We’re so thrilled to announce we have re-signed our 2020 WCC MVP and league assists leader Maddie Allen for the 2021 NBL1 season.
Head Coach Craig Allen shares why:
“Maddie is a quality person first and foremost and this is the main reason I was so keen on having her part of the group. Her ability extends way beyond what she offers on the court to what she brings to the club and to the girls.
I’m a big believer that the character of the group and individuals within the group are ultimately what leads to success, and Maddie is a prime example of that.
As a player, she is just a great distributor – smart, selfless and highlighted by how she led not just our team, but also the league in assists.”
NBL1 Director Nathan Barns agrees:
“We are so happy to have Maddie signed for the longer term. Not only is she an outstanding player on the court and sets herself a high bar of achievement, this is passed on to our up and coming players who learn so much from what Maddie brings to the training court. All the girls throughout the whole club look up to Maddie and aspire to be like her.”
What made re-signing an easy decision for Maddie? She says:
“You talk about clubs being supportive and like a family, and last year the Redbacks definitely proved that to me. All through COVID there was always contact and checking in, and it was really a no-brainer to make the decision to come back for next year.”
Maddie is no stranger to success having won championships in both the QBL and in the SBL with the Rockingham Flames. She’s keen to bring that same success to the Perth Redbacks:
“I’ve won a QBL championship, I’ve won an SBL championship and I want to be the kind of player who might not necessarily score a lot but helps her teams be better and win championships. We have a group of girls here who want to do better than we have the last couple of years and are ready to do what it takes to be a championship quality program.”
Captain Jess Jakens highlights the way Maddie helps everyone in the team elevate their game:
“Maddie is a phenomenal big presence inside and in addition to that she is one of the best assist players in the league. That makes it much easier to score when you’ve got someone looking for you down in the post. I was really appreciative of her making me look good last season!”
Maddie is excited to be back playing with Jess again too:
“Playing with JJ is awesome and I did make her do a lot of the hard finishing last season, but she’s always in the right spot.”
What excites Maddie about SBL making the transition to NBL1?
“A lot of people haven’t been able to see our SBL competition in the past and the players haven’t got the exposure that they deserve. The move to being part of the NBL1 familly will elevate that exposure, allow the competition to grow and draw even better players to the league, and keep the quality WA talent at home which is really important.”