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“Some days I still wake up and I’m like, I can’t believe I do this for a living,” she said.<\/p>\n
“It’s unreal. This is something I’ve dreamt of, so it’s really cool.”<\/p>\n
As a second-year player, Simpson has cosily eased into her role as back-up to import guard Megan McConnell.<\/p>\n
While her impact is most often not truly reflected on the stats sheet, her relentless pressure, energy and effort are much desired and appreciated traits by Spirit coach Kennedy Kereama.<\/p>\n
More than anyone, she epitomises the Spirit’s team-first mantra and has played a key role in their bright start to their championship defence.<\/p>\n
“As a team we’ve done really well. We’ve had a lot of interruptions as far as player availability goes, whether that be through injury (Casey Samuels being the main one), and obviously Tolo announced her pregnancy (in November) as well,” Simpson said.<\/p>\n
“We’re missing a couple of key players, but our team is just one that is ‘next man up’, and anybody is prepared to do whatever it takes to win; no one is worried about getting their own, how many points they score, or whatever that looks like.<\/p>\n
“We all have one common goal and that is to win and we play a really exciting brand of basketball, which is really team-oriented.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n “That’s reflected in our results as far as win-loss.”<\/p>\n While the Spirit has it in spades, a great team isn’t built on talent alone. It’s about leadership.<\/p>\n In that regard, Simpson is adamant the Spirit is blessed to have a pair of recent 250-gamers with 10 championships and nearly every other Australian basketball accolade between them in Griffin and Tolo.<\/p>\n “Our great start really stems from our leadership group; they’ve obviously had so much more experience than a lot of our younger core,” she said.<\/p>\n “But they are so willing to share that knowledge with us and we can almost learn from mistakes through the experiences they have already had; so we don’t necessarily have to make them on our own before we learn.<\/p>\n “But it’s been ‘next man up’, ‘next challenge’; whatever comes we are ready for it.”<\/p>\n Learning from two icons of the sport is what Simpson declared another ‘pinch myself’ moment.<\/p>\n “I do it every day. It’s actually unbelievable,” she said.<\/p>\n “Honestly, a lot of us young girls talk about it all the time, just how lucky we feel and what a privilege it is to be their teammate and their friend.<\/p>\n “They are two incredible humans and that translates to their on-court presence as well.<\/p>\n “Not everyone gets to stand next to greatness every day, but I’m very lucky that I do.”<\/p>\n It’s a situation Simpson believes can’t help but make a better player.<\/p>\n “I’ve been in a position to play some really impactful minutes this year,” she said.<\/p>\n “The way I play and the role I play for this team doesn’t transfer to the stat sheet, which is completely okay with me.<\/p>\n “Honestly, whatever I can do to help this team and just play valuable minutes when Meg (McConnell) needs a break, that’s kind of when I know I’ve done my job, if my teammates are succeeding.”<\/p>\n Simpson will always be grateful for the show of support from her Spirit coach and former Miners coach Kereama, who she labelled as the key influence in her career.<\/p>\n The pair first became acquainted while Simpson was playing NBL1 for Launceston Tornadoes and Kereama coaching Knox Raiders in 2022.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n By 2024, they were on the same NBL1 team in Ballarat, with Simpson joining her coach at the Spirit a year later.<\/p>\n “He was the one that got my foot in the door and gave me my first opportunity in the league and he’s really been there for me ever since,” Simpson said.<\/p>\n “He’s invested a big amount of time into me, which I appreciate. It’s not always expected or a given with coaches, especially if you enter the league as a development player.<\/p>\n “I had to really work my way up and made a lot of mistakes along the way, but they were mistakes he was able to mentor me through.”<\/p>\n While she prefers to think of it as having the best of both worlds, Simpson is the first to admit that her circumstance of representing two major regional cities that class themselves as arch sporting rivals could at times be a little weird.<\/p>\n But she is proud to see the Spirit embracing the whole of Victoria by playing a series of pre and regular season games outside of Bendigo, including two this season in Ballarat.<\/p>\n “I know there’s a rivalry between Ballarat and Bendigo, but it’s a great avenue between the two,” she said.<\/p>\n “WNBL is the highest level we can play in Australia, so if we can represent all of country Victoria, outside of Geelong, then that’s what we are here to do.<\/p>\n “I obviously enjoy coming back here (to Ballarat), having a couple of connections already and seeing familiar faces after the games.<\/p>\n “Home games don’t always feel like home games, but it’s really nice at the same time.”<\/p>\n The second of two Spirit games in Ballarat this season was played at Selkirk Stadium earlier this week against Southside Flyers.<\/p>\n On playing for the Miners against the Bendigo Braves during the NBL1 season, Simpson added: “It feels a little bit weird, especially when we play back at Red Energy Arena, but it is fun.<\/p>\n “I like that there’s a rivalry; it brings a little bit more heat to the game and bit more want to win.<\/p>\n “I love it and thrive off it.”<\/p>\n As a native Tasmanian, Simpson watched on with pride and excitement as the WNBL unveiled its newest team in early December, the Tasmania Jewels.<\/p>\n Following the announcement of Tasmania as the home of the league’s next expansion team in August, the brand reveal marked a major moment for a state with a long, proud and passionate basketball history.<\/p>\n The Jewels will debut in 2026-27, three decades after the state’s previous WNBL team the Hobart Islanders folded.<\/p>\n Simpson insisted the introduction of the Jewels would create more opportunities for aspiring national league basketballers and fans of the sport.<\/p>\n “Growing up, you just never thought it would be a possibility,” she said about the Jewels.<\/p>\n “But the closer it’s come to being official and with the announcement of the branding, there is just so much excitement already.<\/p>\n “Whenever I see anything related to it, I definitely get excited about it and can see its potential, especially coming off the back of what the (NBL) JackJumpers have done in Tasmania.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" BENDIGO Spirit guard Micah Simpson admits she still sometimes has to pinch herself about listing her profession as a full-time basketballer. That goes double for being surrounded by some of her basketball idols in her WNBL teammates Kelsey Griffin and Marianna Tolo. Simpson, who turned 23 last month, is in the midst of her second […]<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/static.timesnewsgroup.com.au\/prod\/uploads\/sites\/24\/2026\/01\/591141541_1854209181_27259.jpg\")
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