Tasmania Jewels head coach Claudia Brassard has named a 10-player squad for the club’s first ever game, just 12 days after the newest WNBL team began official training.
Captain Darcee Garbin and vice captains Keely Froling and Steph Reid will lead the side at the TechnologyOne Townsville Tip-Off, which brings together every WNBL27 team from September 17 to 20.
Reid joins the squad fresh from her Opals debut at the FIBA World Cup in Germany.
The remaining squad members are Ella Tofaeono, Katie Deeble, Brooke Basham, Taylor Mole, Mia Jacobs and development players Andie Smith and Ava McDonald.
Brassard said the tournament was a valuable first test for a group that has been together less than a fortnight.
“We’ve asked a lot of this group in a really short period of time and they’ve worked incredibly hard,” she said.
“What I’ve loved is how they’ve embraced the work, competed and started to build that trust and connection with each other.”
She said the Townsville tournament was the first chance to put their training to the test.
“We’re not expecting to have everything figured out, but we do want to see our standards, how we compete and how we rely on each other when things get hard,” she said.
“That’s what ‘Defend the Island’ is about for us.”
Garbin, 32, is a two-time WNBL champion with the Townsville Fire and has won multiple medals as an Australian Opal.
Froling was praised by Brassard for her willingness to challenge and question, while Reid was recognised for her ability to connect with every player.
The Jewels’ first pre-season game is against Adelaide Lightning at 6pm on Friday, followed by the Sydney Flames at midday on Saturday.
The club’s regular season begins on October 15 at MyState Bank Arena in Hobart, with a Launceston Silverdome debut on October 31.
