Rowe returns to Raiders for upcoming NBL1 voyage

After wrapping up her second WNBL season with the Sydney Flames recently, forward Kiera Rowe will quickly shift her attention to the 2023 NBL1 campaign.

For the third straight season, that will be in the colours of the Knox Raiders, after recently penning a deal to return to the NBL1 South club.

“Returning to Knox was an easy decision,” Rowe said.

“I’ve played there for a couple of seasons now and the team and club as a whole are just so great to be a part of, so I’m really excited to be heading back to Knox for another season.”

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The 24-year-old, who averaged 9.33 points, 3.08 rebounds and 1.67 assists for the Raiders in 2022, will be aiming for her best season to date in NBL1 – after an exceptional campaign with the Hoops Capital club, which saw her take out the side’s Defensive Player of the Year award.

“The 2023 WNBL season has really helped me develop both on and off the court, as a player and as a leader,” she said.

“Matching up against such elite players every week has taken my defence to another level, and also helped me develop my offensive reads on the game.”

Rowe, who outlined her team’s championship ambitions heading into the new season, will be using the time back in her home state Victoria to take her game to the next level.

“There is always room to improve in every part of my game,” the Bulleen Boomers product said.

“I’m really looking forward to using this NBL1 season to take another big step forward, especially on the offensive end of the floor.

“[On top of that] I deferred my physio degree while I was in Sydney for WNBL, so I will pick that up again when I get back to Melbourne.

“Around my university placements and study, I’ll definitely be spending a lot of time on the court and in the gym to work on my game.”

The Raiders open their season at Keilor Stadium on April 2 against the Thunder – with the match set to be streamed live here.