year and she hits a three to tie the game.
“I feel like we need a bit of luck, to be quite honest.
“ … we’ve had a bad trot from day one, we’ve never had the whole team together.”
Geelong guard Elissa Brett came into the starting line-up for Potter and stepped up big time to put her recent scoring troubles behind her – her early triple signalling a strong night to come, the 25-year-old finishing with 22 points and 6-7 from the three-point line.
US forward Mackenzie Holmes again did all she could to get the Venom across the line, leading the game for minutes (43:17), points (28) and rebounds (10) with her family in the crowd.
“Absolute workhorse Mackenzie Holmes”, expert commentator Damon Lowery said on the broadcast.
Venom guard Shyla Heal continued to work her way back to fitness in appearance number two, playing 20 minutes off the bench.
And while the point guard had a several rusty moments, at her best she was a calm presence, going 12-12 from the foul line while a sweet dime to a wide open Brett for three in the first term epitomised her smarts and patience when on the ball.
The Venom got out to as much as a 10-point lead early in the third when Jaz Shelley (12 points, five rebounds) hit an outrageous triple with hands in her face, though the Flames, led by former Venom captain Keely Froling (24 points, seven rebounds), kept in touch to make it a one-point ball-game at three quarter time.
Flames captain Lauren Nicholson, who starred in her side’s round 1 win over Venom, then got off the chain late after she was well held for most of the night, hitting back-to-back triples to tie the game with two minutes of regular time, and 19 of her 21 points coming in the final 15 minutes of the game.
How latest injury blow will force Venom to pivot again
Geelong Venom will be forced to re-adopt its “next player up mentality” as the injury hits keep on coming at the WNBL outfit.
Just as the Venom got one player back in star point guard Shyla Heal (knee) last round, another went down, Gemma Potter heartbreakingly sustaining a third ACL injury in just over four years, in the final minute of regular time of an overtime loss to Adelaide, 99-93 last Friday.
But there is little time to dwell for the 3-5 Venom, with a second-straight road game on Wednesday night pitting them against the 2-6 Sydney Flames, who beat the Venom by eight points back in round 1.
But amid a three-game losing streak, the Flames may prove vulnerable if the Venom can regroup quickly enough.
Geelong has become well-attuned to adversity early, Heal missing in the early rounds and US cult figure Alissa Pili (ankle) yet to play since that Flames’ season-opener, as several key names for the Venom have been forced to step up and play big minutes most nights and many out of position.
Yet, they found a way to make it work, sitting abreast mid-table before Friday’s loss, with rookie Lilly Rotunno previously describing the squad as “one of the grittiest team” she’d been part of.
Heal’s return is timely, and she had a promising first game back from a knee injury despite being what Lucas described as “not game fit yet”, finishing with 16 points and three assists in 21 minutes off the bench.
You’d expect Heal to come into the starting rotation soon enough, whether that’s against Sydney or either of their two games next week once she gets more minutes into her legs, with Rotunno, who has impressed at 21 taking on the point guard role, likely to shift into a slightly different role and offer the Venom a needed spark off a bench that isn’t running particularly deep at the minute.
Star guard Jaz Shelley has got her groove back in recent weeks, now averaging 14.25 points, 4.63 assists and 2.75 steals, to become one of her side’s most consistent along with US import Mackenzie Holmes, who is undoubtedly in MVP form with 24 points and 9.75 rebounds a game, and fellow co-captain Alex Sharp (10.38 points, 7.75 rebounds).
But Venom coach Chris Lucas must now shuffle the magnets again to fill the void of Potter, who has started all eight games this season, was dogged on defence and could play taller when needed.
Forward Mackenzie Clinch Hoycard has yet to start this year – though would have in round 4 against Townsville had it not been for her late out with illness.
But Clinch Hoycard has been a significant contributor off the bench – averaging 10.17 points – and would make for a taller starting line-up and little coverage on the bench.
Guard Elissa Brett has got the starting nod on occasion and like Potter is strong defensively, though her minutes have diminished in recent weeks as her offensive game stutters.
The 25-year-old has failed to make a field goal in her last four games, going 0-20 from the field – including 0-13 from three – compared to 11-28 and 11-15 from three across her first four games.
Meanwhile, Taylor Mole has found herself down the pecking order and without significant playing minutes so far this season, coming off the bench in just three of eight games.
But at 188cm, she’s similar to Potter both in size and position, and can shoot the three ball.
Missing much of last season with a back injury, Mole returned via Geelong United in NBL1 over the 0ff-season, where she averaged 11.25 points (8.25 from three) and 3.19 rebounds a game.
The current question is whether Lucas has the confidence in her after missing so much game time last season, though you’d expect the Venom’s latest injury blow should give the 25-year-old at least some of a look in for increased minutes in coming games.
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Originally published as WNBL: Geelong Venom lose to Sydney Flames 97-94 in overtime in round 7, sign Georgia Woolley as replacement player
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