FIRE LIGHT UP COUR T IN OPENER
WELCOME back, Cayla George.
The dual WNBL championship winner has made a stunning return to the Townsville Fire as they took down title favourites Melbourne on their home court 63- 54 on Saturday afternoon.
George spent last season in Hungary, but the Rio Olympian never missed a beat in her comeback game as captain Suzy Batkovic was forced to watch much of the contest from the bench.
Batkovic has been the heart and soul of the Fire, but she battled foul trouble from the second quarter and was restricted to just 23 minutes for five points, three rebounds, and three assists.
That could have spelled disaster for Townsville, but George stepped up with a game- high 17 points and 21 rebounds to inspire her side’s opening round victory.
The humble George was quick to downplay her phenomenal performance, saying it still took a strong team effort to overcome the Boomers, with every Fire played making the scoresheet.
“The win was the best part and it was just a bonus that I got to contribute the way that I did,” George said.
“It’s always going to be a team effort and it always has to be a team effort. Suzy can’t carry the team on her shoulders, even though sometimes in the past she has.
“This year, it’s a different line- up and when she did go out we all stepped up which is a credit to every- one. We were hungry for that win.
“I feel like it showed in that first game how pumped I am to be home and I’m looking to stay consistent. I can’t promise 21 rebounds a game, but I’ll try my very best.”
Fire coach Claudia Brassard admitted it wasn’t the most polished performance from her side, but she was pleased to see them stick to the game plan after trailing 32- 28 at halftime.
“Going down to Melbourne and beating the favourites on their home court is pretty special,” Brassard said.
“I thought we had a really tough second quarter.
“We didn’t hit many shots and Melbourne did a good job our getting us out of rhythm.
“We made some adjustments and then we came out in that third quarter and just started knocking down shots and just creating a little bit better spacing for ourselves and that really worked. Cayla was unbelievable. She was hitting shots when we were struggling to score and 21 rebounds is just a phenomenal effort.
“It was a pretty ugly game, but to grind it out and get the win is a really good start for us.”
The Fire still have one more player to add to their roster with WNBA sharpshooter Sydney Wiese set to arrive on Thursday after finishing her commitments with the LA Sparks.
Brassard was hopeful Wiese will suit up against the Canberra Capitals in Townsville on Friday night, but she didn’t expect the American import to play a big role.
“If she’s here, we’ll suit her up and she can sit on the bench,” Brassard said.
“It all depends on the game if we put her in or not, but hopefully we get one training with her on Thursday.”