Former Lightning star Claire-Maree O’Bryan to play for Queensland Basketball League club Sunshine Coast Rip after graduating from Bucknell University

DARWIN guard Claire-Maree O’Bryan is headed to Rip City to play in the Queensland Basketball League.

Darwin-raised Claire-Maree O’Bryan, playing for Bucknell University in the United States, is off to play for Sunshine Coast Rip in the Queensland Basketball League. Picture: MARC HAGEMEIER

DARWIN guard Claire-Maree O’Bryan is headed to Rip City to play in the Queensland Basketball League.

The 23-year-old, fresh from graduating at Bucknell University in the United States, left the Top End for the Sunshine Coast on Sunday after being home for only one week.

O’Bryan has signed with Sunshine Coast Rip, who are in the QBL Premier League for the first time this year and sitting winless on the bottom through six matches.

She will initially start at point guard due to a teammate’s injury, but expected to eventually slide across to her more familiar positions as a shooting guard or small forward.

O’Bryan will debut on Friday night against Ipswich.

She played NCAA Division I basketball for Bucknell Bisons in the Patriot League — starting 17 games in her junior year — but three shoulder surgeries threatened her future in the sport.

“I would have told you no if you asked me three months ago if I was going to play after college,” O’Bryan said.

“I honestly didn’t know, based on my shoulder, what was going to happen. After my (third) surgery I didn’t want to push it, because I didn’t know how it was going to affect me later in life.

“But I’ve played all my life and I couldn’t just give it up as easy as that. I got back here, got in contact with some coaches and it all kind of fell into place.”

O’Bryan will continue to study as she works towards becoming a doctor, specialising in neuroscience.

“I’ve had such a unique experience and I credit the coaches who helped me as a junior for pushing me and making me want it,” O’Bryan said.

“If you don’t want it, you’re not going to get it. That’s what really motivates you. I really wanted it so badly and put myself out there so much that I just happened to get an opportunity.

“I see so many juniors these days who have the potential to do what I did, but you just have to want it as much as I did.”

O’Bryan, who also spent a year at United States high school The Hill School, was a Northern Territory representative star and Darwin Basketball Association standout with Lightning.

She captained the Territory to a gold medal at the 2011 Arafura Games.