CASEY SET TO BE TREY MAGNIFIQUE
TOWNSVILLE Fire forward Casey Samuels is ready to be a three- point weapon this season as she makes her WNBL comeback.
Samuels is one of four new faces in the Fire squad for their title defence along with Tess Madgen, Stella Beck and import Ally Malott, but she is no stranger to the national league.
The 24- year- old has played more than 100 WNBL games with the AIS, Canberra, and Sydney before spending the past two seasons kicking around a Sherrin with the Swans Academy in the AFL.
Samuels proved she has not lost any of her basketball skills with the North Gold Coast Seahawks in the QBL, averaging 18.8 points, six rebounds and 3.7 assists as they made the quarter- finals.
The 183cm forward is a prolific three- point shooter and she hoped to provide the Fire with flexibility on the perimeter following the departures of Sydney Wiese and Kelly Wilson.
“Coming in and being in one particular role where I know I’m good is awesome,” Samuels said. “I just want to continue my rhythm and keep going with what I was doing. I’m hoping that my shooting game can continue on from the QBL.
“I want to be a perimeter threat, but also be a versatile player. Hope- fully, I’ll spend some time in the post as well, pushing my game there.”
Samuels had her first individual session in Townsville yesterday ahead of the official start of the Fire’s preseason next week.
Assistant coach Mark Wrobel expected Samuels to play a big role in helping stretch the floor so five- time WNBL MVP Suzy Batkovic can continue to dominate inside.
“It’s no secret that the Fire’s game plan over the past five years or so has been all dominated around big play and trying to make sure that we’re letting Suzy get her touches and do her work,” Wrobel said.
“For us to be able to do that we need to make sure that we’re spread- ing the floor as best we can with shooters all around the place so their players can’t go and help in and if they do then we can knock down shots.
“That’s definitely something Casey’s got a history of doing in the league and she did it throughout the QBL season really well, so we’re looking forward to seeing her do it in Fire colours.”
Samuels lived with returning Fire stars Darcee Garbin and Mikhaela Donnelly when they were at the AIS and she was excited to now be part of the strong culture in Townsville.
“I love the community base. Looking from the outside in, you can always see that everyone’s got each other’s backs,” she said.