Phoenix Mercury? Meet Eastern Mavericks
TweetFLEDGLING Adelaide Hills-based SA basketball club Eastern Mavericks can now boast not only two Halls Medallists but two WNBA signings for reigning champion Phoenix Mercury.
Yesterday's confirmations the Mercury had secured Cayla Francis and Tess Madgen should have had Mavericks folks rightly pumping out their chests.
Both came through the club's junior programs and have followed similar career paths, despite Francis being a four-five and Madgen a one-two-three.
Francis in 2008 created Hills folklore when she became the first Halls Medallist - as the state's fairest and most brilliant woman basketballer - in Eastern's history.
A career at the AIS, then WNBL stints at multiple clubs followed, along with Australian Opals selection.
Madgen in 2010 became Eastern's second Halls Medallist, an AIS career-boost and WNBL stints at Bendigo and Melbourne soon following.
The talented and relentless swingman may not have joined Francis in last year's Opals Bronze Medal-winning FIBA World Championship team but she was on the Australian national side which won the Worlds qualifying berth by beating New Zealand in the Oceania Series.
Former Opals coach Tom Maher believes Madgen is a future Australian captain in the making.
Francis will return to Townsville for its WNBL title defence when her season with Phoenix concludes while Madgen will be back leading Melbourne's playoff drive.
But Eastern is where it all started.
THE new Perth Lynx have recruited American guard Sam Whitcomb, Klara Wischer and Izzy Chilcott for rookie coach Andy Stewart's first WNBL season.
Former Canberra Caps and Adelaide Lightning "tall", Carley Mijovic, also will ply her trade in Perth next season, alongside Louella Tomlinson.
Mijovic last year was drafted by the WNBA's Washington Mystics which currently own her rights, should she head to the US.