Her all along: Charli Collier reignites her love for the game in the Capital
On Saturday, the Caps will end their season against title favorites Bendigo Spirit.
For Charli Collier, it’s been quite the ride.
The girl from Texas arrived in Canberra with a strong pedigree – McDonald’s All-American in high school. Two-time All-Big 12 First Teamer and 2021 AP All-American First Team in college. First overall pick in the 2021 WNBA Draft. 2021 WNBA All-Rookie team.
Throughout her journey this season, she found out a lot about herself. On the court, and off it.
“I had never been to Australia, I didn’t even know much about the WNBL,” Charli recalls.
“My agents presented me with an opportunity back in the (United States) summer. I had some teammates from the Dallas Wings that played in the WNBL, Slim (former Caps import Brittany Sykes) who was my teammate in Poland had played here.”
“I spoke to them, I spoke to Goz (Caps Head Coach and Atlanta Dream Assistant Coach Paul Goriss), and that was crucial because being in the WNBA, he had seen me play before and he expressed trust in my ability. After talking it over with my family, I just took the chance.”
Charli knew little about the Caps, but those conversations assured her that it was a good opportunity. She wasn’t aware that the team was coming off back-to-back last place seasons but she said that wouldn’t have mattered to her anyway – her focus was just to be in environment where she can just play ball and win.
The ride wasn’t without its rough times. Matching up against an all-timer in Cayla George in her very first game, Charli struggled scoring only 2 points and fouling out in 16 minutes. Cayla on the other hand had 23 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists leading the Flames to a 102-85 win.
She bounced back and put up decent numbers in succeeding games, but you could tell there was more. Charli was not only adjusting to new teammates, she was also adjusting to a new league, the level of physicality, the way refs were officiating games. The numbers were there, but the impact wasn’t being felt much.
But then came the second half of the first matchup against the Townsville Fire. Charli was instrumental in a pivotal 3rd quarter stretch, scoring tough baskets inside against Lauren Cox and Alicia Froling. She was pumped up and though the numbers didn’t really stand out (15 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists), the impact was definitely felt. More importantly, the team notched its first win of the season, against a contender at that.
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“At first, it was rough because I didn’t know what to expect. But I felt like as the season went on, I started to gain the respect of the refs, the players, the coaches because I was playing well,” she said.
Mid-December in Adelaide usually features scorching weather. The Capitals came in looking to snap a three-game losing streak, and Charli was on a mission. With the Caps misfiring early on, Charli carried the team on her shoulders and tried her best to will the team to victory.
In a full display of her skillset, Charli dominated inside and outside. She dominated the glass and she dominated her matchup against Brianna Turner, the league’s best shot blocker. In the end, the Caps would fall short by a point, but Charli reminded everyone of why she was such a highly touted player – 27 points, 22 rebounds. She had arrived.
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“It was a mindset thing, it was a toughness that I had to find. I feel like every player, no matter how good you are, goes through a phase where life hits you and you got to learn how to navigate through it,” she said.
In the succeeding games, Charli put together some of her best basketball of the season. There was a 20-10-3 line against Laeticia Amihere and the Perth Lynx. A 25-16 and 19-10 against Adelaide. Efficient 19-6 and 23-5 lines against Southside and Geelong. More importantly, her play was translating into wins, pushing the Caps into the thick of the playoff race, something that seemed so far-fetched at the end of December.
“I knew it would take time. Goz knew it would take some time. And I knew I had to be the best version of myself for us to win,” she said.
“When I was going through that rough time, Goz and I had an individual workout and we just took it back to basics. Basketball, it’s nothing new, I’ve been playing it forever.”
“And with that I just started to play with the confidence that I knew I always had, and just stopped overthinking things. But sometimes you have to take yourself back to where it all started.”
Through it all, Charli’s experience in the capital has been amazing to her. Her first experience in Australia has allowed her to grow not only as a basketball player, but as a person as well. She loves the Caps and she especially loves the fans. She says that the final game against Bendigo will be a little bit emotional for her because she’s gotten attached to everybody.
“Everyone here is super sweet. There’s a whole family vibe with my teammates, the coaches, the staff,” she said.
“And even the fans too – no matter what I do on the court, they’re always there. I’ve been to a lot of places, and these are the most committed fans I’ve been around. Win or lose, there are long lines waiting for photos and a chat. That’s so rare.”
“It means a lot because it shows they care about you more than basketball. The support never wavered, and it made me want to go out and play. It felt like it was bigger than basketball.”
While the Caps will ultimately fall short in ending their playoff drought, Charli is at peace, knowing her and the team gave it everything they had. She’s proud of herself for persevering through adversity, and this season showed her that Charli Collier the person and Charli Collier the basketball player can get through anything.
Winning games, and ultimately, the championship is always the goal. But for Charli, it was also important to be in an environment where she was having fun. Being with the Caps provided that.
“I’m on the right track as far as playing basketball the right way, being around good people, and just enjoying the moment. I feel like I really enjoyed basketball and my time here,” she says.
“And I’m happy. I think that’s the most important thing.”