After taking out the WNBL 21-22 Season MVP, Anneli Maley’s dominant form has granted her an invite to the Chicago Sky pre-season training camp, placing her WNBA dreams within reach.
Already a powerhouse defender within the WNBL- back-to-back leading rebounder (2020 and 21-22)- Maley’s 21-22 season with Bendigo Spirit took her game to new heights and gathered the eyes of recruiters all around the world. Adding the top WNBL scorer to her resume this season, Maley’s league MVP status came as no surprise.
Having now relocated from regional Victoria to the big city of Chicago to kick start her WNBA dream, Maley doesn’t know how long it’ll last but is embracing every moment.
“The opportunity to go to Chicago, to a WNBA training camp, I would be happy to go for one day, I’m just so excited and I don’t there’s anything that can ruin the experience for me,” Maley told BA Media.
“I’ve never been to Chicago, it’s another unreal thing, I feel giddy and excited and not nervous!”
View this post on Instagram
Maley’s 2022 calendar could not be busier, the training camp and securing the WNBA season contract her main priority however, with 3×3 featuring at the Commonwealth Games in July and the Women’s World Cup come September, Maley also has her sights set on landing a spot on the national teams.
“Over the last couple of years, I’ve found a lot of success in not long-term planning but focusing on what I’m doing today and taking it one step at a time.”
The WNBA season is set to tip-off on May 6, with Maley hopeful to continue with the Sky.
In the spirit of reconciliation Basketball Australia acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.