Whose World is This?
Recapping the Basketball Without Borders Global girls camp held during WNBA All-Star 2024
Thanks for reading the Her Hoop Stats Newsletter. If you like our work, be sure to check out our stats site, our podcast, and our social media accounts on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also buy Her Hoop Stats gear, such as laptop stickers, mugs, and shirts!
Haven’t subscribed to the Her Hoop Stats Newsletter yet?
A 20-minute drive from downtown Phoenix, the second-ever Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Global Girls camp occurred as part of WNBA All-Star 2024. Held at the Verizon 5G Performance Center, nearly 40 top high-school-age prospects from 24 countries were in attendance. The attendees, who participated in such activities as skill development, 5-on-5 exhibition games, and seminars, were coached by WNBA Coaches Development Program members Edniesha Curry, Shey Peddy, April Sykes, and Kelly Raimon. The high level of international campers merited such a coaching roster and attracted various collegiate and WNBA-level staff.
The Camper
One of the campers in attendance was Australian standout Saffron Shiels. The 6-foot-2 guard is poised to be a big part of Australia’s basketball future. Her ability to attack downhill, put the ball on the floor and facilitate were on full display in this year’s U18 Asia Cup. Shiels helped lead Australia to its second consecutive Asia Cup win against a formidable opponent in Zhang Ziyu-led China. In the tournament-winning contest against China, Shiels scored 31 points, hauled 15 rebounds, and dished out six assists.
Before the U18 Asia Cup, Shiels played in the semi-pro NBL1 for the Townsville Flames and took home the league's North Youth Player of the Year award. Shiels is expected to continue her stellar play on a bigger stage when she returns to the premier level with the WNBL’s Townsville Fire. Repeating her performances from the Asia Cup and NBL1 will surely increase her profile and possible WNBA draft stock.
At the BWB camp, Shiels got a chance to showcase her skills and immerse herself in the experience of 2024 WNBA All-Star.
“It's pretty surreal to be a part of the second BWB girls camp, go to the All-Star game, and meet so many people around the world,” Shiels said about her experience.
Shiels was one of many Aussie representatives at the camp. Opal Bird, Bonnie Deas, Sienna Harvey, and Monique Bobongie joined Shiels. All five were part of Australia’s U18 team that won the Asia Cup. Sandy Brondello, head coach of the Australian national team and the New York Liberty, has kept a close eye on the developing youth.
“They’re huge for us,” Brondello said after Australia’s U18 Asia Cup win. “I think that's the exciting part about the Opals in the future. We've got some great talent that when these established stars retire, we’ve got people pushing in”.
Shiels knows the task at hand for her and her youthful teammates. “Australia has set a great pathway, so hopefully we can continue to build it up,” she said.
A recent youthful Australian talent that has helped set a path for players like Shiels is Jade Melbourne. Currently the youngest player in the WNBA, Melbourne was a participant in the BWB Global Camp in 2020. Two years later, she was drafted by Seattle in the third round. One year after that, she was playing at the highest level for the team that drafted Australian icon Lauren Jackson. Given what Shiels has accomplished thus far, it’s not far-fetched to see her follow in Melbourne's footsteps.
The Player
On the second day of BWB Camp, campers were treated to a special guest appearance by Shakira Austin of the Washington Mystics. Austin spoke to campers on her experiences and how they can develop as players. Additionally, Austin aided in skill development drills.
“They are really focused on trying to be better and showcase what they can do,” Austin said about her experience with the campers. “So I think that this has been a fun environment to allow them to grow and see what it takes.”
Austin is no stranger to international action. In 2022, she was part of the Team USA squad that won the 2022 FIBA World Cup. She has also played overseas, most notably for the Israeli Elitzur Ramla. However, the international flair among the youth drew callbacks to her early experiences abroad.
“I think it's absolutely amazing,” Austin said about the international representation at BWB camp. “I had the chance to travel and go to Brazil at a young age and see that this is something that the whole world is invested in.”
Another interesting wrinkle that makes Austin a good “bridge” between the campers and their pro-level dreams is two of her Mystics teammates: Melbourne and Canada’s Aaliyah Edwards, each of whom was a past BWB Global Camp participant. Austin sees the work that Edwards and Melbourne put in daily as members of the Mystics. In conjunction with her path to the W, Austin can provide great insight for those wanting to get to the next level. However, for Austin, the most essential trait to have is discipline.
