Sinfield inducted in hall of fame
Horsham’s first national female basketballer Melissa Sinfield has joined the Basketball Western Australia Hall of Fame.
The former Perth Breakers and Perth Linx player joins four-time Olympian Andrew Vlahov and three-time Chicago Bulls champion and Australian basketball icon Luc Longley among 11 inaugural inductees announced at the weekend.
Sinfield, nee Mcclure, said she was thrilled to be in the hall of fame.
“I feel very humble to be named in the same bracket as the other inductees,” she said.
“It was a pretty special night. I enjoyed being able to spend the time with some pretty special people.”
Sinfield started playing basketball with Horsham Amateur Basketball Association as a junior before moving to Canberra’s Australian Institute of Sport when she was 16.
In Horsham she trained under Horsham basketball legends Owen Hughan, Dick Dewit and Dennis Wiley.
“Those three coaches are pretty special to me,” she said.
Sinfield played in the Women’s National Basketball League between 1996 and 2006.
Perth Linx retired her number in 2016.
Sinfield spends her time balancing a nursing career with coaching her sons’ basketball team and is also on the NBL One West commission.
“I’m involved with helping to run the competition overseeing operations and rules,” she said.
Sinfield features on a ‘Culture of Champions’ mural at Horsham Basketball Stadium depicting 14 players who cut their teeth in the game with Horsham Amateur Basketball Association before going on to national and international success.
“The mural is pretty cool to be remembered in Horsham. I like to give back to the community and never forget where
I came from,” she said. Sinfield was inducted into the Basketball Western Australia Hall of Fame at a dinner in Perth on Saturday.
“I would have loved to spend the time celebrating with my mum and dad, Sandra and Stuart Mcclure, but COVID-19 restrictions meant that wasn’t possible,” Sinfield said.
“I’d like to thank my family Peter, Hannah, Mitch and Josh for their support. Thank you to the people around me that helped in any way throughout my career, but more importantly my Mum, Dad and brothers Tim and Nick for the sacrifices and support to allow me to play the sport I loved.”