SYDNEY (2010 FIBA World Championship for Women) - Suzy Batkovic-Brown is warming up for Australia's world title defense in style while playing for the Sydney University Flames in the Women's National Basketball League.
Batkovic, a long-time Opal who has played on her country's last two Olympic sides, has earned back-to-back Player of the Week honors.
The 1.92m center, who turns 29 on December 17, had 31 points and 12 rebounds as the Flames won at Canberra this week.
“I’d be happy if I didn’t score a point and we won, so getting a road win and putting up some decent numbers is even better,” Batkovic-Brown said.
“We’re coming together as a team and that makes my job easier.”
Batkovic-Brown was injured and couldn’t play on the gold-medal winning Opals team at the 2006 FIBA World Championship for Women in Brazil.
One player who was in that team, Lauren Jackson, meanwhile, recently decided to play for the Canberra Capitals for the remainder of the season and basketball Down Under is still buzzing over her decision.
Jackson opted out of her contract with Spartak Moscow Region, the EuroLeague Women side she played for the last two years.
She is tentatively slated for Saturday's game at the Bendigo Spirit – the team whose general manager and point guard is Opals point guard Kristi Harrower.
Australia coach Carrie Graf is also the coach of Canberra.
Australia were recently drawn to face China, Belarus and Canada in Group A of the 2010 FIBA World Championship for Women.
FIBA