“You have to be extremely disciplined to make it to somewhere like this [the WNBA],” Austin said. “It takes a lot of discipline, a lot of focus. I think you have to understand what you want. If you want to be the best, you have to do things that normal people aren't going to do. You have to continue to make sacrifices and show that this is something that you love. That's going to push you.”
The Instructor
Cinnamon Lister served as a key instructor at the BWB camp. An Elite Basketball Women’s Operations lead with the NBA, Lister has quite the basketball background with coaching stops at Princeton and UC Irvine, a brief WNBA stint as an assistant coach with the Mercury, and playing stints at California State University-Northridge and Boise State. She was insightful about the aim of Basketball Without Borders and its long-term goals.
“Basketball Without Borders camps aim to help develop and bring different cultures together,” Lister said. “Especially on the women's side, they don't have opportunities like this in some of their countries. So, we want to provide them the opportunity to develop, connect with other countries, and grow overall as individuals. They come out here not just to develop on the court, but to develop off the court, learning from their teammates, learning from their coaches, and learning from our camp director, Allison Feaster. I think it's a one-stop shop for what they need at their age, where they're trying to go to play NCAA or WNBA, and achieve their dreams.”
Given the elevated reach of this program, in conjunction with the increased attention women’s basketball has received recently, one would inquire if there is a possible connection there. Lister believes that to be the case.
“We have 20-plus countries represented, so it just shows that when there's more exposure around girls' basketball, there is more development and investment,” Lister said. “I think that what it shows is that more people are interested in it, and more money is going to get put into it. It shows that girls are seeing women and girls do things that have never been done before. So it’s being spread out, and the game has grown.”
At the inaugural Laureus Sports Awards in Monaco in 2000, the iconic figure of change, Nelson Mandela, gave a historic speech about sport and its merits. At one point, Mandela said, “It has the power to unite people in a way little else does. It speaks to youth, in a language they understand.” Basketball has been viewed in that way as a unifier of cultures, something that's evident at Basketball Without Borders. Lister agrees.
“Basketball itself is a language,” Lister said. “One of the campers speaks Portuguese, another speaks French, and one speaks Spanish. So, when they are huddled up, they are talking about something they can at least play; they can demonstrate. It’s a vehicle to bring people together. That's what is great about these experiences, is to bring all of these different cultures together.”
The campers can share and collaborate in a unique way. On the basketball front, they can learn from women who have achieved success on the collegiate and professional levels. One that Lister gave a great deal of kudos to is camp director and former WNBA All-Star Allison Feaster, who also serves as Vice President of Team Operations and Organizational Growth for the current NBA champion Boston Celtics.
“I think one of the most important things is to see someone like Allison Feaster, who graduated from Harvard, who after just winning a world championship with the Boston Celtics is fully present here for these girls,” Lister said. “She is making the time in her busy schedule to help develop these girls, and to see someone like that making the effort of being here and being a source of knowledge is important. They get to see someone like her, [who] looks like her, and has an overall presence.”
Feaster and the other coaches in attendance have much cache and insight for the campers. But what does Lister aim to provide the campers? It’s to focus on their journey, come what may.
“One of the biggest things that I'm going to share with them while coaching them and helping them develop is that one path doesn't always look the same,” Lister said. “The way that I do something isn't going to be how the person next to me does something. You don't need to look to the right or to the left. You must focus on your lane and development process, not comparing yourself to others. That can be the biggest thief of joy.”
Lister continued, “As long as they focus on what they want to do, their skill set, and developing themselves, then they can achieve whatever dreams they have. So, I have tried to instill that in the drills or whenever I have a free moment to talk to them. It's about you. It's about your process, not about anybody else's.”
Focusing on their own journey and the lane in front of them is crucial in the environment they are in. At their core, the BWB camps instill the development and camaraderie that is important in today’s society. But there is also the element of ambition to get ahead. With collegiate coaches, WNBA coaches and executives, and others in attendance, there is a sense of pressure to be great in camp. Lister is well aware of that.
“It's high stakes, right?” Lister remarked. “There's WNBA coaches, college coaches, the media, and with everything going on, there is a lot of pressure. But they [the campers] are here for a reason. You are brought here to be developed and are the top talent in your country. So, just focus on that. Do not worry about the other stuff, be present, own who you actually are, and know you are meant to be here.”
The BWB camp was nothing short of spectacular for campers and everyone involved. Inside the Verizon 5G Performance Center, the feeling was that a global wave in the future of women’s basketball was coming. If the game will grow, then why not grow it in all areas of the world?
Thanks for reading the Her Hoop Stats Newsletter. If you like our work, be sure to check out our stats site, our podcast, and our social media accounts on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.