WILSON RETURNS TO FLAMES

By Lachy France, Brydens Sydney Uni Flames have made their first re-signing as preparations commence for their title defence with the announcement today that Alex Wilson has put pen to paper and will return for the 2017/18 season. Wilson, the 2014 WNBL Rookie Of The Year at Townsville, was one of the Flames’ main contributors in their march to the 2016/17 championship, and her return will be welcome news for all Flames fans. Wilson joined the Flames in 2015 and averaged 8.3 points per game in her first season in Sydney after moving from Townsville. 2016/17 saw a marked improvement in Wilson’s scoring, with the sharpshooting guard averaging 11.4 points per game in the most recent campaign, as well as grabbing 4 rebounds per contest. Although her play was outstanding all season, Wilson really ramped things up during the playoffs, shining as a leader for the team. A 27 point outing led the Flames to a 111-69 win over the Townsville Fire in Game 1 of the semi-finals, and her 22 point effort was vital in the team’s Game 1 91-82 win over Dandenong in the grand final series. Wilson is clearly enamoured with the club, having committed to the Flames so soon after the end of the 2016/17 season. "I’m very excited to have re-signed with Sydney. I really enjoyed the season last year with a great bunch of girls and being coached by Cheryl again." “I am looking forward to coming back to have more success with the club and improving individually as a player.” Certainly, Wilson’s improvement has been marked throughout her time in the Harbour City, and further development from this point will only see the 23-year-old and develop into one of the league’s truly elite players. The shooting guard’s performance in the playoffs revealed glimpses of this ability, and her consistency has improved throughout the season. A native South Australian out of Murray Bridge, Wilson will spend the winter playing in her home state’s Premier League for the Eastern Mavericks before returning to Sydney for the 2017/18 WNBL season. Wilson’s return represents a large step in the club’s attempts to return as much of the championship team’s core in an effort to go back-to-back in 2017/18. There will be plenty more player signing news over the coming weeks, so keep an eye out on the team’s Facebook and Twitter pages for all the announcements.