O’HEA READY FOR GRIND OF THE BIG SHOW

MELBOURNE Boomers skipper Jenna O’Hea still beams with pride when she spots the club’s sole championship banner flying above the State Basketball Centre.

But she insists she doesn’t feel the pressure of delivering the spoils again after Melbourne loosened the purse strings to bring her and Elizabeth Cambage back to the club.

In 2010- 11 during the Boomers’ Bulleen days, the Opals duo spearheaded the club’s championship victory.

Both players were named in the WNBL All- Star Five and Cambage was anointed the league’s Most Valuable Player.

They dominated a Canberra side featuring Townsville Fire skipper Suzy Batkovic in the grand final and O’Hea is keen to repeat the dose, starting with today’s grand final series opener.

“I don’t think so ( there’s pressure),” O’Hea said after spending the past three years in the WNBA with Seattle Storm.

“Of course you train and play to win championships, obviously that’s what we want to do, but I was just happy to be coming home and being back with the Boomers. When I signed I didn’t know Lizzie was coming back, it was more about coming home for me and I’m just stoked to be in the grand final.”

The condensed season has allowed big names like O’Hea to play in the WNBL without jeopardising their chances of securing rich contracts overseas.

The 30- year- old said the schedule, which finishes two months earlier than usual, has had its pros and cons.

“There’s been positives and negatives with the condensed season,” she said.

“There was some horrific injuries and I don’t know if it’s because of the condensed season and there wasn’t as much rest ( or not).

“I feel for girls like Sara Blicavs ( Dandenong) and Natalie Novosel ( Adelaide) and even Courtney Duever in our team who have done their ACLs, that’s more than a usual season I would think.

“But the momentum of having back- toback games and the finals series happening quite fast, it’s kept the excitement of the league at an all time high.

“That’s been one of the positives, as well as being back on TV.”

The Boomers have lost all three games against the Fire this year, all low- scoring and grinding encounters between the two best defensive teams in the league.

O’Hea expects more blue collar clashes in the grand final and said Melbourne was focusing on adjusting to playing a bigger Townsville side after overcoming a smaller Perth team in the semis.

“The series we just played against Perth was against a very guard- oriented team, whereas Townsville are more interior so we have to switch our thinking,” she said.

“It’s going to be a great series and it will be a low- scoring, grind it out game.”

“WHEN I SIGNED I DIDN’T KNOW LIZZIE ( CAMBAGE) WAS COMING BACK, IT WAS MORE ABOUT COMING HOME FOR ME AND I’M JUST STOKED TO BE IN THE GRAND FINAL.” BOOMERS CAPTAIN JENNA O’HEA