Championship Women
The Big V Women Championship has returned!
Although it has been some time since the restructuring of the Victorian Senior Representative competition following the 2018 season, both the Championship Men’s and Women’s leagues have focused on rebuilding team numbers to ensure they are ready to compete at Championship level. The teams have strategically engaged with associations as they make the step to Championship. This has been important in the rebuild of numbers at this level, so that a return of a more formalised promotion and relegation could return.
Heading into the 2024 season, we will see 10 teams in the Championship Women’s competition, and things are looking back on track, with the promotion of Warrnambool and Bellarine to the ranks!
All 8 clubs from 2023 return in this competition, each with a plan to forge their teams up the ladder and compete against the two teams who’ve set the benchmark over the last couple of years - Bulleen and Wyndham. Neither of these teams lost to any other in 2023 and are certainly the power players for Championship Women.
The Power Players
Bulleen took the Big V Championship Women’s Grand Final by storm, winning in a wild overtime period against the previously undefeated Wyndham. It was unbelievably, Bulleen’s first Big V Championship title!
So, what does it mean for Bulleen if Grand Final MVP and multiple time ‘All Star 5’ winner Olivia Bontempelli isn’t around? There is no doubt it puts a dent in the makeup of the group, as does the loss of Emily Maltezos to McKinnon.
Charlotte Vincent-Lorde makes the move from Sandringham, whilst Sarae Beveridge and Nicola Cross move to the Boomers from McKinnon. All are handy and will be looking for increased responsibility.
Van Es was a major figure of the 2023 lineup and at just 18, she has no doubt been working on her game to help take herself to the next level this year. With an array of junior talent underpinning the front-line, we expect the Boomers will be up to defending their title in 2024.
If you follow Wyndham Head Coach Gerard Hillier on socials, then you’ll know his crew picked up the basketballs after that Grand Final loss and got back to work, just as they do every week. They’re typically a slick outfit at Wyndham and with inclusions such as Bethany Theodore and Canadian Julie Brosseau, Hillier and Co are ready to go again.
In another brilliant announcement, Championship League MVP Amanda Paschal returns, as do locals Dolny, Jones, Knight, Connolly and Pearce. Yes – Wyndham are going to be tough in 2024! That Grand Final rematch is going to be one for the ages!
New Kids on the Block
Warrnambool have been a longtime power of the Division 1 Women’s competition, gaining promotion after winning the 2023 title. Are the Warrnambool women potentially the most successful Big V program? Only recently, they claimed the Division 1 title in both, 2018 and 2022. Also, if we look back in history, did you know they won 5 titles in 8 years between 2005-2012? That’s right, the Warrnambool women’s team have a very strong winning culture, they’ve always been feared and that will continue in Championship!
The Bellarine Storm represent a strong basketball region. After losing by just 6 points to Warrnambool in the Division 1 Grand Final, this build by the Storm women is now ready for the next step, joining their male counterparts in the top division. This represents another step in a gradual build from this association to provide its players a pathway to higher levels. With imports Courtney Strait and Bridgette Rettstatt ready to lead the group under the leadership of Tim Sanderson, this team will make an impact immediately! Strait is coming off an All Star 5 season in Division 1 and Varley was Golden Hands of Division 1 and will look to carry that into the top division.
Is Sherbrooke Ready?
They get their own category. They finished four wins behind the power players of Bulleen and Wyndham, but six wins clear of the rest of the pack; have you known a team more isolated in their competition?
Whilst they couldn’t overcome Bulleen and Wyndham in 2023, and they did lose the Semi Finals 2-0 to Bulleen, we need to look a little closer. They only lost Game 2 by 4 points, in fact it took a 24 point last quarter from Bulleen to force OT and overcome the Suns. The point? They are right there.
Further to that, Kiara Phillips is a weapon, and she joins sister Tenaya in the gold of Sherbrooke. All Star 5 member, from New Zealand, Alicia Carline returns to the lineup and expect young star Olivia Kingston to play a bigger role. There are some other key changes, but the Sun trajectory has been good, and you need to trust that Scott Gunther has his team headed in the right direction for 2024.
The Chasing Pack
Sunbury had changes last year and they have made some more in 2024. Let’s start with a positive though and she could well have the biggest impact of any recruit – Jess Bygate. With a WNBL history and success playing for New Zealand’s national team, Bygate will take a significant leadership role for Jets. Chloe Hildebrand’s move to Sunbury was also impactful and she’ll shoulder a significant load in 2024.
The McKinnon Cougars have seen change, but they might be starting to find a nice balance. Lily Brancatisano returns, as does Hill, and whilst the loss of Beveridge will hurt, the recruitment of Emily Maltezos should be impactful for the Cougars. They do have a group of players bouncing off a Victorian Championship win in the U20 age group, a program they’ve utilised as a development tool for their senior program. Will these players be ready for bigger responsibility and bounce the Cougars back up the ladder? Now is their time to move.
The Hume City Broncos are where they don’t expect or ever like being. They aren’t in the days of Sharin Milner and Katrina Hibbert amongst the Broncos teams that won 6 championships in 10 years. However, they have a strong and loyal group of local players, who will expect to accrue more wins in 2024.
The recruitment of Mucha from Sherbrooke will be a positive, as will the inclusion of 196cm Adrienne Darden and she will combine with Taylor Edwards as their import combination. Keighran, Tawaf, Mckellar and Wright will continue to form a strong core for the Broncos.
The Rob Dielemans led Pakenham Warriors will consider themselves to have found their feet and be ready to keep moving forward. Like a lot of the teams in the chasing pack, they appear to have retained many of the key figures they’d want and believe 2024 is their year to make a run for the playoffs. The experienced guard Briana Whatman will assist in guiding her team in the right direction, joining Pakenham for the first time. It is a good sign when a team wants to return an import and the import wants to come back, so expect Nickerson to be even more impactful this season.
New coach, new home venue… are Camberwell ready to fire? Cara Jeffers takes over the reins where she is a Life Member and long term coach. After spending a year at Kilsyth as an Assistant in NBL1 South and her previous success through the Youth team, you’d think some locals might come home to the ‘Well’.
Whitehouse and Burrows should be recruits to help the Dragons in this all-Australian lineup. I’d expect the Dragons to be transitioning some of their highly successful recent Youth women’s players into the Championship team.
The Big V Championship Women’s competition will see Wyndham looking to avenge for 2023. With the additions to Wyndham, we’d expect them to set the standard. Sherbrooke might just be ready to make a move, whilst the remaining teams have significant talent, but how deep do they go to compete over the course of a full game, and then the entire season?
One thing is for sure, the run for the playoffs is going to be hot and as we saw in 2023, anything can happen from there! Remember, relegation is in place too!
Congratulations and good luck to all clubs and their team members. It is exciting to have Warrnambool and Bellarine join the ranks and see this terrific competition back out to 10 teams!
So the question going into the 2024 season is; “Who is ready to take the mantle for Division 1?”
