Thu

Jun 13, 2024

Woosnam declares title, NBL opportunity as career goals

NBL1.com.au

Dandenong Rangers men’s coach Sam Woosnam has two clear goals on her to-do list – win the NBL1 South and earn an assistant coaching gig in the NBL.

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Feature image via: Lauri Jean

Woosnam has the Rangers positioned in a dangerous position heading into the stretch run of the season, sitting 4th on the ladder with a 10-5 record. To highlight the closeness of the conference, teams placed 1st-4th share 10 wins, while 5th-7th have nine wins.

A strong roster, thanks to smart recruiting from Woosnam and her team, has seen Dandenong employ an all-in approach to the season, with Jacob Tryon, Jack Roberts, Tad Dufelmeier and Mason Peatling all averaging 15 or more points.

Speaking to the SA Shotclock podcast, Woosnam made it clear she doesn’t just want to lead her Rangers to a post-season appearance – she is chasing the trophy.

“I don’t want to just compete in NBL1 South. I want to win it. Whether that happens this year or in two year’s time, that’s definitely the number one priority for me right now,” Woosnam said.

Woosnam also holds strong personal ambitions, one of which is following in the footsteps of the likes of Fleur McIntyre, Michele Timms, Lori Chizik, Chanel Pompallier and Tracy York, and joining an NBL team coaching staff.

While she acknowledges she still has a lot of work to do to reach the NBL, Woosnam revealed she is committed to chasing her NBL dream and is willing to go the extra mile to give her the best possible opportunity to achieve it.

“Being an assistant coach in the NBL is something I would love to do and is one of my goals,” Woosnam said.

“I am very self-aware and I know that I have a lot still to learn about the men’s game but I think that’s part of that pathway for me is connecting with an NBL team and going down to a few sessions and just observing this season, that’s something I’m definitely looking at doing.

“Expanding my network, I had a pretty solid network and foundation on the women’s side of things, and I know that’s something I need to work on to make that next step to hopefully be an assistant coach in the NBL one day.”

Woosnam’s Rangers battle the first placed Miners in Ballarat on Saturday night at 7:30pm AEST. Catch the game on the NBL1 app and website.