Sigh. This Sunday

COTY...
MVP…

Looks legit.
Do they even watch the games?

It's an absolute joke Werdy

Coach of the Year looks like they decided on the candidates a month ago lol

What's the criteria for Breakout POTY? No idea looking at that list of candidates.

Actual MVP I kind of don't mind who wins it. Canada clearly the best player but everyone's had good season, may go to whomever out of Borlase or Melbourne they've hyped the most.

Nicholson, Melbourne (probably won't because Caps finished last) or Canada the MVP. Aari McDonald would have been well up there if she didn't get injured.

Agree COTY are interesting choices - that's for sure.

Nicholson, Melbourne (probably won't because Caps finished last) or Canada the MVP. Aari McDonald would have been well up there if she didn't get injured.

Agree COTY are interesting choices - that's for sure.

It's ridiculous that voting was finalised with multiple rounds of action left in the regular season.
Playoff spots are on the line right until the end, and the final positions of several teams have been widely variable depending on the results of their final 2 or 3 games.

Sixth woman of the year nominees:
Emma Clarke
Alicia Froling
Leilani Mitchel (who has started games for the last third of the season?!)
Tera Reed
Abbey Wehrung


Defensive Player of the year nominees:
Jordan Canada
Lauren Nicholson
Steph Reid
Mercedes Russell
Brianna Turner

Assuming Leilani starts today, by my quick count she will have started in 10 of the 20 games she has played in this season!

Who should've been candidates for MVP and COTY?

From the WNBL website- "Players that have started in 50% or more of the games during the season are not eligible for the award (no exeptions)" (the misspell of 'exceptions' is theirs, not mine!)

@Jayhoops-

MVP- Aari McDonald and Kelsey Griffin are the first 2 that come to mind. Their teams have great records with them and terrible records without them- surely that proves how valuable they are?

COTY- Coaching isn't something I know much about, but in terms of getting the most out a team and playing to their roster's strengths I would've put the Perth and Southside coaches up there.

DMc - thanks for the count on Lei and checking the rules. There were a few other players that could slide into that spot - Cass Brown? Gem Potter? Jas Dickey?

yep, Chambers snubbed for the 2nd year in a row. I don't see how Mitchell is eligible, hard to go past the Froling who plays at Bendigo (always get them mixed up). How can you not count the last 2 rounds in the votes? Makes Bendigo a bit stiff in every category. Plus Russell would be a chance for MVP if the last few games counted.

I understand that it takes time to set up everything, write on trophies, put together video clips, etc etc, but this is so amateur to ignore the last rounds.

Maybe you have to pay more for fast results, but surely that's needed in this case?

100% Hoopie, makes it very mickey mouse

For coach of the year, I always like a coach who has over achieved with the team they have. Having a stacked and experienced roster and then performing well is one thing, but coaching that shows team development is another imo

there's challenges to coaching both stacked/experienced rosters as well as coaching young rosters who lack depth. The challenges are different but still real.

I'm sure everyone remembers Molloy losing year after year with his "stacked/experienced" rosters, even when he had prime Cambage.

Seebomb had the quintessential stacked/experienced roster last year & he managed them beautifully, I don't think it's necessarily that easy to do and shouldn't be underestimated.

I'm assuming it’s to do with rescheduled games, but does the awards being in Melbourne tomorrow mean that none of the Townsville or Sydney players will be there? And 2/3 of the COTY finalists? Also on that, can’t see how anyone but Seebohm wins that one. Recruitment is a key skill, as is developing players and keeping a talented group motivated.

Molloy's COTY nomination looking even sillier now.

Yes indeed Luuuc

Leilani Mitchell wins 6WotY despite not being eligible.

Yep, sorry but have to agree. She had qcgreat second half of season. But if had worked out player mix from day she wouldn't have been coming off the bench. Regardless LM Congradts

Apologies for spelling and grammar errors

Apologies for spelling and grammar errors

Award Winners

MVP - Jordin Canada

All-Star 1st Team
Jordin Canada
Jade Melbourne
Lauren Nicholson)
Isobel Borlase
Mercedes Russell

All-Star 2nd Team
Sami Whitcomb
Naz Hillmon
Amy Atwell
Aari McDonald
Didi Richards

DPOY - Lauren Nicholson

6WOY - Leilani Mitchell

Breakout Player - Alex Sharp

Fan MVP - Jade Melbourne

Community Award - Courtney Woods

COTY - Shannon Seebohm

How is the MVP voted?

So many spelling mistakes of Life Member and Award winners names during the awards night.

Ray Tomwilson (got excited about Tom Wilson's return to basketball perhaps?)
Isobel Bourne instead of Isobel Borlase
Naz Hamilton instead of Hillman

And these were just the worst ones off the top of my head!!!

It's looking more unprofessional by the minute

Any indication as to why most Southside players did not attend the awards night?

Most = all except one (Bec Cole). Very odd.

Why couldn't these awards be done during the finals series (before the finals started) after the regular season was done? It feels like they rushed this and for no discernible reason.

Canada winning is fair enough, just so talented, she'll be playing even better in the WNBA, worth grabbing league pass for that.

Mitchell making it as 6POY is very funny, and I like Sharp winning something but she made the Asian Cup Opals squad off the back of last season's form, so not sure fits the meaning of 'Breakout', but that whole award is a mess.

I do get having them as close to the end of regular season as possible as imports not progressing to finals may leave the country quite quickly. Obviously not ideal that 2 teams couldn't make it but that rescheduled game was vital so adjusting the round was important.

Ultimately, it is an opportunity for the players and support staff to celebrate each other and support the league. I think you can both hold the league to account and ask them to do better (typos etc) and also support it and each other.

Re: breakout award. I don't know why they don’t have an 'early career player’ for 0-4 years in the league that someone can only win once, and then a most improved

Any indication as to why most Southside players did not attend the awards night?

I'm guessing it’s as simple as they’d had 3 games in 6 days (2 on the road) & needed to rest to prepare for the SF series which starts a few days later? Sydney & Townsville not being able to be there made it Mickey Mouse to begin with imo.

Feels like it's a little tantrum about schedule (3 games in 6 days is not great for a professional league, but they weren’t the only team to do that or in less days over the last two rounds), awards (Russell’s omission was odd) and having to play both semi finals in the same venue (venue availability is not in wnbl remit??)

OMG! Has anyone seen the footage of the musical entertainment that was on offer at the WNBL Awards Night? Simply The Best (Tina Turner Cover) was sung (hardly ever in tune) & it was the most tragic & tone deaf performance I've ever seen, apparently WNBL players in attendance thought they was being 'punked’ by being forced to listen to this performance!

Oh jeez that's awful. The players deserve better lol