Thumbs down as Wilson’s bad luck continues
TOWNSVILLE Fire point guard Kelly Wilson could be sidelined for some time after her luckless injury run continued by breaking her thumb in Wednesday’s shock loss to Dandenong.
Adding salt to the wound for a Fire side who stumbled to a second straight loss, Wilson, 32, was injured in the final play of the 78- 59 upset.
A broken ankle restricted her to just 16 games last WNBL season and her absence is a huge blow for a Fire team looking to get its campaign back on track.
The Fire ( 8- 5) and defending champions Sydney take identical records into today’s blockbuster in Sydney, and depending on other results, a loss could send Townsville spiralling out of the top four.
Wilson’s injury is a huge setback and the Fire hope she will undergo surgery in Townsville this weekend.
But Fire coach Claudia Brassard is confident her squad has the depth to replace her, with off- season signing Mikaela Donnelly impressing off the bench so far.
“We don’t know ( how long Wilson will be out), she’s seeing a specialist today ( Friday),” Brassard said. “We have enough depth with Mikaela Donnelly, Mikaela Cocks has been back- up point guard before and Sydney ( Wiese) used to play point guard at college.
“We probably wouldn’t go and find someone from outside to replace her ( if out for a long period). We’ll go with what we have.
“It’s a big void but it’s a good opportunity for Mikaela Donnelly. She’s certainly proven she can play at this level.
“She will bring a different style to us, she pushes the ball well, does a great job matching up and putting defensive pressure in the full court.”
Fire skipper Suzy Batkovic said Wilson’s teammates had rallied behind her, but was confident Donnelly could step up.
“Everyone feels for her, especially what she went through last year with her injury and she can’t seem to take a break,” Batkovic said. “It gives someone else a chance to step up and I’ve been really impressed with Mikaela Donnelly. She’s a great athlete.”
Brassard has demanded more intensity and effort from her team after the Rangers loss, particularly in defence against the Flames’ potent attack.
“There was some really poor performances defensively we really need to fix against Sydney,” Brassard said.
“They put 101 points on Melbourne the other day and Melbourne’s the best defensive team. We trained really well and I didn’t see it coming, we came out flat.”
Today’s match will be televised live on Fox Sports from 2pm Queensland time.