Mincy fired up for opener
TOWNSVILLE Fire import Laurin Mincy believes she can hit the ground running in Sunday’s opening round WNBL clash with Dandenong after a sensational finish to her first season in Australia.
Mincy had spent a year away from basketball before joining the Fire last season and took a few games to find her feet, but she stepped up when it counted most in the grand final series.
The 183cm guard was a standout in the deciding match against Melbourne with her defensive workrate and knack for finding a clutch basket, and she has already taken that confidence into the Fire’s title defence.
Mincy spent the most time on the floor in last weekend’s practice match against the Heat under- 23 men, opening the scoring with a triple and also posting three rebounds and three assists.
The New Jersey native said she felt more comfortable playing in the WNBL this season and she hoped that would also allow her to take on a bigger role.
“Last year I wasn’t sure what to expect, but now this year I know exactly,” Mincy said.
“It’s going to be physical every night. There’s not going to be any easy games and the level of competition is always there so you have to be ready for that.
“It gives me a lot of confidence, and my teammates and my coach ( are) telling me to shoot the ball more, look to be aggressive, and so I’m just going to listen to them.
“We got in here early in preseason and got some work done and we’re jelling really well. I’m excited to see us put it all together.”
Mincy’s return will help ease the transition for the Fire with five new additions to the squad this season, including Opals star Tess Madgen and WNBA draftee Ally Malott.
Malott said she was still studying up on the Fire’s playbook, but she was confident the defending champions were ready make a statement against the Rangers.
“Dandenong really want to push the ball up the floor and they play a bit of zone defence, but I think it’s just important that we come out true to ourselves in the first game and impose our will on them,” Malott said.
“We’re all really ready to play. We’ve worked really hard and we’re ready to show them what we have.”
The Fire will unfurl their championship banner before Sunday’s game and Mincy said that celebration would make them even more motivated as they chase their fourth title in five seasons.
“It’s going to be exciting to see that championship banner. We want to prove ourselves and just let the whole WNBL know that we’re still here,” she said.
Sunday’s clash with the Rangers tips off at 3pm at Townsville Stadium.