Geelong United’s Shyla Heal confident in roster coach Chris Lucas is putting together, says tools are there to win a championship

Geelong United’s newest signing Shyla Heal is all-in in on the second-year franchise’s direction, and the roster coach Chris Lucas is putting together.

Geelong United signing Shyla Heal won a WNBL championship in Townsville. Picture: Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images

Star Geelong United signing Shyla Heal is confident the WNBL franchise club “has the tools” to win a championship in its second season.

The 5’5” point guard is the first of a handful of new additions expected to land at Geelong United ahead of next season, with the 23-year-old endorsing the roster coming together under coach Chris Lucas.

Last season, Lucas indicated the two immediate positions he wanted to fill in year 2 was a true point guard – Heal fitting that billing – and a centre, with United lacking height last year particularly as captain Keely Froling went down injured.

Heal, though unable to reveal names, said she was confident the two American imports set to land at Geelong this season would compliment a roster already featuring the likes of Jaz Shelley, Alex Sharp and Gemma Potter nicely.

“I know it’s going to be great, and they’re also two good people,” Heal said.

“They’re going to suit our style of play really well.

“It’s going to really exciting for the fans to watch, an up-tempo team that loves to play defence and get after it.”

Heal, whose father Shane previously played NBL for the Geelong Supercats as a teen in the 90s, said she had spoken to the club ahead of their inaugural WNBL season, before deciding to return to play in Europe.

Weighing up her options again this year amid lucrative contract offers back in Europe, Heal said she felt the timing was right now in her burgeoning career to join Geelong, with Lucas and United's ownership group key to her decision.

“Their vision, they really sold me on what they’re doing,” Heal said.

Signing a two-year contract – with the second year optional – Heal hopes to help steer United to a maiden playoff berth this summer, her eyes also firmly locked on bringing home a title for Geelong.

“The goal’s always to win a championship, but that’s easier to say and harder to do,” she said.

“But I think we have the tools to do that.

“For me it starts off with culture, and I think Chris has done a great job choosing good people before good players and I think that’s going to translate on the court.

“We’re going to have a lot of talent, and hopefully we can really gel together and do something special – I do have a lot of confidence we’re going to do well.

“It’s up to us now, work hard and hopefully it translate.”

With a WNBL championship already under her belt during a stint with Townsville in 2023, and confident she is at the level to play WNBA despite the difficulty locking up a limited roster spot, Heal said playing in the world’s top league was “all about timing” and it was only a “matter of when” for her.

At just 23 and about to enter her ninth year as a pro basketballer, Heal’s experience is an added bonus for a growing franchise in Geelong.

“For me that is pretty cool in a way, I do feel like a vet a little bit, and I do feel like I can add that experience to this Geelong team and really help them on-court as well,” she said.

Confident she and Jaz Shelley can complement each other “offensively and defensively” in the back-court, Heal said her time in Europe had helped her develop more craftiness in one-on-one situations.

“As a point guard, I’m not super fast, but I need to play at two paces and that’s something I’m still continuing to grow in, but it’s something I’ve added to my game,” she said.

Heal got her first taste of Geelong Arena during United’s NBL1 fixtures on Sunday, amid a quick three-day trip to Geelong – with her later return set for the start of the WNBL pre-season.

“It was really cool, the crowd (on Sunday) was awesome, you don’t see many crowds like that in NBL1,” she said.

“Hopefully we can keep growing that for the WNBL as well.”

Originally published as Geelong United’s Shyla Heal confident in roster coach Chris Lucas is putting together, says tools are there to win a championship