Brydens Sydney Uni Flames are excited to announce the signing of American forward, Amanda 'AJ' Johnson for the upcoming 2018/19 WNBL season.
Standing at 187cm, AJ's size, athleticism and sharp shooting are an invaluable addition to the Flames roster.
The Californian-born forward says she is excited to make the move to Sydney and join her teammates ahead of the WNBL season beginning in October.
"It is a privilege to be invited to work with and for a club and coach with such an extensive legacy of success," she said.
"Although I've got some business to wrap up here in the stadiums of the QBL, I am very much looking forward to coming down and seeing what we all can achieve together."
Coach Cheryl Chambers is also excited by the signing of AJ who she considers "a quality player and quality person."
"I really look forward to working with her. We welcome her to the Flames program," she said.
AJ is currently playing for the Ipswich Force in the Queensland Basketball League (QBL) where she has earned the league's Player of the Week honours, twice.
Her first POTW performance saw her score an outstanding 42 points in a single game (plus 19 rebounds with a 50.0 FG percentage). The second came off the back of a 25-point performance where she recorded an impressive 28 boards.
Before her time up north, AJ shone at the University of Oregon, a powerhouse member of the women's basketball team, the Oregon Ducks. She was awarded the Jackson Award in her senior year, given to Oregon's top female senior student-athlete - a testament to her performance in her sport and classroom - and earned Pac-12 All-Academic first team honours on three occasions.
Following her senior year, she was picked in the third round (22rd overall) by the Connecticut Sun before being traded to Phoenix in the 2012 WNBA draft. Her time with the Mercury was short-lived after suffering a serious concussion, which saw her waived. Snapping back, she spent time in Europe playing professionally in Bulgaria and Switzerland.
AJ says she is excited to debut in the Australia's women's national league which she dubs one of the world's best.
"Year after year, the league is one of the most competitive in the world and boasts so many terrific athletes and I am so keen to be able to compete in it."
Welcome to the Flames, AJ! Catch her and the Flames in action this upcoming WNBL season by securing your early bird memberships HERE.
SEABL
nAlex Wilson playing for the Launceston Tornadoes Earned SEABL Player of the Week honours finishing with 19 points on 7-11 shooting. She coming close to a triple-double with seven rebounds and eight assists to defeat the COE, 88-60.
nLaunceston completed the double road trip with a huge win against Sandringham 114u00a0u2013u00a084. Ally finished with a massive 27 points, seven boards, 12 assists and a block.
nHobart, with new Flames recruit Brittany Smart, narrowly defeated Canberra 66-65 with Britt contributing 8 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists. She then backed up the following day to score 20 points with 2 rebounds and 4 assists in a loss to the COE.
nThe Southern Design Sydney Uni Sparks, coached by Brydens Sydney Uni Flames captain, Belinda Snell, put together two strong performances over the weekend, splitting their Victorian road double.
nIn the Sparks six-point loss to the Bendigo Braves,u00a0Tahlia Tupaea was unstoppable, finishing with 28 points and 6 assists. Lara McSpadden had 14 points and 7 rebounds. Shanae Greaves added 12 points.
nIn their second game against Ballarat, the Sparks found form to claim a convincing 23-point victory. Fiveu00a0players featured in double figures including Tahlia Tupaea with 20 points (and 5 rebounds), Lara McSpadden (11 points, 5 rebounds) and Shanae Greaves (10 points, 8 rebounds).
nNSW Waratah Championship
nIn a crucial Waratah Championship game that saw the 3rd versus the 4th placed teams, Sarah Graham had 20 points on 4 of 8 3 pointers in Hornsby Spiders defeat of Newcastle, 84-61. Sarah also added 5 rebounds and 3 assists.
nn
Follow the Brydens Sydney Uni Flames on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for regular player updates.
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nFrom the pool, to the classroom and onto the court, Lara McSpadden has worked hard to find balance juggling all three commitments. Her positive attitude and determination are key components to her success at such a young age.
nLara left her home town of Newcastle at the age of 16 to attend the Australian Institute of Sport. She enjoyed living in Canberra and the freedom and independence that came with it, along with being able to improve her basketball skills while finishing high school. u201cLiving in a place where Australian basketball legends previously lived and trained gave me a constant thrill and appreciation for the opportunities Iu2019ve worked for,u201d she said.
nWhilst at the Institute, Lara was a member of the World Championship winning Australian U/19 Sapphires team. Impressing the coaching staff at the Brydens Sydney Uni Flames, upon leaving the AIS, Lara joined the Flames as the youngest member of their 2016/17 roster. Enjoying the opportunity to learn from her teammates and live close to home, Lara has just signed on for her third season with the Sydney based team.
