WNBL veteran Lauren Mansfield reveals why she joined the Townsville Fire

Australian Gangurrus guard Lauren Mansfield has opened up on the decision to turn her back on her hometown team and join Townsville. Find out why the veteran is a perfect fit for the squad.

Lauren Mansfield has joined the Townsville Fire after two seasons with her hometown team Adelaide. (Photo by Mark Evans/Getty Images)

Australian Gangurrus guard Lauren Mansfield made her WNBL debut when most of her new teammates at the Townsville Fire were still in primary school.

Now the 34-year-old is the squad’s only genuine veteran after a near-complete rebuild in the off-season, dragging up the average age of the team by more than a year.

In fact, not only is she the only player in the squad born in the 1980s – six of her nine teammates were born after the turn of the millennium with the next oldest player being 28-year-old Alicia Froling.

It’s the sort of experience you can’t buy.

Mansfield has played 196 games in the WNBL across 10 seasons with the Adelaide Lightning, SEQ Stars, UC Capitals, Perth Lynx, Sydney Flames and most recently she was back in her hometown of Adelaide for the last two seasons.

Lauren Mansfield of the Adelaide Lightning and Alice Kunek of the Townsville Fire and Zitina Aokuso of the Townsville Fire during the WNBL match between Adelaide Lightning and Townsville Fire at Adelaide Arena, on November 23, 2023, in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by Sarah Reed/Getty Images)

She said it was tough deciding to step back out of her comfort zone but she was relishing her first month in North Queensland.

“It was kind of a hard decision for me. I’ve been playing at home in Adelaide, but I think Townsville is such a successful club, and it has been for a long time now,” Mansfield said.

“On the basketball side, I love the Townsville system. I wanted to come and learn off Shannon (Seebohm, head coach) and the coaches, so that was mainly it for me.”

Mansfield has previously trained with Townsville’s rising star Saffron Shiels while the pair were both attached to the Sydney Flames, but otherwise it will be exclusively new teammates for the South Australian.

Australia's #33 Lauren Mansfield dribbles past Canada's #02 Katherine Plouffe (L) in the women's pool round 3x3 basketball game between Australia and Canada during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at La Concorde in Paris on July 30, 2024. (Photo by David GRAY / AFP)

She said she was looking forward to getting on the court with an exciting young squad.

“We’re a very talented team. I think collectively we’re going to be tough,” Mansfield said.

“We’re going to be able to get out in the open court and run in transition. We have some amazing post players – I think some of the best in the league – so I’m really excited to play pick and roll with those post players.

“As a collective we’re hard workers, and I think you can already tell everyone wants to get better here, and I think that goes a long way.”

For coach Seebohm, securing the signature of one of the league’s most respected veterans was a no-brainer.

Canada's #02 Katherine Plouffe (L) defends against Australia's #33 Lauren Mansfield in the women's pool round 3x3 basketball game between Australia and Canada during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at La Concorde in Paris on July 30, 2024. (Photo by David GRAY / AFP)

“She’s played in the league for a long time, she knows what it’s about.

“She’s such a great person and teammate. If anyone needs to know something, she goes and has a quiet word to them.

“She’s got all the experience that we kind of need some of these young players to be able to hear, so she’s been great.

“It is a young team, to have one player over 30 is unique. But that being said, I think the intensity and effort of practice, particularly after the first couple of trainings once the nerves got out, has been awesome.”

The Fire begin their season on the road with a game against Geelong United on October 30.

Originally published as WNBL veteran Lauren Mansfield reveals why she joined the Townsville Fire