Molloy and George proud of Flames’ WNBL25 season
Now that the dust has settled on the Sydney Flames’ incredible WNBL25 season, coach Guy Molloy has detailed how proud he is of his squad.
During an interview, alongside skipper Cayla George, following the team’s courageous semi-final to Bendigo, Molloy outlined how much his group had grown during the season, while also rising to any challenge thrown their way.
“One of our aims at the club is to build some core foundations about how we approach the game on and off the floor but due to the constant disruptions this season, that aspect has been very chaotic to deal with,” said Molloy.
“Those situations have been challenging for all involved but I’m proud of how everyone has handled themselves in the face of adversity and always put the best interests of the team first.
“We know it’s very hard to win in this league and it’s even harder to be a consistent contender, which has been my goal since I first took on this role.
“Playing against a quality team like Bendigo in this series has shown our group the level that we need to be at consistently if we are going to get to where we want to be as a team and club.”
HOOPS CAPITAL UNVEILS 2020-25 AWARD WINNERS
Further to that, Molloy outlined how the club’s attention to detail in development, highlighted by the growth of young stars like Bonnie Deas, Carla Pitman and Caitlyn Martin, helped deal with the huge injury toll in WNBL25.
“Here is Sydney, we are striving to be not only a playoff team each year but also a developmental program,” Molloy said.
“All of us have put in a huge amount of time to achieve both this season, through film review, skill improvement and how their talents can best be used to elevate the games of their teammates.
“I believe you’ve seen the rewards of that process this season, with, in my opinion, all the players being better now than when they first arrived at the start of the season.
“It’s a great reflection on the club that these players can now go onto their next clubs in the off-season, be that NBL1 or overseas, and perform at a level that they’ve never been at before.”
Flame #216 George echoed the sentiments of Molloy regarding the growth of the Flames during the season.
“There are plenty of positives to take from this season and I’m really proud of how everyone has dealt with the highs and lows together,” George said.
“Honestly, the fact that this group is so tight-knit and has such a great culture has allowed us to deal with the adversity and believe that we can achieve anything together – it’s been a really fun group to be a part of.
“Hopefully this is the start of even more success and finals appearances for the club moving forward.”