AWSN Power Player Sami Whitcomb deservedly took home the WNBL MVP Award! Congrats to Sami and all the winners!
via WNBL:
The Cygnett WNBL’s prestigious awards night took place in Melbourne on Monday evening, complete with the signature orange carpet, live musical performances, and a formal address from WNBL Head Christy Collier-Hill. Honorable guests also took the stage as medal presenters throughout the night.
The event celebrated the league’s top performers, recognizing excellence with six individual player awards, one coaches’ award, and the unveiling of the All-WNBL First and Second Teams.
The first honor of the evening, the 2024/25 Cygnett Community Award, included a $5,000 donation to a charity of choice. Townsville Fire’s Courtney Woods claimed the award for the second consecutive year, a testament to her outstanding contributions to the Townsville community.
Townsville Fire continued their winning streak with Lauren Cox taking home the Robyn Maher Defensive Player of the Year Award. In her debut WNBL season, Cox has made an immediate impact, averaging 7.8 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game.
The Sixth Woman of the Year Award, recognizing the league’s most valuable substitute player, was awarded to Abbey Wehrung of the Bendigo Spirit.
Abbey Ellis, in her first season with Townsville Fire, was named the Betty Watson Breakout Player of the Year, highlighting her impressive emergence in the league.
Townsville Fire’s dominance continued as head coach Shannon Seebohm secured his fifth Coach of the Year Award, surpassing Tom Maher as the only coach in WNBL history to achieve this milestone.
The All-WNBL teams for the 2024/25 season were then unveiled:
ALL-WNBL SECOND TEAM:
Veronica Burton (Bendigo Spirit)
Kelsey Griffin (Bendigo Spirit)
Anneli Maley (Perth Lynx)
Jade Melbourne (UC Capitals)
Miela Sowah (Perth Lynx)
ALL-WNBL FIRST TEAM:
Laeticia Amihere (Perth Lynx)
Naz Hillmon (Southside Flyers)
Sami Whitcomb (Bendigo Spirit)
Ally Wilson (Perth Lynx)
Courtney Woods (Townsville Fire)
The Ford Fan MVP, chosen by fans, went to UC Capitals’ 22-year-old star Jade Melbourne, marking her second consecutive win in the category.
Finally, the evening concluded with the league’s highest individual honor—the Suzy Batkovic Medal for WNBL MVP. The 2024/25 award went to Bendigo Spirit’s Sami Whitcomb, who had a stellar season, averaging 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists per game in her seventh WNBL season.
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2024/2025 CYGNETT WNBL AWARD WINNERS
Suzy Batkovic Medal (League MVP): Sami Whitcomb – Bendigo Spirit
Ford Fan MVP: Jade Melbourne (UC Capitals)
2024/25 ALL WNBL FIRST TEAM: Laeticia Amihere (Perth Lynx), Naz Hillmon (Southside Flyers), Sami Whitcomb (Bendigo Spirit), Ally Wilson (Perth Lynx), Courtney Woods (Townsville Fire).
2024/25 ALL WNBL SECOND TEAM: Veronica Burton (Bendigo Spirit), Kelsey Griffin (Bendigo Spirit), Anneli Maley (Perth Lynx), Jade Melbourne (UC Capitals) and Miela Sowah (Perth Lynx).
Coach of the Year Award: Shannon Seebohm (Townsville Fire)
Betty Watson Breakout Player of the Year Award: Abbey Ellis (Townsville Fire)
Sixth Woman of the Year Award: Abbey Wehrung (Bendigo Spirit)
Robyn Maher Defensive Player of the Year Award: Lauren Cox (Townsville Fire)
Cygnett Community Award: Courtney Woods (Townsville Fire)
Check out the WNBL Championship Final live on AWSN (check schedule for local times).