Zitina goes for big slam dunk
SHE won a championship in her rookie season, but Townsville Fire young gun Zitina Aokuso believes she can still take her game to even greater heights.
The 192cm centre aims to make history this season as the first player to dunk in the WNBL.
Aokuso, 19, has the awesome skills to make that hoop dream a reality after she blitzed the Fire’s fitness testing with the best 20m sprint and vertical leap results.
“It’s definitely one of my goals to get a dunk in during the game so hopefully if we get a fast break and I’m out in front I can throw one down,” Aokuso said.
“It’s rare for girls to be able to do that and to put that out there and hopefully boost girls’ confidence and stuff.”
Aokuso was a relative latecomer to the sport, but her natural athleticism saw her fast- tracked into the AIS program which is where she first discovered her unique dunking skills.
The Logan product became an internet sensation when footage emerged of her dunking in 2016 and she said it was only a matter of time before her opportunity arose in the WNBL.
“One of the girls just said I should give it a go and I threw it down and I was like, ‘ jeez, that was cool’,” Aokuso said.
“I’m just waiting for the perfect time in a game and I’m sure it’ll come.”
Aokuso produced her best game in Fire colours against Adelaide last weekend, posting 14 points, seven rebounds, an assist, and a block as the reigning champions notched their first win of the season.
Her sophomore campaign has already been a big step up after being restricted to cameos off the bench last season and Aokuso said her confidence was growing with every game.
“It’s just a massive boost being able to come out and perform the way I did,” she said. “I’ve been working on my fitness so it’s not as hard with the minutes I’m playing because I knew what I had to come back to.”
Aokuso, seen as the natural successor to six- time WNBL MVP Suzy Batkovic, who will retire at season’s end, said she wanted to make the most of every minute they play together.
“Last season it was a struggle trying to get around Suzy ( at training) so I went home, did a lot of work, and came back expecting to be a little stronger than Suzy,” she said. “She’s the best to ever do it in the WNBL and I’m really happy to be her team mate.
“It’s been good to learn so much and I’m so excited to get more out of her.
“Her game is really exciting and you don’t know what to expect. She’s definitely someone I want to be like.”