Final names added to Spirit list

THE shape of the Bendigo Spirits 2022/23 WNBL line up is taking shape, with more players recently announced.

Club legend Kelly Wilson will return for her fourth stint with the Spirit.

The 170-centimetre guard was the first player to crack 400 games in the WNBL and won back-to-back championships with the team in 2013 and 2014.

Her most recent stint with the club was during the 2019-2020 season before playing with the Canberra Capitals for the last two years.

“I’m excited to be back representing my hometown of Bendigo and country Victoria,” she said.

“To be able to play in front of my family, friends and Bendigo Spirit fans again makes me very happy and I would like to thank the new ownership group, SEN, and coach Kennedy Kereama for offering me the opportunity to return.

“Kennedy has put together a great group of girls and we are going to do our very best to bring the WNBL championship back to Bendigo.”

The four-time WNBL champion has also seen national duty and Kereama was pleased Wilson was retuning.

“Kel ticks so many boxes for us as a program, her incredible basketball IQ, her leadership skills, her talent, she is always in peak condition and leads by example in so many ways,” he said.

“As a club and program that has championship ambitions, you need players with championship experience to help lead the way.”

Also announced recently was the resigning of 188-centemetre forward Piper Dunlop.

Dunlop was part of the Brave’s strong season and averaged nine points, and more than six rebounds a game while pulling some big minutes for the NBL1 South squad.

“Bendigo Spirit has been a huge part of my upbringing and it’s an honour to represent them again,” she said.

“It’s something that will always seem surreal to me, especially with some of the old crew coming back, it feels incredible to suit up with them.”

The final two announcements mean the 11 women squad for the upcoming WNBL season is locked in with Cassidy McLean, Sophia Locandro, Tessa Lavey, Alicia Froling, Megan McKay, Anneli Maley, Alex Wilson, Abbey Wehrung and Kelsey Griffin all on the list.

The Bendigo Spirit campaign gets underway on the road in Canberra on 4 November before welcoming the Perth Lynx to Red Energy Arena two days later.