Mark Bradtke previews Gold Coast Rollers NBL1 North women’s season

A former NBA player has taken over as coach of a top Gold Coast side. He reveals his excitement ahead of the new season and the players to watch from his side.

Gold Coast Rollers women's NBL1 coach Mark Bradtke. Picture: Gold Coast Basketball

NBL legend and former NBA player Mark Bradtke has taken the helm of the Gold Coast Rollers women’s side and excitement is in the air ahead of the 2025 NBL1 North season which kicks off on Thursday.

The Rollers finished the 2024 season with just three wins from 17 games, but with a new system and star imports, the Rollers will look to return to finals contention in 2025.

This is Bradtke’s first taste of coaching at NBL1 level and revealed his excitement to take on the new challenge.

“It has been a learning curve and I have enjoyed it,” the 1996-97 Philadelphia 76er said.

“I played professionally for 20 years all around the world so I have plenty of experience.

“I have been involved with a lot of different programs, been involved with the Boomers for a long, long time so I have seen plenty of basketball, witnessed it all and taken my bits and pieces from there and will try and implement it.”

The Australian Basketball Hall of Famer, who played alongside NBA superstar Allen Iverson in Philadelphia, said he will bring a new style of coaching to the Coast and hopes it can bring the best out of his players.

“I’m more of a players’ coach,” he said.

“We try to guide, we give some instructions offensively and defensively.

“Ultimately I want them to be responsible for their team, so I’m looking forward to see how they respond.

“I think we’re trying to have a feel-good environment here.

“We want to see everyone improve, the people who come in we want to see how far they can go.”

Katie Deeble pictured playing for Australia.

Key players

Kate Deeble: A star guard who was a force to be reckoned with for the Rollers in 2024.

The young gun averaged 19.86 points per game with a season-high 34 points against the Ipswich Force.

Tesia Thompson: A young American import who has signed her first contract outside of the United States.

Juna Umezawa: A Japanese Canadian who brings NBL1 South experience, who brings plenty of height and is set to play a key role in the post for the Rollers. She has averaged more than 15 points per game over the last two years for the Keilor Thunder and Sandringham Sabres.

Rising Stars

“Being six foot 10 myself I like to see the taller players,” Bradtke said.

“We’ve got a few young girls, Mia Bitzios I think she’s gonna improve a lot from last year.”

Bitzios featured in seven games during her debut NBL1 campaign last year playing limited minutes but was a solid contributor for the Rollers’ QSL side.

The centre averaged seven points, 7.67 rebounds and 2.17 blocks per game at QSL level last year.

“We’ve also got a couple of younger girls who are 16, 17 who are six foot four as well,” Bradtke said.

“So for the women’s game having athletes like that, they move well, they got a little bit of a mean streak in them too which I don’t mind at all because you have to have that confidence.”

Aims and Goals

Bradtke said he has no specific goals result-wise, instead focusing on rebuilding and developing the team but expects his side to be versatile in offence.

“The game has evolved into a mutli-dimensional positionless basketball nearly,” he said.

“We’re trying to teach our bigs and smalls, everybody has got to be able to learn how to handle the ball, shoot the ball from the three-point line and it is our decision making which we’re really trying to work on at the moment.

“Because the game is so fast and free flowing, the teams who have good balance and good poise and make the right decisions in the moment are the ones who succeed.

“Once we make good decisions, good things happen, I think we can do some good things this year.”