BMW going back-to-back? - Mikayla Williams is a favourite to go back-to-back in the Halls Medal on Sunday with the likely competition coming from Brooke Basham, Maddy Freer, Ally Wilson and Nicole Fransson
3-Minute Read
A huge thankyou to our experts, the commentators of the NBL1 Central that cast their own 3-2-1 each match of the season to help with the predictions below for the award…
Previous Decade Winners
2013 Jess Foley (Norwood Flames)
2014 Amy Lewis (Norwood Flames)
2015 Callan Taylor (Woodville Warriors)
2016 Olivia “Levicki” Thompson (Forestville)
2017 Alex Wilson (Eastern Mavericks)
2018 Chelsea Brook (Sturt Sabres)
2019 Carmen Tyson-Thomas (Eastern Mavericks)
2021 Teige Morrell (Southern Tigers)
2022 Mikayla Williams (Sturt Sabres)
Did you know???
In the Womens the club who has won the most Halls medals is North Adelaide with 10 followed by South Adelaide with 9 and West Adelaide with 8. Out of the 10 current clubs, everyone has posted a winner with Sam Woosnam the least recent club player to win it for West Adelaide way back in 2006. The biggest multiple winner of the Halls is Vicki Kelson who has won it four times in 2000, 2001 and 2005 including a three-way tie in 1999 with Narelle Lindsay and Kristen Veal. We could also have our first back-to-back Halls medallist if Mikayla Williams can take it out – she would be the first since Deanna Smith for the South Adelaide Panthers in 2003 and 2004.
The Favourites
Brooke Basham
It’s been nearly 29 years since North Adelaide Women’s last Halls Medallist in Jo Hill (1994) – but newly re-signed Adelaide Lightning shooting guard Brooke Basham is right up there in the count this year. In 2022 with the Norwood Flames the experts think she polled in about thirteen of the games – this year it’s about the same but how many threes she gets where teammate Lauren Mansfield played is the big factor on whether she comes up just short or takes the award in a tight count.
Mikayla Williams
The reigning Halls Medallist has every chance to go back-to-back and with a team winning all 18 games of the season – she rarely had an off-night. Our experts have her polling in all but three games for the season (one she missed while resting for the double header) and an extremely high chance of the three. It’s estimated she’ll pick up six to eight three voters, but you never know with the depth of the Sabres side – Tayla Brazel looks the likely challenger for three votes on an even night’s performance for the Sabres.
Maddy Freer
Freer has raced into Halls calculations after we think polling around six votes in 2022 – Sam Simons last year’s MVP and Isobel Borlase missing majority of the season has meant Freer has been front and centre of every Eagles win and competitive loss for the season. I expect she’ll poll in ten games at least and maybe a few more as a surprise.
The Smokeys
Mollie McKendrick
As always with Mollie it’s dependent on whether she can poll in the majority of games she plays. This season she played 15 compared to 17 last season but we expect she will poll strongly in at least ten games and be right up there as a smokey.
Ally Wilson
Australian duties are the only thing that might prevent Wilson from taking out the Halls after another outstanding season. The all-star five selection last year will be right up there again and even in some losses will poll strongly. Our experts anticipate she’ll poll in at least nine or more games across the backend of the season.
Morgan Yaeger
Another one who started the season late with injury but no doubt will get some three voters across the second half of the season. It was around Round 7 when she heated up and likely reeled off votes in her next twelve of thirteen games from there on in.
Keep An Eye on
Holly Forbes
Has been super solid the full season and likely to be the leading poller for the Panthers. She was close to observational best on court in at least five games and possibly picked up votes in losses as well – watch her numbers very closely…
Nicole Fransson
Was very much in the officials’ eye majority of the Warriors games throughout the season including in the rebound counts. Lack of wins might be the downside but even in some losses she may have picked up handy votes to keep her right in the top vote getters.
Sophie Kerridge
You never know who might emerge as a vote getter from a previous season and for the Flames to get where they did there was an engine that got motoring at both ends of the floor – Kerridge is one of those players who had a season that may be recognised in the voting. How many times she picks up three versus two or one will depend on how they look at her teammates’ impact on games but she’s definitely one not to sleep on.
The Winner is… Mikayla Williams
I’m thinking given she’ll poll in 15 games – she’ll be plus 30 and very hard to catch as a clear standout this season.
We are back to doing recaps for the NBL, Catch all the NBL1 Central action this weekend on the NBL1 website, app and game of the week in First Round of the finals between the Forestville Eagles Men and the Sturt Sabres Men on Kayo and Kayo Freebies this weekend.
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