nnu201cThe thing I love most about being a part of the Flames program is constantly learning from high calibre athletes I get to call myu00a0 teammates. There are a few ladies in my team who have played in the places where I would love to take my basketball journey to…Europe, the WNBA and for the Australian Opals. This gives me the chance to ask them questions and get advice from them that could prepare me for the future!u201d
Many know of Larau2019s on court ability however, few know of the positive impact she is making off the court. Lara is an accredited Austswim teacher and has been working at Sydney Uni Swim School for almost a year. u201cI love introducing people to the water and seeing people achieve things they never thought they could do,u201d McSpadden said of her work.
nAs a swim instructor, she was a key member of Sydney Universityu2019s inaugural Water Safe Program where students who had no or limited experience with the water were able to learn basic water, stroke and survival skills. u201cBeing able to teach them how to become comfortable in the water, whilst teaching them survival skills, has brought out my love for swimming again! It doesnu2019t even feel like work because I love it so much!u201d
nAlong with work Lara is currently studying a Bachelor of Primary Education at the Australian Catholic University, but is in the process of transferring to Sydney University to study a Bachelor of Secondary Education PDHPE with a minor in mathematics.u00a0 u201cIu2019ve worked really hard for the past two years to get to a stage where I can be in the best position possible to transfer into the course Iu2019ve wanted to do since I can remember at one of the most respected universities in the world.u201d
nWhen asked how she juggles work, university and basketball commitments, effective time management and finding a balance have been crucial factors. u201cLife can get pretty hectic, but I have found the balance between my sport, work and uni that allows me to enjoy one of them as much as the others. Managing and utilising time has been a massive factor in maintaining good grades, sporting drive and a passion for my work.u201d
nCurrently, Lara is having an outstanding season with the Southern Design Sydney Uni Sparks in the South East Australian Basketball League where she is averaging 12.2 points and 7.9 rebounds per game.
nCatch Lara and the Flames in action this upcoming WNBL season by securing your early bird membershipsu00a0HERE!
n","date":"June 21, 2018","timestamp":1529625293,"hero_image":{"url":"https://wnbl.com.au/sydney-uni/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2018/06/Lara-Image.jpg","alt":"","title":"Lara Image"},"type":"text","video":"","gallery":null,"site":{"title":"Sydney Uni Flames","logo":{"url":"https://wnbl.com.au/sydney-uni/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2017/08/team_logo-sydney.png","alt":"","title":"team_logo-sydney"},"theme_colour":"#ffc00f","link":"http://wnbl.com.au/sydney-uni"},"link":"http://wnbl.com.au/sydney-uni/news/mcspaddens-balancing-act/","share_to_facebook":"https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwnbl.com.au%2Fsydney-uni%2Fnews%2Fmcspaddens-balancing-act%2F","share_to_twitter":"https://twitter.com/intent/tweet/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwnbl.com.au%2Fsydney-uni%2Fnews%2Fmcspaddens-balancing-act%2F&hashtags=wnbl"},{"id":1092,"title":"Flames dominating in the off-season","content":"Photo Credit: Scott Gelston.u00a0Story by Nicole Safi.
nSEABL
nAlex Wilson scored 22 points for the Launceston Tornadoes in their close loss to the Melbourne Tigers. Wilson also added 7 rebounds and 8 assists in an all round performance.
nWilson averaged over 12 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists per game in the Flames 2017/18 season, and was a part of their 2016/17 Championship winning team.u00a0She will return for her fourth season with the Flames this October.
nFlames Assistant Coach,u00a0Mark Alabakov is head coaching the Melbourne Tigers in SEABL, with his team claiming a clean sweep of Tasmania at the weekend, defeating both Hobart, 89-68 and Ally Wilson’s Launceston, 76-72.
nHis team sits in sixth place and remains in contention for the SEABL Finals.
nThe Southern Design Sydney Uni Sparks put forward a gallant effort but were chased down by an experienced Kilsyth outfit at the weekend. Despite the Sparks leading at each of the breaks the Cobras stormed home to claim a 67-59 victory at Brydens Stadium.
nRecently selected in the Opals team and returning Flame, Tahlia Tupaea had a good all round game with 12 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds. Lara McSpadden also finished in double figures with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
nThis past weekend, new Flames recruit, Brittany Smart did not play for Hobart.
nNSW Waratah Championship
nSarah Graham had 33 points on 7 of 14 three-pointers in Hornsby Spiders defeat of the Penrith Panthers, 89-64. Sarah, who also coaches the side, added 8 rebounds and 7 assists in a great performance.
nn
Follow the Brydens Sydney Uni Flames on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for regular player updates.
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