THE Perth Redbacks split their games in Round 5 of the West Coast Classic but Maddie Allen was brilliant in both outings and that has seen the Perth Lynx WNBL star named SBL Shootaround’s Player of the Week.
Allen was a big signing in the off-season for the Redbacks on the back of her best WNBL season with the Perth Lynx which came following her leading the Rockingham Flames to the 2019 SBL championship where she took out the Grand Final MVP award.
As a result, she naturally was going to be a big part of the Redbacks plans for the SBL season in 2020 and luckily for the club she did commit to still being part of the West Coast Classic when that was announced as the replacement.
Having re-signed with the Perth Lynx as well for the 2020/21 WNBL season, Allen is now producing a brilliant West Coast Classic and her back-to-back performances in Round 5 were simply brilliant.
First up on Saturday night, the Redbacks won big 111-34 against the South West Slammers at Belmont Oasis with Allen producing the first triple-double by any player so far in the West Coast Classic.
Allen finished the night with 11 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists and two steals while shooting 5/8 from the field before then getting ready to lead her team into battle against the Warwick Senators at Warwick Stadium on Sunday.
While the Redbacks didn’t end up winning with the Senators prevailing 81-77, Allen couldn’t have possibly done any more finishing the game with 18 points, 21 rebounds, seven assists and four blocked shots while going 7/14 from the floor and 4/7 from the foul line.
Those two performances meant that Allen was a lock to see SBL Shootaround co-hosts Chris Pike and Randy Miegel announce her as the Wandering Distillery Player of the Week.
Miegel, a two-time Women’s SBL Coach of the Year who took the Mandurah Magic to two Grand Finals, had no doubt about Jakens being the standout performer for the weekend.
“I’m going for Maddie Allen as well this week. I think it’s outstanding what she did and she has been really consistent as well,” Miegel said.
“We talk about Nat Burton and Ash Isenbarger being consistent, but Maddie Allen has been as consistent as them and I think she leads the league in assists as well and she’d be right up there with the rebounds and blocked shots as well.
“She is doing it all so the Wandering Distillery Player of the Week is Maddie Allen.”
