Injury forces game plan rethink
THE Townsville Fire have been dealt another injury blow, with star signing Abby Bishop ruled out of the club’s WNBL season opener.
Bishop, who signed with the Fire in the off-season, was pulled from tonight’s 2019/20 tip-off against the Southside Flyers in Dandenong following a training incident yesterday.
After losing star centre Zitina Aokuso to a ruptured ACL last month, the 191cm forward became all the more crucial to the side’s fortunes, but Fire general manager Sam Pascoe said Bishop’s health came first.
“She suffered a knock to the head at training; we sent her for all the right medical checks and she’d suffered a slight concussion,” Pascoe said.
“They made the decision (yesterday) morning to not send her, so as a prevention, she’ll be sitting out for the first game.
“Our main concern is making sure Abby is OK. It’s about resting now and that’s our main priority.”
The loss throws coach Shannon Seebohm’s plans into disarray, with the loss of the crucial Bishop also meaning the Fire will be further stretched for height.
Outside of Aokuso (194cm) and Bishop, mid-sized forwards Christina Boag and Darcee Garbin (both 188cm) are the Fire’s next tallest, followed by Canadian import Bridget Carleton at 186cm.
While confirming the loss would be strongly felt in the game plan and how the side lines up against the star-studded Flyers, Pascoe was confident the side could improvise, with off-season signing Hannah Young tipped to step up.
“After seeing Hannah play, I’ll expect a lot of minutes from her,” Pascoe said.
“It’s (Bishop’s injury) not ideal and it’s very frustrating for us, but that’s professional sport.
“I’m still confident in what we’ll be able to do on the court.”
Pascoe said the Fire expected Bishop to miss just one game, with the international set to line up in the side’s first home game next Friday against Adelaide at Townsville Stadium.