LIVING A DREAM HAS BEEN SPECIAL TITLE MISS SPUR FOR NEW BLOOD
TOWNSVILLE Fire young gun Zitina Aokuso believes the challenges of their failed WNBL title defence will only make her a better player as she helps lead the club into a new era.
Aokuso and forward Darcee Garbin are the only players already signed for next season, with the Fire set for a rebuilding phase following the retirement of sixtime WNBL MVP and captain Suzy Batkovic.
Aokuso was a relative latecomer to basketball, taking up the sport as a teenager, but she has enjoyed a rapid rise with the Fire as she won a championship in her rookie season.
However, the Logan product was brought back to earth this season as the Fire missed the finals for the first time since 2010, while she has also been playing with a stress fracture in her foot.
Aokuso hasn’t let that pain stop her as she’s averaging 9.06 points and 5.33 rebounds while stepping AS a kid, I first started playing basketball in the yard with my brother, Robert, in Newcastle.
He was older and bigger than me, but we would spend hours upon hours getting shots up and imagining what it would be like to be a basketballer.
For the past two decades, I’ve had the good fortune of being able to travel the world and to live out that dream with stops in Italy, France, Russia and the US among many others.
Having spent one season with the Fire up in place of Batkovic, who has missed the past seven games with an ongoing neck complaint.
The 20-year-old has only been able to train once a week with her foot injury before suiting up on game day, but Aokuso said she was determined to do whatever she could to help the Fire.
“It’s not too tough once it’s started getting warm but the process of getting warm and cooling down is a struggle,” she said.
“I had one (a stress fracture) three years ago when I was at the AIS, but it’s a learning curve. It’s just about pushing through and getting better still.
“It has been a big step up going from not playing much last season to playing a lot more this season, but it’s been pretty awesome.
“I’ve been preparing for this so I’ve been working hard on and off the court.”
Aokuso is viewed as the natural successor to Batkovic in the centre position and the Fire skipper has been a valuable mentor, even while she has been sidelined this season.
Aokuso will spend the WNBL off-season playing for the Geelong Lady Supercats in Basketball Victoria’s new elite league and she was keen to keep building on Batkovic’s lessons before returning for the Fire.
“I feel so privileged to be able to be mentored by Suzy and I feel like there’s so much more that I can learn from her,” Aokuso said.
“All I can do is just work harder in the off-season and come back better so hopefully I can fill her shoes by the time next season comes.”
Aokuso has made some huge strides in her sophomore campaign but there is one goal that she is still eager to tick off by becoming the first player to dunk in the WNBL.
Tess Madgen tried to set up the athletic centre for an alley-oop in their recent home win over Bendigo but Aokuso didn’t quite get the timing right to slam the ball in the hoop.
She has three more chances to make history before season’s end and Aokuso insisted the pain of her foot fracture won’t stop her from attempting the first dunk.
“I still want that dunk so hopefully I can get that one down and then I’ll be satisfied,” she said.
“Even with the foot, I’m determined to jump through the pain and throw one down.” with
SUZY BATKOVIC