Rangers veteran Emily McInerny has won her ninth WNBL Defensive Player of the Year award. Picture: Stewart Chambers.By Paul Pickering
EMILY McInerny’s status as the best defender in the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) was confirmed on Saturday when the Dandenong Rangers veteran collected her ninth Defensive Player of the Year award.
McInerny has had a mortgage on the trophy since 1998, only relinquishing it twice, to fellow Opals stars Tully Bevilaqua (1999-00) and Nathalie Porter (2002-03).
She has now won five in a row to establishing herself as the premier defender in WNBL history.
At 184cm, McInerny’s speed and unrivalled strength has given her the versatility to lock down on the league’s most dangerous scorers night after night.
McInerny ranked seventh in the league in steals this season, with 1.6 per game, and her influence was a key factor in Dandenong boasting the stingiest team defence in the league.
So while the popular Ranger was surprised to retain the title for another year, she may have been the only one.
“The fact that the players and coaches still see me as the premier defender in the league is amazing, and it makes me feel very honoured they feel that way,” she said.
“The more I have won this award the less I have expected to win it.”
While McInerny is unable to pinpoint what it is that makes her so effective in defence, she has again haunted some of the country’s most gifted scorers this year.
“I don’t actually break down in my mind what it is I do defensively,” she said.
“There are natural shooters, which I would love to be, but I must just be a natural defender who reads the game well.”
McInerny received the award, which is now named after Australian basketball legend Robyn Maher, at the WNBL Grand Final luncheon at the Wollongong Entertainment Centre on Saturday.
Afterwards, the Adelaide Lightning, which eliminated Dandenong in the preliminary final, secured the championship with a 92-82 win over the Sydney Uni Flames.
But with another successful season under her belt, McInerny will now focus on preparations for the Opals’ bid for gold at the Beijing Olympics in August.
