Mcspadden declares this is her WNBL year to shine
TOWNSVILLE Fire centre Lara Mcspadden has declared she is in far superior shape this year for what will be her second WNBL campaign in the North.
The 22-year-old has begun unofficial pre-season training under coach Shannon Seebohm now that she has returned from Rockhampton – where she starred for the Cyclones in the NBL1 North. While it was not a prolific tournament for the team, Mcspadden shone in averaging 20.5 points, 2.4 assists and a whopping 13.35 rebounds a game.
Now she wants to add to her developing career at the top level, having been used sparingly off the bench in the Fire’s charge to the WNBL grand final in last year’s North Queensland hub.
“I’m feeling pretty confident, I’m definitely fitter and more ready than I was last year,” Mcspadden said.
“Even though it wasn’t the greatest season for our team, it was an opportunity for myself to improve my game so I’m really excited to take that into the season.
“With Shannon we set some goals – I want to be rebounding every three minutes, shooting at 50 per cent inside the keyway and making better decisions with the ball without as many turnovers. “It’s really exciting (to be back), we obviously had a really good season last year so it’s great to be back in an environment where we all thrived and did really well.”
While there are some concerns over how the WNBL will proceed as scheduled due to Covid-19 border restrictions, Mcspadden said the Fire clan who were already in Townsville had been preparing as if nothing would change.
Around that, Mcspadden and Reid have been conducting girls-only basketball clinics to engage with a wider range of prospective players.