WNBL news: Shane Heal absence continues for second game as Sydney Flames lose to Perth Lynx
The absence of Shane and Shyla Heal has continued for a second consecutive game, as Sydney Flames went down to the Perth Lynx.
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Sydney Flames coach Shane Heal was missing from the sidelines for a second consecutive WNBL game.
Heal, who is facing a club investigation, and daughter Shyla - Sydney’s point guard - missed the midweek clash with Southside and were again absent from Saturday’s 87-68 loss to Perth.
Pre-game, the club issued a pair of tweets which were nearly identical to those of Wednesday night, confirming the pair would miss.
“Shane Heal is unavailable to coach in tonight’s matchup against the Perth Lynx.
Shelley Gorman will take the reins as interim coach.”
“Shyla Heal will not be in the line-up for the Flames clash with the Perth Lynx tonight at Quaycentre. Shyla is out of the side due to personal reasons.”
Shane Heal is unavailable to coach in tonight’s matchup against the Perth Lynx.
— Sydney Flames (@TheSydneyFlames) January 21, 2023
Shelley Gorman will take the reins as interim coach. pic.twitter.com/1mkgXZF6oP
Shyla Heal will not be in the line-up for the Flames clash with the Perth Lynx tonight at Quaycentre.
— Sydney Flames (@TheSydneyFlames) January 21, 2023
Shyla is out of the side due to personal reasons.
Heal has not returned calls and the Flames won’t comment on the nature of the probe.
The Flames were within two points at halftime, but produced a disastrous 23-6 third quarter to concede in a blow out.
Tiana Mangakahia, who has replaced Shyla Heal in the Flames’ starting line-up, dished out 10 assists but could not back up her 26-point night against the Flyers, managing just four points.
Captain Keely Froling feasted with 22 points and 13 rebounds, while WNBA import Jocelyn Willoughby had 18, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Perth’s spread of five players in double digits.
The Flames are second bottom with just four wins on the season.
FLAMES PROBE: HEAL’S COACHING ABSENCE EXPLAINED
Sydney Flames coach Shane Heal is facing a club investigation, explaining his sudden absence from the WNBL coaching ranks.
The Flames refused to comment on the nature of the probe involving the Australian basketball legend, but News Corp understands lawyers are involved and an independent firm has been engaged to conduct the investigation.
On Wednesday, the club issued a pair of tweets revealing Shane Heal and daughter Shyla Heal, the Flames’ starting point guard, were late scratchings from the clash with Southside Flyers. The Flames also stated Opals great Shelley Gorman would take the reins as interim coach.
Heal, 52, has not returned News Corp’s calls.
It is not clear when or if Heal, who is contracted for next season, will return to the sidelines for the Flames.
The depleted Flames, on Wednesday night under Gorman, pushed the finals-bound Flyers all the way, Tiana Mangkahia stepping up in Shyla Heal’s absence with 26 points in a 96-91 defeat, basketball legend Lauren Jackson winding back the clock with 30 points for Southside.
GOAT FIRES AS MYSTERY SURROUNDS HEALS’ 11TH-HOUR WITHDRAWAL
Mystery surrounds the absence of Sydney coach Shane Heal from the sidelines as the plucky Flames were doused by the Southside Flyers thanks to another legendary performance from basketball GOAT Lauren Jackson.
With Shane Heal and daughter Shyla Heal both ruled out just hours before Wednesday night’s clash, the Flames, under interim coach Shelley Gorman, shared the load against the third-placed Flyers.
But a vintage Lauren Jackson 30-piece — fractured foot and all — was a 196cm mountain too steep to climb as the Flyers avoided a boilover in a 96-91 shootout.
The Flames, on Wednesday afternoon, issued a pair tweets, one minute apart, revealing Shane Heal, a Boomers legend, was “unavailable to coach” and that Shyla Heal, the team’s leading assist-woman at 4.7 per game and second in scoring at 15.6, would miss “due to personal reasons”.
Shane Heal is unavailable to coach in tonight’s matchup against the Southside Flyers.
— Sydney Flames (@TheSydneyFlames) January 18, 2023
Shelley Gorman will take the reins as interim coach. pic.twitter.com/8jTb5iIjbB
Shyla Heal will not be in the line-up for the Flames clash with the Southside Flyers tonight at Quaycentre.
— Sydney Flames (@TheSydneyFlames) January 18, 2023
Shyla is out of the side due to personal reasons.#FlameOn
Without the key playmaker, the sixth-placed Flames continued their impressive mid-season resurgence, led by Tiana Mangakahia, who stepped into the starting five in Shyla Heal’s absence.
Mangakahia took the lead with 26 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds and 3 steals, backed up by Jocelyn Willoughby, who fouled out with 18 points and 5 assists, while Keely Froling and Hannah Sjerven had 16 each.
News Corp revealed on Tuesday Jackson has played through the pain of a fractured foot for the past six weeks but it did not stop her producing her most-devastating performance for the Flyers, putting the smaller Flames to the sword down low on her way to a 30-point classic.
The Flames looked the better team for much of the night, but the talent-laden Flyers stood up when the chips were down and the Sydney well went dry.
Just traded from Dallas to the New York Liberty, WNBA veteran Kayla Thornton put the Flyers back in front with 4.21 to go in the game and were good enough to hold the Flames off, new Opal Nyadiew Pouch producing two rejections in the last 20 seconds to preserve the five-point win.
The sixth-placed Flames endured a horror start to the season, losing their first five games, before claiming three of the past five to inject some hope into their WNBL campaign.
Shane Heal, in March last year, signed a three-year deal to coach the Flames.
Shane Heal was yet to return phone calls or texts. The Flames would not comment further.
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