UC Capitals bring back Abby Bishop as short-term injury replacement
The University of Canberra Capitals are signing Abby Bishop for the next few games, as the team looks to bolster its frontcourt depth after losing Ella Tofaeono and Meg Jefferson to injury.
Coach Paul Goriss said that Bishop will be a welcome and needed addition to the team in the short term, as she would provide depth and valuable veteran leadership for the team over the next few weeks.
“We’re very fortunate to be able to bring back a player of Abby’s caliber – especially on such short notice – as a short-term injury replacement. Her resume speaks for itself and it couldn’t be more fitting to have her back home as we celebrate retro round this weekend,” Goriss said.
“Her leadership and experience, even in these latter stages of her career, is a boost to our club. While her minutes on-court will likely be minimal, her basketball IQ is something that I believe will help us compete.”
Bishop, who last week announced she was retiring from professional basketball, most recently played in China where she averaged close to 4 points and 10 rebounds in just 17 minutes per game.
She also played for Hozono Global Jairis in Spain earlier in 2024, where she was teammates with Chantel Horvat.
“Coach Goriss and I had a chat as I needed to understand what he wanted out of me, as I’ve been out of basketball for the past few months. It’s obviously tough to come in at this point of the season, but I’m coming in just as another body to give some of the frontcourt players a breather and provide some extra leadership and experience for the group,” said Bishop.
“I’m only signed on for three games, and it’s really just a way for me to help out the Caps in a time of need for all that they’ve done for me throughout my career.”
Bishop has had a storied WNBL career which includes 156 games for the Capitals and being named the league’s MVP in the 2014/15 season. She is a three-time WNBL champion, a two-time WNBL All-Star Five awardee, and was the 2006 Rookie of the Year. For her WNBL career, she has averaged 13.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game.
She has also had stints in the WNBA with the Seattle Storm, and has played in various countries in Europe. She was an Opal in the 2012 London Olympics and the 2019 FIBA Asia Cup, helping the team bring home the bronze medal in both instances.
The UC Capitals face the Adelaide Lightning at the AIS Arena on Saturday 11 January. Tipoff is at 3:30pm. Kids tickets are 50% off at all January home games using the code KIDS50.