College standout to debut in WNBL with Spirit

FRESH from re-signing its inspirational captain Kelsey Griffin, Bendigo Spirit is looking forward to another Kelsey making her mark in the Women’s National Basketball League next season.

It follows the signing of Australian-born US college star Kelsey Rees on a two-year deal.

The former Australian junior representative joins the Spirit for their championship defence on the back of a stellar five-year college career with Oregon State and Utah.

She will be making her WNBL debut in 2025-26.

Rees represented Australia during her youth career and was a member of the national teams that claimed gold at the 2018 FIBA Under-16 Asian Championship and 2019 FIBA Under-17 Women’s Oceania Championship – where she was named in the tournament’s All-Star Five – and silver at the 2021 FIBA U17 World Cup.

In 2020, Rees made the move to the United States, where the star forward played with the University of Utah for three seasons, helping the program return to the NCAA tournament for the first time in over a decade.

The South Australian native continued to dominate the court with the Oregon State Beavers for seasons 2023-24 and 2024-25, averaging 13.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game in her final college season.

Championship-winning coach Kennedy Kereama is looking forward to utilising the 196cm forward’s expert-level defensive skillset and impressive versatility.

With the talent to impress on both ends of the court, Rees’s hard work, commitment and willingness to pursue the ball will be an absolute asset to the Spirit.

Rees said she was excited to join the Spirit upon her return to Australia, especially following the club’s success last season.

“I’m really looking forward to joining the Spirit for the 2025-26 season,” the 23-year-old said.

“I had an incredible college career in the US and was lucky to learn from some amazing teammates and coaches.

“Now, I’m really excited to be coming home to Australia to play the game I love.

“Joining a championship-winning team with some of the best bigs in the league is an amazing opportunity, and I can’t wait to keep learning, contribute however I can, and connect with the Bendigo fans.”

Spirit general manager Dan Jackson said the club was thrilled to have secured Rees’s signature upon her return to Australia.

“Having Kelsey choose Bendigo to start her professional career is a huge win for our club,” he said.

“She had a fantastic senior year at Oregon State, and she will now get the opportunity to train against and learn from some of the best bigs our league has seen in Kelsey Griffin and Marianna Tolo.

“We expect Kelsey can come in and contribute right away and look forward to helping her along her basketball journey for at least the next two years.”

Rees joins championship-winning captain Kelsey Griffin, Opals star Isobel Borlase, fellow former US college standout Olivia Pollerd and Casey Samuels as players announced on the Spirit roster for the upcoming 2025-26 season.