By JARROD POTTER
ONLY one match to go before Dandenong’s Alison Downie joins one of the most elite lists in Australian basketball history.
Downie, 29, is set to notch her 300th Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) match this weekend in a career stretching back to her debut in the 2000/01 season.
Most impressively, in an era of crossing the country to pursue a basketball career or a better role in a team, Downie has remained a Ranger throughout and is the current games-record holder for the club.
“I’ve had it planned from the start of the season,” Downie said.
“We had the countdown, Dad has the countdown in his phone and rings me every so often and says ‘270… 280’ and so on.”
Downie, who was helped from the court following a mid-air collision after a rebound against Adelaide’s Angela Marino, shook off the knock but sat out the rest of the match and had the thought linger in her head whether she’d be able to play this upcoming weekend.
“I’m trying not to think about it (300th match),” Downie said.
“I thought about it tonight (Friday) when I went down.
“I thought… ‘am I going to be able to play next week?’… but I’m trying to think game by game and just to get there is the main priority.”
The Rangers will face West Coast on Friday night in Perth for Downie’s 299th match before flying back to face Canberra for the milestone match.
Tip off on Sunday is 1pm at Dandenong Basketball Stadium.
