Rockhampton Cyclones chasing redemption after 2023 NBL1 North women’s grand final heartbreak

Rockhampton coach Drew Fenton has made a bold prediction ahead of the Cyclones’ NBL1 North women’s semi-final: “We know we’ve got the talent so if we do our job, we’re going to win.” Read how Fenton has galvanised his side’s tilt at grand final glory.

Rockhampton Cyclones' captain and star centre Lara McSpadden with her teammates. Photo: Amy Trinca

Grand final redemption is fuelling the Rockhampton Cyclones as they gear up for the NBL1 North finals series.

The Drew Fenton-coached outfit were runners-up last year with the complete roster returning to take care of unfinished business.

They finished the regular season this year in second, having won 14 of their 17 games.

That earned them a home semi-final in which they take on the third-placed Townsville Flames at 7pm this Saturday.

Bravus Arena will be pumping after tickets all but selling out within hours of their release.

Fenton said the home-crowd support would further bolster the Cyclones, who go into the showdown on the back of five straight wins.

The Cyclones will be shooting for victory in their home-semi final against the Townsville Flames. Photo: Amy Trinca

“You speak to any opposition players or coaches and no one wants to come here, especially for an elimination final,” he said.

“It’s probably the only venue left that has a real home-court advantage so that’s huge for us.”

Fenton said that Townsville had a similar line-up to the Cyclones, with two quality bigs and an equally impressive point guard.

“We’ll be looking to exploit them by getting out quick, beating their bigs down the floor and taking away their three-point shooting,” he said.

Fenton said the Cyclones had enjoyed a “great rise” since 2021, when they won just one game and finished 13th.

The following year they were 11th, last year they were third and this year climbed one more rung on the ladder.

Rockhampton Cyclones' coach Drew Fenton. Photo: Amy Trinca

Captain and WNBL star Lara McSpadden had been instrumental in the rebuild, and Fenton said a championship would be a fitting reward for all she had done for the club.

He said the “buy-in” from all the players had been remarkable.

“They’re all here for the same reason and that’s to bring a championship back to Rocky,” he said.

“They’ve all worked incredibly hard and the club did a great job of bringing everybody back from last year, which doesn’t happen very often.

“We’re ready to go.

“It’s about everyone doing their job. We know we’ve got the talent so if we do our job, we’re going to win.”

The Rockhampton Cyclones' players share a special bond. Photo: Amy Trinca

Fenton details the four key elements that have anchored the Cyclones’ 2024 campaign.

Commitment

“After last year’s grand final loss, we made a commitment to each other that we would return and redeem ourselves. Everyone turned down offers from other clubs with the aim of going one better in 2024.”

Work ethic

“We believe we have the best work ethic in the NBL1 North. Players have committed themselves to doing the extra work and leaving no stone unturned. Two team trainings a week, two positional workouts a week and two gym sessions has been a huge commitment from the girls.”

Bond

“The team has a great bond with each other. We all enjoy each other’s company and spend a lot of time together. Six girls are from outside of Rockhampton, so we all lean on each other at times during the season. The more experienced girls have taken the young locals under their wing and tried to fast-track their development.”

Leadership

The Cyclones have great leaders both on and off the court. Captain Lara McSpadden and vice-captain Muffi Loader have led from the front all season. Both are very caring and understanding.”

Originally published as Rockhampton Cyclones chasing redemption after 2023 NBL1 North women’s grand final heartbreak