Maddie Garrick signing boosts depth of NBL1’s Nunawading Spectres

Maddie Garrick is one of the country’s finest basketballers and she’s about to take the court in Melbourne’s east after signing with a local NBL1 club.

Maddie Garrick in action for the Melbourne Boomers against the Perth Lynx in the WNBL Picture Yuri Kouzmin

The Nunawading Spectres have strengthened in their NBL1 women’s campaign, signing Melbourne Boomers WNBL star and FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup gold medallist Maddie Garrick for the remainder of the season.

Garrick arrives at Nunawading Stadium fresh from a successful Asia Cup campaign and on the back of an eight-week stint with Botas Spor in Turkey where she averaged 5.9 points and 2.2 rebounds across nine games.

“I’m really looking forward to getting back to playing and contributing in a team environment again,” Garrick said earlier this week. “The NBL1 is an exciting new league and I’m looking forward to being a part of that with Nunawading.

“The team has got some good talent and chemistry already, I’m excited to add to that.”

Garrick is likely to join the Spectres after the Queen’s Birthday long weekend break with the Australian 3x3 women in China to contest a world tour event this weekend.

Spectres head coach Paul Flynn is excited by Garrick’s addition.

“Maddie is a genuine star of the game, we’re really excited to have her join us at Nunawading for the back end of the NBL1 season,” he said.

“She had a run with us just prior to heading to Turkey, so she doesn’t come into the group as a complete stranger. She’s obviously played with Chelsea (D’Angelo) the past couple of seasons at the Melbourne Boomers and against a number of her now teammates in the WNBL.

“As Maddie highlighted, we have such a good, strong chemistry amongst our team at

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Nunawading coach Paul Flynn

Nunawading. It was important that if we were to add in a player it had to be someone that fit within that culture. Having worked with her in my role at the Boomers, I’m extremely confident that Maddie will be the perfect value-add to our team and our program at Nunawading.”

Garrick is a timely addition to the Spectres roster, with Nunawading preparing to lose both Keeley Frawley (Portland) and Emma Nankervis (Washington State) to US college commitments next month.

The Spectres travel to Albury this Saturday for a showdown with the Bandits.

“It’s an important game for us,” Flynn said. “That mid-section of the NBL1 ladder is so tight, every game for us at the moment is almost worth double-points given three opponents are right on our tail.”

The Spectres fell just shy of Bendigo, 80-74, at home on Saturday, D’Angelo leading the charge with 18 points while Izzy Chilcott went close to recording a triple-double with nine points, 12 rebounds and nine assists.

Maddie Garrick is heading for Nunawading Stadium. Picture Yuri Kouzmin