Mother of all decisions
Wilson may put family plans on hold to suit up for Fire one more time
SHE had a fairytale finish to the grand final series, but Kelly Wilson has hinted she may not be ready to walk away from the Townsville Fire just yet.
Wilson brought up her 350th WNBL game in the most spectacular fashion on Sunday night as the Fire lifted the trophy with a game three victory over Melbourne on their home floor.
The 33- year- old is just the ninth player to reach the milestone, but Wilson tried to keep things low- key with a quick presentation before they got down to the business of winning the title.
It was Wilson’s third grand final victory, having also won back- to- back titles with the Bendigo Spirit, and she has started to think about life after basketball with plans to start a family.
The veteran point guard contemplated retirement last season after a miserable run with injury, playing through a shoulder complaint before fracturing her leg, which saw her spend eight weeks on the sidelines.
But she has come back stronger than ever despite the condensed schedule which has made recovery even tougher, missing just the one game with a fractured thumb in Round 9.
Wilson plans to take a few more weeks to weigh up her future, but she admitted it could be hard to stop playing as she still feels fit enough to chase her fourth WNBL crown.
“I think that’s what the problem is. If my body was worn down and it felt like it couldn’t go again, I’d say all right, it’s telling me something, but I feel great,” Wilson said.
“I’ve just finished a season and I have no injuries or anything like that, but there are obviously other things in the future that I need to assess and think about where we’re at.
“There’s no other feeling than winning a championship because that’s what you work so hard for for an entire season.
“It has been a couple of years ( since she had won a title) and I think win- ning is an addictive feeling. I’m taking it all in today and I think over the next month or so I’ll make a decision about what’s happening next season.”
Fire coach Claudia Brassard paid tribute to Wilson’s tireless work ethic and said the club would love to have her back if she was keen to play on next season.
“I’m really proud of Kelly and the way she bounced back after a really disappointing season last year. She certainly works really hard,” Brassard said.
“I know they’re probably thinking family sometime soon, but she’s not someone that’s going to stop.
“If she’s not having babies, I’d say we’d probably see her on the floor again.”