WNBL defensive player of the year Emily McInerny with Dandenong Rangers coach Gary Fox, who won the coach of the year award.By Glen Atwell
EMILY McInerny has been named the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) defensive player of the year for the seventh time in nine years.
The 27-year-old Dandenong Ranger broke her own defensive award record as she stole and blocked her way to a third consecutive title.
It was fitting that McInerny was announced the winner a day after her stunning defensive performance helped Dandenong beat the Adelaide Fellas on Saturday and progress to its third consecutive grand final.
McInerny was handed the tough assignment of restricting Erin Phillips’ influence on the game, and the steely Dandenong defender put on a match-winning performance.
Phillips was held scoreless in the third quarter as McInerny expertly closed space around the paint and forced Phillips into low-percentage shots.
McInerny said Phillips was always a tough opponent.
“Erin is capable of scoring at any time,” she said. “I worked on trying to slow her down and force her team-mates to create the offensive plays.”
McInerny said the regular season had brought with it some new experiences.
“Losing two games in a row was something new to us. I don’t think we had for the past two seasons,” she said.
Rangers coach Gary Fox was also honoured by the WNBL, announced on Tuesday as the league’s coach of the year.
It’s the second time in Fox’s coaching career at Dandenong he has collected the prize.
Fox, the 2003-04 award winner, said it reflected a season of hard work.
“It is a huge honour and is recognition of the hard work the Rangers coaching staff have put in this season,” he said.
Fox said he was thrilled his side would play in its third consecutive grand final, but admitted the road to finals glory was a tough one.
“We had a terrific start to the season, then the competition stepped up,” he said. “The break over Christmas troubled us and we ran into some very committed and dedicated teams in the new year.”
The coach of the year was just happy to be a part of the WNBL grand final.
“Now we just want to be ready and have a perfect preparation for the final,” he said.
Fox recognised McInerny as a top-level defender and a crucial part of the Rangers’ line-up.
“Mac did a terrific job against Phillips on Saturday, her game was great,” he said.
And how about winning seven of the past nine defender awards?
“Wow, it really is spectacular. They might have to think about renaming the award after her,” Fox laughed.
The WNBL grand final will be played on Saturday, 18 February at the Dandenong Basketball Stadium.
The Rangers will play either Adelaide or Canberra, who will face off this Saturday in the preliminary final.
