Basketball On The Internet.

TRAGICALLY, the WNBL this season only honoured its awards recipients with acknowledgements, website stories and platitudes which normally would be fine, except Suzy Batkovic became a five-time MVP.

That set her apart as the most successful individual in the league's long and rich history.

Of her five MVP wins, this was the toughest because Perth Lynx's Sami Whitcomb was little short of sensational all season too.

The media has rallied and played its part, applauding our finest women's basketball players of 2016-17.

So here as well, better late than never, is your annual B.O.T.I. pictorial tribute to the women who mattered most (with a flashback bonus at the end!):

WNBL 2016-17 Award Winners

Most Valuable Player: Suzy Batkovic (Townsville Fire)

Coach of the Year: Cheryl Chambers (Sydney Uni Flames)

Betty Watson Rookie of the Year: Monique Conti (Melbourne Boomers)

Robyn Maher Defensive Player: Marianna Tolo (Canberra Capitals)

All Star Five: Leilani Mitchell (Sydney Uni Flames)

All Star Five: Sami Whitcomb (Perth Lynx)

All Star Five: Asia Taylor (Sydney Uni Flames)

All Star Five: Suzy Batkovic (Townsville Fire)

All Star Five: Marianna Tolo (Canberra Capitals)

Those were our stand-outs but heading into Game 2 of the Grand Final this week, here's a couple of pics to show not much has changed despite the passing of the years, with a couple of Grand Finalists from 1981's St Kilda and 2017's Sydney...

NEW IDEAS? St Kilda's Julie Frenette (nee Tester) and Karen Blicavs (nee Ogden) long before Sydney's Jennifer Hamson and Leilani Mitchell posed in a 2017 "remake".