Fire duo help the Opals win Bronze in Jordan

“I think Z will keep getting better and better with more games under her belt and practice time on the court. She is an exciting future prospect for both the Fire and the Opals.

“To be honest, I think for her it is about that consistent work she puts in. If she is in great shape and is putting in the work, she is an MVP candidate type of talent.

“If she is in shape and has done the work, there is no reason she can’t have a monster year for the Fire.

“She has a way to go with her conditioning but she is such a great talent. You see in those stretches where she is fresh and playing with energy, there is no one in the world who can compete with her at that level.”

Nicholson will return to the Fire as a marquee domestic signing this season after narrowly missing out on the WNBL MVP award last season.

The two-way guard was a driving force behind the Fire’s run to the grand final last season, but Seebohm said it was not always about her work on the attacking end of the floor.

While she averaged 6.3 points a game, which included a monster 21-point effort against the Philippines in the group stages, Nicholson’s best work in the Asia Cup came without the ball.

“One of the things people overlook, when you play in these Aussie teams your role is different to what it is in your club teams,” Seebohm said.

“Playing with Sami (Whitcomb), her role might not be to be a scorer on the floor. Instead she brought composure, she brought toughness. She was the best defender on the floor any time she was out there and also knocked down some shots when it was needed.”