The Tasmania Jewels have landed two-time WNBL champion Keely Froling as their first rostered player ahead of the expansion team’s inaugural season.
Froling, 30, is one of the most experienced players in the league with more than 200 games and 2,000 career points to her name.
Jewels coach Claudia Brassard said Froling’s winning mentality made her a standout recruit.
“When you go to war on the court, you want Keely on your team,” Brassard said.
“Every game Keely starts with the belief that we’re going to win, that we’re going to beat you, and you can’t teach that.”
Jewels assistant general manager of WNBL Kayla Steindl said Froling was a prime target.
“She plays a brand of basketball that’s tough, she trains hard, plays even harder, she’s a blue-collar worker who knows how to get the job done,” Steindl said.
“She is the perfect first rostered player for the Jewels and exactly the kind of player and person we want building this program with us.”
Froling has played in the WNBL for nearly half her life, starting at 15 with the Townsville Fire before moving to the Canberra Capitals, where she won back-to-back championships.
The power forward joined the Opals in 2021 and won bronze at the FIBA Women’s Asia Cup in 2021 and 2023.
The Townsville local said she’d had her eye on Tasmania’s ninth WNBL team for some time.
“There’s one team for me, and that’s the Jewels, I’ve known that for a long time now,” she said.
“I love what the club has achieved with the JackJumpers, the way they’re engrained in the community and built their success from the ground up. I want to be a part of that, to achieve the same success, to inspire more girls and boys, on the women’s side.”
Froling said her long connection with Brassard was another big drawcard.
“I’ve known Claudia since I was a kid, I watched her as a player and she coached me when I was around 15 too,” she said.
“It’s incredible to think that here we are now, back together as player and coach and about to embark on this incredible opportunity here in Tasmania.”
Froling joins development players Nikki Parker and Andie Smith on the roster, with more signings expected in coming weeks.
The season kicks off in October, with the Jewels splitting home games between MyState Bank Arena in Hobart and the Silverdome in Launceston.
