Spirited game tipped
TOWNSVILLE Fire’s Courtney Woods is relishing the team’s red-hot start to the WNBL season, but knows they’re in for their toughest challenge yet next week when they play the undefeated Bendigo Spirit.
Woods has been a pivotal part of the Fire’s campaign so far, playing over 20 minutes in the first two games of the season before a smaller role in the team’s win over Southside Flyers. Fire captain Lauren Nicholson put in an inspirational shift in game three – playing every second of the match – and as a result Woods only saw eight minutes on the floor.
Woods, 25, said she was enjoying the challenge of coming off the bench as a shooter.
“Shannon (Seebohm) has done a really great job over the last three years of just instilling a lot of confidence in me, so I just really remind myself of that and that my teammates are behind me,” Woods said.
“I just try and stay as confident as I can, because you catch the ball, you’ve been sitting for 10 minutes and you’ve got to launch a three, you can’t really think about anything else.”
Woods came on in the Flyers game and drained a threepointer from her one attempt, but Nicholson’s 25-point and eight rebound performance kept the bench’s involvement to a minimum.
“I have loved playing besides and behind Lauren over the last three years,” Woods said.
“She’s someone I’ve looked up to for a long time and being able to get on the court and give her a bit of a break from guarding the hardest player, or take a bit of a load off her for a couple minutes has always been a role of mine, and I love seeing her succeed.”
Fire coach Shannon Seebohm said it was helpful that the squad were all able to take ownership of their individual roles, and were willing to sacrifice for the good of the team.
“I think it just speaks to the character of all the players we have behind the curtain here,” Seebohm said.
The Fire return to action in round four against the Bendigo Spirit at the Townsville Entertainment and Convention Centre on Friday, December 2.